Abstract: In various embodiments of an image processing method and apparatus, first and second point clouds representing respective images of a scene/object from different viewpoints are obtained. Extracted features points from the first point cloud are matched with extracted feature points from the second point cloud, using depth based weighting, as part of an ICP initiation process. The first and second point clouds are then further ICP processed using results of the initiation process to generate at least one coordinate-transformed point cloud.

Abstract: A computer readable medium and an image processing method implemented by a computer processor, for determining a color value for a given pixel of a current frame. The method comprises: selecting, by the computer processor, coordinates of a sample position within the given pixel of the current frame; determining, by the computer processor, a present color value for said sample position coordinates; blending, by the computer processor, the computed color value with a color value for at least one pixel of a previous frame, the at least one pixel of the previous frame including a pixel related to the given pixel; and storing in a memory the blended color value for the given pixel of the frame. Thus, aliasing may be mitigated by dynamically varying the relative contributions of the past and the present to the rendered color value of pixels in a frame.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing spatial structure data are provided. The system accesses spatial structure data, which describes object structure, and which has depth information indicative of a plurality of layers for the object structure. The system further extracts, from the spatial structure data, a portion of the spatial structure data representative of one layer of the plurality of layers. The system identifies, from the portion of the spatial structure data, a plurality of vertices that describe a contour of the layer. Additionally, the system identifies convex corners of the layer based on the plurality of vertices and performs object recognition according to the convex corners.

Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for the generation of point clouds representing a region of space. The region may comprise a plurality of objects, which may comprise cubes, voxels, and/or the like. A plurality of points are calculated and distributed among the objects within the region. Generation of such point clouds may be useful in rendering representations of the region of space, and/or respective object(s) therein, on human-machine interface devices, such as computer displays and/or the like.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for generating flexibly addressed memory requests are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes a processor, control unit, and memory subsystem. The processor launches a plurality of threads on a plurality of compute units, wherein each thread generates memory requests without specifying target memory addresses. The threads executing on the plurality of compute units convey a plurality of memory requests to the control unit. The control unit generates target memory addresses for the plurality of received memory requests. In one embodiment, the memory requests are write requests, and the control unit interleaves write requests from the plurality of threads into a single output buffer stored in the memory subsystem. The control unit can be located in a cache, in a memory controller, or in another location within the system.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are provided for switching between different modes of a media content item. A media content item may include a movie that has different modes, such as a cinematic mode and an interactive mode. For example, a movie may be presented in a cinematic mode that does not allow certain user interactions with the movie. The movie may be switched to an interactive mode during any point of the movie, allowing a viewer to interact with various aspects of the movie. The movie may be displayed using different formats and resolutions depending on which mode the movie is being presented.

Abstract: A display apparatus, including a display configured to display an image, at least one sensor configured to generate sensing data relating to a position of a user with respect to the display apparatus, a memory configured to store background image data relating to a background image of a background area behind the display, and a processor configured to generate a content screen based on the background image data and the sensing data and control the display to display generated content screen, wherein the content screen includes at least one graphic object disposed on the background image, and wherein at least one from among the background image and the at least one graphic object are changed in response to a change of the sensing data.

Abstract: A device capable of correcting wrong normal vectors of an original three-dimensional scan result includes a normal vector generation unit and a correction unit, wherein the original three-dimensional scan result corresponds to an object. The normal vector generation unit is used for generating a normal vector corresponding to each point of the original three-dimensional scan result according to the each point of the original three-dimensional scan result and a plurality of predetermined points of the original three-dimensional scan result adjacent to the each point of the original three-dimensional scan result. The correction unit is coupled to the normal vector generation unit for determining an inner region of the original three-dimensional scan result, and reversing a normal vector corresponding to a point of the original three-dimensional scan result when the normal vector corresponding to the point is toward the inner region of the original three-dimensional scan result.

