Patents by Inventor Ming-Hao Liao

Ming-Hao Liao 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).

  • Patent number: 9846959
    Abstract: A depth processing apparatus includes a depth buffer, an early depth processing circuit, a post depth processing circuit, and a depth processing controller. The depth buffer stores depth information of a plurality of pixels of a screen space. The early depth processing circuit performs early depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information before a pixel shading stage. The post depth processing circuit performs post depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information after the pixel shading stage. The depth processing controller manages a plurality of dependency indication values corresponding to a plurality of sub-regions in the screen space, respectively, and configured to control a first pixel for undergoing at least one of the early depth processing and the post depth processing by referring a first dependency indication value of a first sub-region in which the first pixel is located.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Tsung-Liang Hou, Chin-Yuan Yao, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9836869
    Abstract: A graphics-processing method and a graphics-processing apparatus are provided. The graphics-processing method includes the steps of computing a vertex position of a vertex in a binning phase to obtain a first position data; generating a first signal according to a first condition, wherein when the first signal corresponds to a first value, the first position data is stored into a memory unit, and when the first signal corresponds to a second value, the vertex position of the vertex in a rendering phase is computed to obtain a second position data; computing a vertex varying of the vertex in the binning phase or the rendering phase; and rendering in the rendering phase according to either the first position data or the second position data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Sung-Fang Tsai, Pei-Kuei Tsung, Ming-Hao Liao
  • Patent number: 9830731
    Abstract: A method of a graphics-processing unit (GPU) for tile-based rendering of a display area and a graphics-processing apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of computing vertex positions of a plurality of vertexes, wherein the first vertex corresponds to a first thread and the second vertex corresponds to a second thread; determining whether a thread merge condition is satisfied; merging the first thread and the second thread to a thread group when determining that the thread merge condition is satisfied; computing vertex varyings of the plurality of vertexes, wherein when the first thread and the second thread are merged to the thread group, a varying of the first vertex and a varying of the second vertex are computed with respect to a program counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Pei-Kuei Tsung, Sung-Fang Tsai, Ming-Hao Liao, Yang-Yao Lin, Ken-Fu Liang, Chun-Shen Liu
  • Patent number: 9792722
    Abstract: A depth processing method and associated graphic processing circuit is provided. The method comprises loading geometry data of a scene and performing a vertex transformation thereof. After the geometry data is segmented in a tile resolution, pre-depth data of the scene are obtained. After the geometry data are segmented in a bin resolution, plural bin tables are generated. Then, the plural bin tables are converted into plural tiles, the plural converted tiles are classified into a first portion of tiles and a second portion of tiles according to depth data of the converted tiles and the pre-depth data of the scene, and the second portion of tiles are discarded. After the first portion of tiles are processed, a color value and a depth value of each pixel of the scene are generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: MediaTek Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Chih-Ching Chen, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9773294
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a decision logic and a varying buffer control circuit. The decision logic sets a control signal by checking at least one criterion, wherein the at least one criterion includes a first criterion, and a checking result of the first criterion depends on a size of a primitive. The varying buffer control circuit refers to the control signal to determine whether to store varying variables of the primitive into a varying buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Chun-Shen Liu, Ming-Hao Liao, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9760969
    Abstract: A graphic processing system and a method of graphic processing are provided. The graphic processing system has a collector, a plurality of slots, a scheduler, an arbiter and at least an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The collector is configured to group a plurality of workitems into elementary wavefronts. Each of the elementary wavefronts comprises workitems configured to execute the same kernel code. The scheduler is configured to allocate the elementary wavefronts to the slots. Two or more of the elementary wavefronts exist at one slot to form one of a plurality of macro wavefronts. The arbiter is configured to select one of the macro wavefronts. The ALU is configured to execute workitems of at least an elementary wavefront of the selected macro wavefront and output results of execution of the workitems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Shou-Jen Lai, Chia-Hsien Chou, Po-Chun Fan, Yan-Hong Lu, Chih-Chung Cheng, Hung-Yau Lin
  • Patent number: 9754402
