Z Buffer (depth Buffer) Patents (Class 345/422)
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Patent number: 8395619Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2008Date of Patent: March 12, 2013Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventor: Franck R. Diard
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Patent number: 8391627Abstract: Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for filtering an image including a plurality of pixels. A forward kernel centered at a first pixel in the image is received. The forward kernel assigns forward weights to pixels in a neighborhood surrounding the first pixel. A backward kernel centered at a second pixel within the neighborhood surrounding the first pixel is specified based on a local attribute of the image at the second pixel. The backward kernel assigns backward weights to pixels in a neighborhood surrounding the second pixel. A convolution weight of the second pixel is determined based on the backward kernel and the forward kernel. The convolution weight and a pixel value of the second pixel are used to generate a new value of the first pixel.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2008Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: Adobe Systems IncorporatedInventor: John W. Worthington
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Patent number: 8390619Abstract: An occlusion prediction graphics processing system and method are presented in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. An occlusion prediction graphics processing method is utilized to predict which pixel values are eventually occluded before intermediate processing stages are performed on the pixel values. For example, occlusion results are predicted before the occlusion stage of a graphics pipeline. The occlusion prediction results are based upon an occlusion value received from later in a graphics processing pipeline (e.g., a raster operation stage). A convex polygonal prediction area can be established and a nearest vertex of the convex polygonal prediction area is selected for prediction analysis. Pixel values are removed or discarded from the pipeline based upon the occlusion prediction results and do not unnecessarily occupy processing resources. Removal of the pixel values from the pipeline includes pixels values associated with pixels in the convex polygonal prediction area.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2003Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Douglas A. Voorhies, Svetoslav D. Tzvetkov
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Patent number: 8379050Abstract: A rendering method, medium and apparatus for sequentially performing one or more third raster operations to test whether a fragment can be displayed as a pixel after sequentially performing one or more second raster operations to test whether the fragment can be displayed as the pixel, so as to provide efficient power consumption and rapid completion of rendering.Type: GrantFiled: August 15, 2007Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Yonsei University Industry FoundationInventors: Seok-yoon Jung, Sang-duk Kim, Il-san Kim, Jae-ho Nah, Woo-chan Park, Tack-don Han
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Patent number: 8379046Abstract: A rendering method and apparatus capable of allowing power to be efficiently used and rendering to be quickly completed. The rendering method includes: performing texture mapping of a transparency value of a fragment; testing whether or not the fragment can be expressed as a pixel after the performing of the texture mapping; and selectively performing texture mapping of the color value of the fragment according to the test result.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2008Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Seok-yoon Jung, Sang-oak Woo, Kwon-teak Kwon
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Patent number: 8379019Abstract: Presented are systems and methods that change the order in which triangles are rendered, to improve post-transform vertex cache efficiency and reduce view-independent overdraw. The resulting triangle orders are orders magnitude faster to compute compared to previous methods. The improvements in processing speed allow such methods to be performed on a model after it is loaded (i.e., when more information on the host hardware is available). Also, such methods can be executed interactively, allowing for re-optimization in case of changes to geometry or topology, which happen often in CAD/CAM applications.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2007Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.Inventors: Joshua D. Barczak, Diego F. Nehab, Pedro V. Sander
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Patent number: 8368692Abstract: A computer implemented method for creating a depth range buffer for supporting clipping geometries for ray-casting includes inputting image data, establishing a depth range buffer for specifying a start and an end point of each ray, computing a near depth of the image data corresponding to the start point of each ray, computing a far depth of the image data corresponding to the end point of each ray, clipping the volume by restricting ray-casting within the start and end points of the depth range buffer, and rendering a portion of the image data corresponding to the visible depth range.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2008Date of Patent: February 5, 2013Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Wei Li
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Patent number: 8363049Abstract: Disclosed are data storing and processing methods or apparatuses which may efficiently perform a process of retrieving neighboring points between points stored in a leaf cell in a point-based 3D data expressing method. A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon instructions for implementing a method of three-Dimensional (3D) data processing, the instructions including an instruction set of connecting each of a plurality of points with a leaf cell of a spatial tree structure; an instruction set of assigning a ball to correspond to each of the plurality of points; and an instruction set of connecting the ball with a leaf cell intersecting the ball.Type: GrantFiled: October 16, 2008Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Jae Young Sim, Do Kyoon Kim, Kae Chang Lee, Gael Guennebaud, Mario Botsch, Markus Gross, Robert Carnecky