Abstract: Z-buffer compression may be useful for reducing memory usage bandwidth and for performance optimizations. A trackable method of doing the same may be additionally advantageous, as a lossy z-buffer compression scheme may noticeably alter a displayed object. A z-buffer compression unit receives an uncompressed tile, including a matrix of fragments, each representing a pixel and including a z-value. A minimum and maximum z-values of the tile are determined, and a comparison between each z-value of the tile to the minimum/maximum z-value generates a difference value. Basic tile information is then stored, and a compressed tile is stored in the z-buffer memory if the difference value is below a first threshold, such that each fragment is represented by a difference value and an indicator bit, to indicate if the difference is from the minimum z-value or the maximum z-value. The basic tile information includes the minimum z-value, and the maximum z-value.

Abstract: A media universe system may leverage network-based computation resources and services, for example a streaming service, and a digital asset repository or repository service to dynamically provide active content in digital media of the media universe streamed to the client. An asset repository may contain digital assets including 3D models of objects and characters used in the digital media. Client interactions with digital media via a client interface may be mapped to particular objects, characters, locations, etc. within the media universe according to the digital assets from the repository. Most or all content within a rendered scene streamed to a client device may be rendered as active content. Clients may interact with the active content to, for example, obtain contextual information about the corresponding objects, manipulate and explore objects, discover hidden content, reveal hidden storylines, order merchandise (e.g., via 3D printing) related to the content, etc.

Abstract: A system and method for controlling manufacturing of one or more items may include providing a first 3D design representation, the first 3D design representation usable by a manufacturing device for manufacturing the item; encrypting the first 3D design representation to produce an encrypted 3D design representation; associating a set of tokens with the encrypted 3D design representation and providing the encrypted 3D design representation. A method or system may include obtaining a token and including the token in a request to manufacture the item; using the token to determine whether or not to provide a decryption key; and, if determining to provide the decryption key, using the decryption key to produce a second 3D design representation, the second 3D design representation usable by a manufacturing device for manufacturing the item.

Abstract: A method and system acquires cache line data associated with a load from respective hierarchical cache data storage components. As a part of the method and system, a store queue is accessed for one or more portions of a cache line associated with the load, and, if the one or more portions of the cache line is held in the store queue, the one or more portions of the cache line is stored in a load queue location associated with the load. The load is completed if the one or more portions of the cache line stored in the load queue location includes all portions of the cache line associated with the load.

Abstract: A memory management system for generating 3-dimensional computer images is provided. The memory management system includes a device for subdividing an image into a plurality of rectangular areas, a memory for storing object data pertaining to objects in the image which fall in each rectangular area, a device for storing the object data in the memory, a device for deriving image data and shading data for each rectangular area from the object data, a device for supplying object data for each rectangular area from the respective portion of the memory and, if the rectangular area contains objects also falling in at least one other rectangular area, also from the global list, to the deriving device, and a device for storing the image data and shading data derived by the deriving device for display. The memory includes at least one portion allocated to each rectangular area and at least one portion allocated as a global list.

Abstract: A multiple graphics processing unit (GPU) based parallel graphics system comprising multiple graphics processing pipelines with multiple GPUs supporting a parallel graphics rendering process having an object division mode of operation. Each GPU comprises video memory, a geometry processing subsystem and a pixel processing subsystem. According to the principles of the present invention, pixel (color and z depth) data buffered in the video memory of each GPU is communicated to the video memory of a primary GPU, and the video memory and the pixel processing subsystem in the primary GPU are used to carry out the image recomposition process, without the need for dedicated or specialized apparatus.

