Abstract: The method can include: receiving a set of inputs; determining a set of policies based on the set of inputs; determining a set of scores associated with the set of environmental policies; and evaluating the set of policies. Additionally or alternatively, the method can include operating the ego agent according to a selected policy and/or any other processes. The method functions to facilitate scoring of policies based on ‘feasibility’ for agents in an environment. Additionally or alternatively, the method can function to facilitate autonomous operation of a vehicle (e.g., based on policy-feasibility of agents in the environment). Additionally or alternatively, the method can function to facilitate intention estimation for agents in an environment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method. A set of pre-adjusted images including source images of the pre-adjusted images is provided. The pre-adjusted images include image filter parameters. Histogram information for each of the source images is computed. A learning algorithm is applied to the set. The learning algorithm is configured to map the histogram information to the image filter parameters. A real-time image is processed based on the mapping of the histogram information to the image filter parameters.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method. A set of pre-adjusted images including source images of the pre-adjusted images is provided. The pre-adjusted images include image filter parameters. Histogram information for each of the source images is computed. A learning algorithm is applied to the set. The learning algorithm is configured to map the histogram information to the image filter parameters. A real-time image is processed based on the mapping of the histogram information to the image filter parameters.

Abstract: Soft shadows in computer graphics images are created by rendering the scene from the camera viewpoint and at least one light viewpoint. The positions of scene fragments and light fragments in the scene are stored. For each scene fragment, a frustum is defined between the position of the scene fragment and the light source. Light fragments are evaluated with respect to the frustum to select light fragments blocking light between the light source and the scene fragment. A color or monochromatic shading value is determined for each scene fragment that indicates the amount of light blocked or transmitted by the light fragments. The shading values are then used to alter scene fragments accordingly. Computer graphics images with soft shadows can be created entirely by a graphics processing subsystem or by a graphics processing subsystem in conjunction with a central processing unit using a pipelined, deferred shading approach.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for processing, in a computer system, a computer program having a plurality of operations. The method features calling a dynamic programming routine to generate a schedule for executing a subgroup of the plurality of operations by modeling operations of a computational processor associated with the computer system to minimize a computational cost of placing the computer system in a final machine state (finMS).

Abstract: Different rendering techniques are selected for portions of a scene based on statistical estimates of the portions' rendering costs. A scene is partitioned into a bounding volume hierarchy. Each bounding volume includes a statistical model of the spatial distribution of geometric primitives within the bounding volume. An image to be rendered is partitioned into screen regions and each screen region is associated with one or more bounding volumes and their statistical models. The associated statistical models of a screen region are evaluated to estimate the rendering cost, such as the probable number of geometric primitives per pixel, for the screen region. Based on the rendering cost, the screen region is assigned to a dense geometry renderer, such as a ray tracing renderer, or a sparse geometry renderer, such as a rasterization renderer. Rendered screen regions are combined to form a rendered image.

Abstract: A development application leverages the programmability of shader execution units in the graphics processing subsystem to make graphics processing subsystem state data accessible to applications executed outside the graphics processing subsystem. The development application modifies shaders to include state output instructions adapted to direct a shader execution unit to copy graphics processing subsystem state data to a location in the computer system that is accessible to applications executed outside of the graphics processing subsystem. Following the execution of the state output instructions, the shader execution unit can be halted or can continue executing the shader. The development application can modify the shader to include state restoration instructions adapted to direct the shader execution unit to set state data of the graphics processing subsystem to previous or new values.

Abstract: A method for graphically navigating within a debugger program that enables examination of processing by components of a computing system is provided. In this method, a display of the components is generated that enables navigation to debugging windows of the components. The display and navigation methods may reflect a taxonomic organization of the components with hierarchical and peer relationships. The components are represented by graphical icons that may be selectable. If a selection of a component is detected, a debugging window for the selected component is generated, whereby the debugging window is configured to display a state of processes being handled by the component during execution of code for a program. Graphic user interfaces and a system for navigating within a debugger program also are described.

Abstract: An image generator is organized into a plurality of rendering engines, each of which renders an image of a part scene and provides the part image to a merge engine associated with that rendering engine. The image is a part image in that it usually contains less than all of the objects in the image to be rendered. The merge engine merges the part image from its associated rendering engine with the part image provided by a prior merge engine and provides the merged part image to a next merge engine. One or more merge engines are designated the output merge engines and these output merge engines output a merged part image that is (a portion of) the ultimate output of the image generator, the full rendered image. Each merge engine performs its merge process on the pixels it has from its rendering engine and from its prior neighbor merge engine, in a pipelined manner and without necessarily waiting for all of the pixels of the part image or the merged part image.

Abstract: An image generator is organized into a plurality of rendering engines, each of which renders an image of a part scene and provides the part image to a merge engine associated with that rendering engine. The image is a part image in that it usually contains less than all of the objects in the image to be rendered. The merge engine merges the part image from its associated rendering engine with the part image provided by a prior merge engine and provides the merged part image to a next merge engine. One or more merge engines are designated the output merge engines and these output merge engines output a merged part image that is (a portion of) the ultimate output of the image generator, the full rendered image. Each merge engine performs its merge process on the pixels it has from its rendering engine and from its prior neighbor merge engine, in a pipelined manner and without necessarily waiting for all of the pixels of the part image or the merged part image.

Abstract: An encoder accepts an N byte set of values for each of a plurality of image components, with N being greater than one and, for each N byte set of values, identifies a compressed symbol length, K, wherein K is the smallest integer such that the difference between any two adjacent bytes is expressible in K bits or less, outputs an indication of K and outputs a K bit difference between the byte and an immediately prior byte, for each byte in the set.

Abstract: An image generator computes a set of light sample points, wherein each light sample point is a point on a light source from a geometric model, and an irradiance image is computed for each light sample point, wherein an irradiance image is a view-dependent image taken with the light sample point being the view point and the light source for the irradiance image. From the irradiance images, the image generator creates an irradiance texture for each object in a set of objects being considered the scene and the image generator renders the image of the objects in the set of objects with each object's coloring determined, at least in part, from the object's irradiance texture. Depending on performance requirements, one or more operation of the image generator is parallelized.