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Publication number: 20130016099Abstract: A method for producing video simulations uses two-dimensional HDR images and LIDAR optical sensor data to deliver a photo-realistic simulated sporting event experience to a display. The playing environment is mapped using a data collection process that includes contour mapping the environment, photographing the environment, and associating the images with the contour mapping data. Preferably, the HDR camera is used in conjunction with a differential global positioning system that records the position and heading of the camera when the photo is taken. A polygon mesh is obtained from the contour data, and each image is projected onto a backdrop from the perspective of a simulated camera to create a set, which is then stored in a set database. The simulated environment is created by selecting the set needed for the simulation and incorporating simulation elements into the set before rendering the simulated camera's view to the display.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2012Publication date: January 17, 2013Applicant: 2XL Games, Inc.Inventors: Robb Rinard, Rick Baltman
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Patent number: 8356162Abstract: An execution unit supports data dependent conditional write instructions that write data to a target only when a particular condition is met. In one implementation, a data dependent conditional write instruction identifies a condition as well as data to be tested against that condition. The data is tested against that condition, and the result of the test is used to selectively enable or disable a write to a target associated with the data dependent conditional write instruction. Then, a write is attempted while the write to the target is enabled or disabled such that the write will update the contents of the target only when the write is selectively enabled as a result of the test. By doing so, dependencies are typically avoided, as is use of an architected condition register that might otherwise introduce branch prediction mispredict penalties, enabling improved performance with z-buffer test and similar types of algorithms.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Adam James Muff, Matthew Ray Tubbs
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Patent number: 8350852Abstract: In a device and associated method for reconstruction and visualization of projection data, projection data are stored per slice and are subjected to an image reconstruction procedure in parallel within arbitrary slice planes in a processor-controlled filtering process that is executed n times, wherein volume data that are created can already be made available (loaded) for a direct visualization.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2009Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Karl Barth, Wolfgang Haerer, Thomas Mertelmeier, Karl Wiesent
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Patent number: 8351715Abstract: Systems and processes for compressing, translating and storing solid-state model data for a plurality of parts that form a solid-state model is provided. Compressing, translating and storing solid-state model data includes extracting the solid-state model data. Compressing, translating and storing solid-state model data also includes translating the sorted solid-state model data into one or more assembly components, a plurality of part components and a plurality of surface components. The process further requires storing each of the one or more assembly components, each of the plurality of part components and each of the plurality of surface components into a single file.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Lockheed Martin CorporationInventors: Craig G. Carmichael, Joseph Pobiel
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Patent number: 8339397Abstract: Appropriate shadowing processing is performed even if coordinate conversion calculation values of polygons have errors. A calculation section 5 performs hidden surface removal processing on normal polygons based on visual-point coordinates and depth values from a visual-point coordinate conversion processing unit 1, and updates a pixel memory 6 and a Z-buffer memory 7. Further, based on a comparison result of obtained depth values of each polygon and Z values stored in the Z-buffer memory 7, shadowing is performed only on a coordinate region positioned in front of back-facing shadow polygons and behind front-facing shadow polygons when seen from a visual point, and the pixel memory 6 is updated. As a result, even if coordinate conversion calculation values in graphic data on polygons have errors, an edge portion of the shadow polygons which is not intended to be shadowed is not shadowed.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2004Date of Patent: December 25, 2012Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Yasuyuki Kii
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Patent number: 8330766Abstract: A system and method for performing zero-bandwidth-clears reduces external memory accesses by a graphics processor when performing clears and subsequent read operations. A set of clear values is stored in the graphics processor. Each region of a color or z buffer may be configured using a zero-bandwidth-clear command to reference a clear value without writing the external memory. The clear value is provided to a requestor without accessing the external memory when a read access is performed.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2008Date of Patent: December 11, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: David Kirk McAllister, Steven E. Molnar, Jerome F. Duluk, Jr., Emmett M. Kilgariff, Patrick R. Brown, Christian Johannes Amsinck, James Michael O'Connor, John Matthew Burgess, Gregory Alan Muthler, James Robertson
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Methods and systems to selectively batch-cull graphics primitives in response to sample cull results