Abstract: A video processing apparatus and a video processing circuit of the video processing apparatus are provided. The video processing circuit includes a video processor, a first memory controller, a second memory controller and a distributor. The video processor includes at least one sub-processing-tasks processor which is configured to execute one or more sub-processing tasks respectively. The first memory controller controls a first memory. The second memory controller controls a second memory. The distributor stores the data outputted by the video processor to the first memory and the second memory through the first memory controller and the second memory controller respectively.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus relating to techniques for provision of hierarchical Z-Culling (HiZ) optimization for texture-dependent discard operations are described. In an embodiment, a processor performs one or more operations (such as HiZ or Hierarchical Stencil test) on depth data of an image tile in response to a determination that texture space bounds of the image tile is fully opaque. The processor performs the one or more operations regardless of whether a discard operation is enabled. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Mixed-reality systems are provided for using anchor data structures, such as anchor graphs, within a mixed-reality environment. These systems utilize anchor components, such as anchor vertexes, that comprise at least one first key frame, a first mixed-reality element, and at least one first transform connecting the at least one first key frame to the first mixed-reality element. Anchor connecting components, such as anchor edges, comprise transformations that connect the anchor components (e.g., anchor vertexes).

Abstract: Methods and devices for performing variable rate shading are described. Invocation information and lineage information for each pixel of a plurality of pixels of a primitive are stored in an invocation buffer and a lineage buffer of a graphics processing unit. One or more deferred shading or post-processing operations are performed on the image based at least in part on the invocation information and the lineage information associated with each pixel of the plurality of pixels.

Abstract: A graphics processing system comprising: a tiling unit configured to tile a first view of a scene into a plurality of tiles; a processing unit configured to identify a first subset of the tiles that are associated with regions of the scene that are viewable in a second view; and a rendering unit configured to render to a render target each of the identified tiles.

Abstract: Provided is a method and apparatus for combining perceived depths to construct a floor plan using cameras, such as depth cameras. The camera(s) perceive depths from the camera(s) to objects within a first field of view. The camera(s) is rotated to observe a second field of view partly overlapping the first field of view. The camera(s) perceives depths from the camera(s) to objects within the second field of view. The depths from the first and second fields of view are compared to find the area of overlap between the two fields of view. The depths from the two fields of view are then merged at the area of overlap to create a segment of a floor plan. The method is repeated wherein depths are perceived within consecutively overlapping fields of view and are combined to construct a floor plan of the environment as the camera is rotated.

Abstract: There is provided an image processing device including an image acquisition part acquiring an image; a depth acquisition part acquiring a depth associated with a pixel in the image; a depth conversion part converting the depth in accordance with a function having a characteristic to nonlinearly approach a predetermined value with an increase in the depth; and a storage part storing the converted depth in association with the image.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a graphics processing system. The graphics processing system includes a screen-space pipeline and a tiling unit. The screen-space pipeline is configured to perform visibility testing and fragment shading. The tiling unit is configured to determine that a first set of primitives overlaps a first cache tile. The tiling unit is also configured to first transmit the first set of primitives to the screen-space pipeline with a command configured to cause the screen-space pipeline to process the first set of primitives in a z-only mode, and then transmit the first set of primitives to the screen-space pipeline with a command configured to cause the screen-space pipeline to process the first set of primitives in a normal mode. In the z-only mode, at least some fragment shading operations are disabled in the screen-space pipeline. In the normal mode, fragment shading operations are enabled.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling a movable object within an environment are provided. In one aspect, a method may comprise: determining, using at least one of a plurality of sensors carried by the movable object, an initial location of the movable object; generating a first signal to cause the movable object to navigate within the environment; receiving, using the at least one of the plurality of sensors, sensing data pertaining to the environment; generating, based on the sensing data, an environmental map representative of at least a portion of the environment; receiving an instruction to return to the initial location; and generating a second signal to cause the movable object to return to the initial location, based on the environmental map.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are described for performing an efficient depth prepass. For example, one embodiment of a method comprising: a method comprising: performing a first pass through a specified portion of a graphics pipeline with only depth rendering active; initializing a coarse depth buffer within the specified portion of the graphics pipeline during the first pass, the coarse depth buffer storing depth data at a level of granularity less than that stored in a per-pixel depth buffer, which is not initialized during the first pass; and performing a second pass through the graphics pipeline following the first pass, the second pass utilizing the full graphics pipeline and using values in the coarse depth buffer initialized by the first pass.