    Abstract: A graphics processing method and an associated graphics processing apparatus, where the graphics processing method is applied to the graphics processing apparatus, the graphics processing apparatus may be positioned within an electronic device, and the graphics processing apparatus may comprise at least one portion of the electronic device. The graphics processing method includes the steps of: calculating vertex positions of a primitive in a binning phase; determining, according to specific information, whether to compute vertex varyings of the primitive in the binning phase or in a rendering phase so as to provide a determination result; computing the vertex varyings in the binning phase or in the rendering phase according to the determination result; and rendering the primitive according to the vertex positions and the vertex varyings in the rendering phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Sung-Fang Tsai, Pei-Kuei Tsung, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Publication number: 20160379336
    Abstract: A method of a graphics-processing unit (GPU) for tile-based rendering of a display area and a graphics-processing apparatus are provided. The method includes the steps of computing vertex positions of a plurality of vertexes, wherein the first vertex corresponds to a first thread and the second vertex corresponds to a second thread; determining whether a thread merge condition is satisfied; merging the first thread and the second thread to a thread group when determining that the thread merge condition is satisfied; computing vertex varyings of the plurality of vertexes, wherein when the first thread and the second thread are merged to the thread group, a varying of the first vertex and a varying of the second vertex are computed with respect to a program counter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Pei-Kuei TSUNG, Sung-Fang TSAI, Ming-Hao LIAO, Yang-Yao LIN, Ken-Fu LIANG, Chun-Shen LIU
  • Publication number: 20160379337
    Abstract: A graphics-processing method and a graphics-processing apparatus are provided. The graphics-processing method includes the steps of computing a vertex position of a vertex in a binning phase to obtain a first position data; generating a first signal according to a first condition, wherein when the first signal corresponds to a first value, the first position data is stored into a memory unit, and when the first signal corresponds to a second value, the vertex position of the vertex in a rendering phase is computed to obtain a second position data; computing a vertex varying of the vertex in the binning phase or the rendering phase; and rendering in the rendering phase according to either the first position data or the second position data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Sung-Fang TSAI, Pei-Kuei TSUNG, Ming-Hao LIAO
  • Publication number: 20160267621
    Abstract: A graphic processing system and a method of graphic processing are provided. The graphic processing system has a collector, a plurality of slots, a scheduler, an arbiter and at least an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). The collector is configured to group a plurality of workitems into elementary wavefronts. Each of the elementary wavefronts comprises workitems configured to execute the same kernel code. The scheduler is configured to allocate the elementary wavefronts to the slots. Two or more of the elementary wavefronts exist at one slot to form one of a plurality of macro wavefronts. The arbiter is configured to select one of the macro wavefronts. The ALU is configured to execute workitems of at least an elementary wavefront of the selected macro wavefront and output results of execution of the workitems.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Publication date: September 15, 2016
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Shou-Jen Lai, Chia-Hsien Chou, Po-Chun Fan, Yan-Hong Lu, Chih-Chung Cheng, Hung-Yau Lin
  • Publication number: 20160180539
    Abstract: A graphic processing circuit with binning rendering and associated pre-depth processing method is provided. Firstly, a first depth data of a first primitive corresponding to a specified tile is received. Then, the pre-depth data corresponding to the specified tile is read from a pre-Z buffer. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is an opaque primitive, the pre-depth data is updated with the first depth data. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is a translucent primitive, an uncertainty ordering range is defined according to the first depth data and the pre-depth data, and the pre-depth data is updated with the uncertainty ordering range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Chih-Ching Chen, Shih-Chin Lin, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Publication number: 20160180579
    Abstract: A depth processing method and associated graphic processing circuit is provided. The method comprises loading geometry data of a scene and performing a vertex transformation thereof. After the geometry data is segmented in a tile resolution, pre-depth data of the scene are obtained. After the geometry data are segmented in a bin resolution, plural bin tables are generated. Then, the plural bin tables are converted into plural tiles, the plural converted tiles are classified into a first portion of tiles and a second portion of tiles according to depth data of the converted tiles and the pre-depth data of the scene, and the second portion of tiles are discarded. After the first portion of tiles are processed, a color value and a depth value of each pixel of the scene are generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Chih-Ching Chen, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 9361697
    Abstract: A graphic processing circuit with binning rendering and associated pre-depth processing method is provided. Firstly, a first depth data of a first primitive corresponding to a specified tile is received. Then, the pre-depth data corresponding to the specified tile is read from a pre-Z buffer. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is an opaque primitive, the pre-depth data is updated with the first depth data. If the first depth data is not larger than the pre-depth data and the first primitive is a translucent primitive, an uncertainty ordering range is defined according to the first depth data and the pre-depth data, and the pre-depth data is updated with the uncertainty ordering range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: MEDIATEK INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Chih-Ching Chen, Shih-Chin Lin, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Publication number: 20160005143
