Patents by Inventor John William Howson

John William Howson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20250139900
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2025
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 12190449
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20240290035
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 29, 2024
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 11861792
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20230230323
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: July 20, 2023
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 11610368
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20180033196
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 9818222
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 8446409
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus provided for rendering three-dimensional computer graphic images which include both translucent and opaque objects. A list of objects which may be visible in the images is determined and for each pixel in the list a determination is made as to whether or not the object in the list may be visible at that pixel. A data tag is stored for a transparent object determined to be visible at the pixel, and the data tag and object data are passed to a texturing and shading unit when the translucent object is determined to be overwriting the location in a tag buffer already occupied by another data tag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20110267346
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for tessellating patches of surfaces in a tile based three dimensional computer graphics rendering system. For each tile in an image a per tile list of primitive indices is derived for tessellated primitives which make up a patch. Hidden surface removal is then performed on the patch and any domain points which remain after hidden surface removal are derived. The primitives are then shaded for display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2011
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20110254852
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for shading and texturing computer graphic images in a tile based rendering system using dynamically rendered textures. Scene space geometry is derived for a dynamically rendered texture and passed to a tiling unit which derives scene space geometry for a scene which references the textures. Scene space geometry for a scene that references the dynamically rendered texture is also derived and passed to the tiling unit. The tiling unit uses object data derived from the scene space geometry to detect reference to areas of dynamically rendered textures, as yet un-rendered. These are then dynamically rendered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Patent number: 6809730
    Abstract: Three dimensional computer graphic images are shaded by first supplying data which defines the objects to be inserted into the image, this data including depth data relating to the objects. A depth store (4) includes data for objects already inserted into the image and a depth comparison unit (6) compares the depth of an object to be inserted with the currently stored depth data for a particular pixel. The result of this is used to determine which of a number of depth operations is to be applied to the depth store (4). A blending value is selected for each pixel for combining the object with the image in dependence on the selected depth operation. A combining unit then combines the object with the image in proportions dependent upon the selecting blending value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2004
    Assignee: Imagination Technologies Limited
    Inventor: John William Howson
  • Publication number: 20030122823
    Abstract: Three dimensional computer graphic images are shaded by first supplying data which defines the objects to be inserted into the image, this data including depth data relating to the objects. A depth store (4) includes data for objects already inserted into the image and a depth comparison unit (6) compares the depth of an object to be inserted with the currently stored depth data for a particular pixel. The result of this is used to determine which of a number of depth operations is to be applied to the depth store (4). A blending value is selected for each pixel for combining the object with the image in dependence on the selected depth operation. A combining unit then combines the object with the image in proportions dependent upon the selecting blending value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2003
    Publication date: July 3, 2003
    Applicant: Imagination Technologies Limited.
    Inventor: John William Howson