Abstract: A tessellation method is described which uses vertex tessellation factors. For a quad patch, the method involves comparing the vertex tessellation factors for each vertex of the quad patch to a threshold value and if none exceed the threshold, the quad is sub-divided into two or four triangles. If at least one of the four vertex tessellation factors exceeds the threshold, a recursive or iterative method is used which considers each vertex of the quad patch and determines how to further tessellate the patch dependent upon the value of the vertex tessellation factor of the selected vertex or dependent upon values of the vertex tessellation factors of the selected vertex and a neighbor vertex. A similar method is described for a triangle patch.

Abstract: In order to visualize or calculate a volume or an area of a structure modeled by using object types that overlap, topological items of boundary representations of the objects are provided with information on whether a topological item is indicated as clipped or not clipped; and topological items indicated as not clipped are used and topological items indicated as clipped are ignored when a model for the structure is visualized or used for volume or area calculations.

Abstract: A device and method performing rendering on first and second images having binocular or viewpoint disparity are provided. The method includes determining some pixels of the second image that correspond to pixels of the first image, performing reprojection to determine, based on rendering results of the first image, color values for the pixels of the second image that are determined to correspond to the pixels of the first image, and selectively rendering remaining pixels of the second image based on the reprojection.

Abstract: A device comprising a graphics processing unit (GPU) includes a memory and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to: receive a GPU command packet that indicates the GPU may select between a direct rendering mode or a binning rendering mode for a portion of a frame to be rendered by the GPU, determine whether to use the direct rendering mode or the binning rendering mode for the portion of the frame to be rendered by the GPU based on at least one of: information in the received command packet or a state of the GPU, and render the portion of the frame using the determined direct rendering mode or the binning rendering mode.

Abstract: In a graphics processing system, a bounding volume (20) representing the volume of a scene to be rendered and a cube texture (30) representing the transparency of the surface of the bounding volume are defined. Then, when the scene is to be rendered for output, a vector (28) from a sampling point (25) being considered to a light source (22) external of the bounding volume is determined and then used to determine how to sample the texture that represents the transparency of the surface of the bounding volume to determine the transparency of the surface of the bounding volume between the sampling point and the light source. The so-determined transparency is then used to simulate the effect of shadows cast by the external light source (22) at the sampling point (25).

Abstract: Conflicts between the database-building and traversal phases are resolved by allowing the database bin size to be different from the display bin size. The database bin size is some multiple of the bin display bin size, and when there are multiple display bins in a database bin, each database bin is traversed multiple times for display, and the rasterizer discards primitives outside of the current display bin. This allows a trade off between memory bandwidth consumed for database building and bandwidth consumed for display, particularly when the display traversal is done multiple of times.

Abstract: A system of transferring of three dimensional (3D) image data is described. A 3D source device (10) provides 3D display signal (56) for a display (13) via a high speed digital interface like HDMI. The 3D display signal has frames constituting the 3D image data according to a 3D video transfer format, in which format the frames comprise at least two different frame types. Each frame has a data structure for representing a sequence of digital image pixel data, and represents a partial 3D data structure. The 3D source device includes frame type synchronization indicators in the 3D display signal. The display detects the frame type synchronization indicators and frame types, and generates the display control signals based on synchronizing the partial 3D data structures in dependence of the frame type synchronization indicators.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing improved cache structures and methods that are optimally sized to support a predetermined range of late stage adjustments and in which image data is intelligently read out of DRAM and cached in such a way as to eliminate re-fetching of input image data from DRAM and minimize DRAM bandwidth and power. The systems and methods can also be adapted to work with compressed image data.

Abstract: Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to a method, a system, and an article for rendering shadows in a graphical image of a virtual environment. An example computer-implemented method can include: generating a digital image of a virtual environment; providing a depth buffer for the digital image that includes a depth value for each pixel in the digital image; rendering a first shadow in a first region of the digital image by, at least, adjusting colors and depth values for pixels in the first region; and rendering a second shadow in a second region that partially overlaps the first region by, at least: (i) identifying a shadow rendering region to be within the second region but outside the first region, based on the adjusted depth values; and (ii) adjusting colors and depth values for pixels in the shadow rendering region.