    Abstract: A graphics processing system includes a decision logic and a varying buffer control circuit. The decision logic sets a control signal by checking at least one criterion, wherein the at least one criterion includes a first criterion, and a checking result of the first criterion depends on a size of a primitive. The varying buffer control circuit refers to the control signal to determine whether to store varying variables of the primitive into a varying buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Chun-Shen Liu, Ming-Hao Liao, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Publication number: 20160005208
    Abstract: A depth processing apparatus includes a depth buffer, an early depth processing circuit, a post depth processing circuit, and a depth processing controller. The depth buffer stores depth information of a plurality of pixels of a screen space. The early depth processing circuit performs early depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information before a pixel shading stage. The post depth processing circuit performs post depth processing based on at least a portion of the depth information after the pixel shading stage. The depth processing controller manages a plurality of dependency indication values corresponding to a plurality of sub-regions in the screen space, respectively, and configured to control a first pixel for undergoing at least one of the early depth processing and the post depth processing by referring a first dependency indication value of a first sub-region in which the first pixel is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Tsung-Liang Hou, Chin-Yuan Yao, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Publication number: 20150332495
    Abstract: A graphics processing method and an associated graphics processing apparatus are provided, where the graphics processing method is applied to the graphics processing apparatus, the graphics processing apparatus may be positioned within an electronic device, and the graphics processing apparatus may comprise at least one portion of the electronic device. The graphics processing method includes the steps of: calculating vertex positions of a primitive in a binning phase; determining, according to specific information, whether to compute vertex varyings of the primitive in the binning phase or in a rendering phase so as to provide a determination result; computing the vertex varyings in the binning phase or in the rendering phase according to the determination result; and rendering the primitive according to the vertex positions and the vertex varyings in the rendering phase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Sung-Fang Tsai, Pei-Kuei Tsung, Hung-Wei Wu
  • Patent number: 8421924
    Abstract: An image processing method and its associated image processing circuit for processing an image based on a sequential couleur avec memoire (SECAM) system are provided. The image includes a first pixel, a second pixel and a third pixel, which are successively arranged in a same vertical line and are respectively corresponding to a first image signal and a second image signal and a third image signal. The image processing method includes steps of calculating a chroma signal via a vertical filtering process according to the first image signal, the second image signal and the third image signal; calculating a chroma angular frequency via a frequency modulation process according to the chroma signal; and generating a chromaticity according to the chroma angular frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Ming-Hao Liao
  • Patent number: 8077997
    Abstract: An image processing method and an image processing apparatus are provided. After receiving an image signal, the image and apparatus according to the invention first judge whether a target block in the image signal includes a non-chroma line. If the judging result is YES, a first edge detection procedure will be performed on the non-chroma line. If the judging result is NO, a second edge detection procedure will be performed on the target block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: MStar Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Jen-Shi Wu, Chung-Yi Chen
  • Publication number: 20100182449
    Abstract: An image processing method and its associated image processing circuit for processing an image based on a sequential couleur avec memoire (SECAM) system are provided. The image includes a first pixel, a second pixel and a third pixel, which are successively arranged in a same vertical line and are respectively corresponding to a first image signal and a second image signal and a third image signal. The image processing method includes steps of calculating a chroma signal via a vertical filtering process according to the first image signal, the second image signal and the third image signal; calculating a chroma angular frequency via a frequency modulation process according to the chroma signal; and generating a chromaticity according to the chroma angular frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: MSTAR SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventor: Ming-Hao Liao
  • Publication number: 20080310749
    Abstract: An image processing method and an image processing apparatus are provided. After receiving an image signal, the image and apparatus according to the invention first judge whether a target block in the image signal includes a non-chroma line. If the judging result is YES, a first edge detection procedure will be performed on the non-chroma line. If the judging result is NO, a second edge detection procedure will be performed on the target block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Inventors: Ming-Hao Liao, Jen-Shi Wu, Chung-Yi Chen