Abstract: An embodiment of a graphics processor pipeline apparatus may include a vertex fetcher to fetch vertices, a vertex shader communicatively coupled to the vertex fetcher to shade the fetched vertices, a primitive assembler communicatively coupled to the vertex shader to assemble primitives, and a primitive replicator communicatively coupled to the primitive assembler to replicate primitives for at least a first and a second viewport.

Abstract: Mixed-reality systems are provided for using anchor graphs within a mixed-reality environment. These systems utilize anchor vertexes that comprise at least one first key frame, a first mixed-reality element, and at least one first transform connecting the at least one first key frame to the first mixed-reality element. Anchor edges comprising transformations connect the anchor vertexes.

Abstract: An example method for determining three-dimensional coordinates of an object from a plurality of two-dimensional images may include: acquiring two-dimensional input frames via a camera, the camera being associated with one or more calibration parameters; isolating a contour of at least one object contained within each input frame; calculating coordinates of one or more visual rays corresponding to each contour in a direction specified by at least one of the calibration parameters; estimating a spatial tangent vector of each contour using finite differences; estimating a tangent space of the visual rays at each visual ray; calculating epipolar numbers based on basis vectors of the tangent space, the one or more calibration parameters, and the tangent vector; forming a line-based epipolar matrix using the epipolar numbers and line coordinates; and de-homogenizing the column space of the matrix into object points.

Abstract: Electronic devices and methods communicate over a network with at least one other electronic device within a group of electronic devices. Each electronic device can transmit and/or receive resource information over the network, and the resource information includes a resource identifier for identifying a remote resource accessible through another electronic device and source information for identifying a location from which the remote resource can be obtained. An electronic device can select one of a plurality of resources including the remote resource, and in response to the remote resource being selected, requests the selected remote resource from the location identified by the source information in order to share the remote resource.

Abstract: This disclosure describes an adaptive memory address scanning technique that defines an address scanning pattern, to be used for a particular surface, based on one or more properties of the surface. In addition, a number, shape, and arrangement of sub-primitives of a surface to process in parallel may be determined. In one example of the disclosure, a memory accessing method for graphics processing comprises, determining, by a graphics processing unit (GPU), properties of a surface, determining, by the GPU, a memory address scanning technique based on the determined properties of the surface, and performing, by the GPU, at least one of a read or a write of data associated with the surface in a memory based on the determined memory address scanning technique.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for pre-computing Z-values using an IGPU and, subsequently, conveying these Z-values to a DGPU. The graphics driver partitions the display into rectangular M-by-N tiles of pixels. For each tile, the graphics driver generates a quad geometry that encompasses the corresponding pixels. For each image frame, the graphics driver configures the IGPU to generate and down-sample a Z-buffer, creating a coarse Z-texture that contains a Z-value for each tile. The graphics driver transfers the coarse Z-texture to the system memory and configures the DGPU to apply the coarse Z-texture to the quad geometries, thereby generating a coarse Z-buffer in which the M-by-N pixels included in each tile are assigned the Z-value for the particular tile. Among other things, this technique enables the IGPU to pre-compute Z-values for the DGPU without straining the system memory bandwidth or defeating the Z-buffer compression techniques used by the DGPU.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that selects an anti-aliasing mode for a vertex of a primitive based on a parameter associated with the vertex and generates a coverage mask based on the selected anti-aliasing mode. Additionally, one or more pixels corresponding to the vertex may be shaded based at least partly on the coverage mask, wherein the selected anti-aliasing mode varies across a plurality of vertices in the primitive.

Abstract: A display device capable of image distortion compensation may be provided that includes a display panel which outputs a compensated video signal. The display panel includes: an input interface controller which receives a video signal; a memory which stores the video signal received by the input interface controller; a memory controller which controls an input and an output of the memory; and an image distortion compensation device which handles a pixel position and a pixel value of the video signal stored in the memory and generates the compensated video signal.

Abstract: A method of processing primitives within a tiling unit of a graphics processing system comprises determining whether a primitive falls within a tile based on positions of samples within each pixel. If it is determined that the primitive does fall within a tile based on the positions of samples within pixels in a tile, an association between the tile and the primitive is stored to indicate that the primitive is present in the tile. For example, an identifier for the primitive may be added to a control stream for the tile to indicate that the primitive is present in the tile. Various different methods are described to make the determination and these may be used separately or in any combination.

Abstract: A method of and device for providing image frames is provided. The method includes outputting portions of a first frame that have changed relative to the one or more other frames without outputting portions of the first frame that have not changed relative to the one or more other frames. Each of the portions are determined to be changed if a rendering engine has written to a frame buffer for a location within boundaries of the portion. This outputting is done in response to one or more portions of a first frame having changed relative to one or more other frames.

Abstract: A computing system employing a multi-GPU graphics processing and display subsystem supporting single-GPU non-parallel (i.e. multi-tasking) and multi-GPU parallel application-division modes of graphics processing operations, in order to execute graphic commands and process graphics data (GCAD) render pixel-composited images containing graphics for display on a display device during the run-time of the multiple graphics-based applications, while managing and conserving electrical power and graphics processing resources. An automatic mode control module (AMCM) analyzes the application profiles assigned to graphics applications running on the computing system, and automatically controls the mode of operation of the multi-GPU graphics processing and display subsystem during the run-time of the multiple graphics-based applications.

Abstract: Described is a method and apparatus to accelerate rendering of 3D graphics images. When rendering, the transformation matrix (or equivalent) used for projecting primitives is modified so that a resulting image is smaller and/or warped compared to a regular unmodified rendering. The effect of such transformation is fewer pixels being rendered and thus a better performance. To compute the final image, the warped image is rectified by an inverse transformation. Depending on the warping transformation used, the resulting (rectified) image will be blurred in a controlled way, either simulating a directional motion blur, location-dependent sharpness/blurriness or other blurring effects. By intelligently selecting the warping transformation in correspondence with the rendered scene, overall performance is increased without losing the perceived fidelity of the final image.

Abstract: Described are a video graphics system, graphics processor, and methods for rendering three-dimensional objects. A buffer is partitioned into tiles. Each tile includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of each tile includes at least one sample. Each sample has a stencil value associated therewith. It is determined that each sample in a given tile has the same stencil value. A single stencil value is stored in the buffer for that tile. The single stencil value represents the stencil value for every sample in that tile.

Abstract: Briefly, in accordance with one or more embodiments, an apparatus comprises a processor to compute depth values for one or more 4×4 blocks of pixels using 16 source interpolators and 8 destination interpolators on an incoming fragment of pixel data if the destination is in min/max format, and a memory to store a depth test result performed on the one or more 4×4 blocks of pixels. Otherwise the processor is to compute depth values for one or more 8×4 blocks of pixels using 16 source interpolators and 16 destination interpolators if the destination is in plane format.

Abstract: A method and device for establishing a frontier between a first object and at least a second object of a scene in the space of a depth map, at least a part of the first object and at least a part of the at least a second object being visible from the point of view associated with the depth map through a set (3) of elements of the depth map.

Abstract: Described herein are technologies related to facilitating lossy compression for multi-sampled depth data of computer graphics that maximizes the apparent quality of pixels while avoiding a corresponding burden on memory and processor bandwidth. The technologies described herein provide high-quality multi-sampling for pixels or groups of pixels that are covered by a small number of triangles, and provides a guaranteed minimum quality for pixels that are covered by a large number of triangles.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for real time compressing randomly accessed data includes extracting a block of randomly accessed data from a memory hierarchy. One or more individual portions of the randomly accessed data are independently compressed in real time to create a lossless compressed image surface. The compressed image surface includes data of independently compressed image blocks for reading and decompressing in a random order. The method further includes storing structured information relating to the dynamically compressed randomly accessed data.