Patent number: 8325182Abstract: Methods and systems to sample a subset of primitives from a batch of primitives for cull/no-cull decisions, and to selectively perform a batch-cull operation on the batch of primitives in response to cull/no-cull decisions of the samples. Cull/no-cull decisions may be determined in response to one or more of a sign and magnitude of a z-component of a surface normal to corresponding primitives, using one or more primitive-independent, vertex-based cull codes, which may include a cull code based on 2-dimensional pixel space positions corresponding to the primitives. 2-dimensional pixel space positions may be pre-computed for vertices associated with a batch of primitives in advance of sampling culling.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2008Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Uzi Sarel, Arie Narkis -
Patent number: 8314795Abstract: To provide an image processing device capable of simplifying a process for highlight expression. The present invention relates to an image processing device for displaying a picture obtained by viewing a virtual three dimensional space from a given viewpoint. According to the present invention, a first object (an inner surface object (50)) having a texture image (54) attached thereon is placed in the virtual three dimensional space (40), the texture image (54) including a highlight image portion (54a) for expressing highlights caused by light reflection.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2007Date of Patent: November 20, 2012Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.Inventor: Masashi Tsuboyama
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Patent number: 8305398Abstract: In an interactive media environment, a model is provided where applications, each comprising zero or more script components and zero or more markup components, are themselves handled as visual elements having a Z order. A resource-efficient rendering order is provided where the application that has focus in an interactive media environment (by virtue of its receipt of user events) is rendered first. The remaining applications are rendered in top down order, i.e., in reverse Z order. Rendering is performed by drawing into one or more graphics buffers associated with respective applications. Frames for applications are composited from the graphics buffers bottoms up, in Z order, to provide the display with the correct appearance.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2006Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: James C. Finger, John Andre Yovin, Khurshed Mazhar, Olivier Colle, Arthur William James Freeman
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Patent number: 8306323Abstract: An apparatus and method for correcting a depth image of an object based on a table, the table being formed according to color identification information of a target color, and a first measurement error in which a difference between a ground truth depth value of a base color and a measured depth value of the target color is reflected.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2009Date of Patent: November 6, 2012Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventor: Jae Young Sim
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Patent number: 8295648Abstract: A computer of an information processing apparatus sets an ? value of each pixel in accordance with a depth value (Z value) of the pixel of a reference image. The ? value is set such that a synthesizing ratio of the reference image is higher for a pixel having a depth value closer to a predetermined reference value. Next, the computer increases the ? value which is set for a pixel having a smaller ? value among two adjacent pixels which have an ? value difference of a predetermined value or greater. Then, the computer synthesizes the reference image and a blurred image corresponding to the reference image based on the ? value which is set for each pixel after being processed by the increasing processing.Type: GrantFiled: May 3, 2007Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventor: Takuhiro Dohta
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Patent number: 8289320Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) graphic rendering apparatus is provided. The 3D graphic rendering apparatus includes an object-information extraction module which extracts a bound box of each of a plurality of objects, including an i-th object and a j-th object, wherein i and j are natural numbers; an object alignment module which aligns the i-th object and the j-th object according to distances of the i-th and j-th objects, based on the extracted bound boxes of the i-th and j-th objects, from a visual point; and a rendering module which sequentially renders the aligned i-th and j-th objects such that an object among the i-th and j-th objects distant from the visual point can be rendered earlier than an object among the i-th and j-th objects less distant from the visual point.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2008Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Byung-Kwon Kang, Sung-Hee Cho
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Patent number: 8289334Abstract: A floating point rasterization and frame buffer in a computer system graphics program. The rasterization, fog, lighting, texturing, blending, and antialiasing processes operate on floating point values. In one embodiment, a 16-bit floating point format consisting of one sign bit, ten mantissa bits, and five exponent bits (s10e5), is used to optimize the range and precision afforded by the 16 available bits of information. In other embodiments, the floating point format can be defined in the manner preferred in order to achieve a desired range and precision of the data stored in the frame buffer. The final floating point values corresponding to pixel attributes are stored in a frame buffer and eventually read and drawn for display. The graphics program can operate directly on the data in the frame buffer without losing any of the desired range and precision of the data.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2012Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.Inventors: John M. Airey, Mark S. Peercy, Robert A. Drebin, John Montrym, David L. Dignam, Christopher Migdal, Danny D. Loh
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Patent number: 8291009Abstract: A system and method for remote rendering of computer graphics wherein user transactions are reliable and the transmission of rendered graphics is relatively fast. The invention is implemented in a client server context, where a computer graphics application and rendering resources are located at a server. A user controls the graphics application through a client machine connected to the server through a computer network. The user's commands are sent from the client to the server, while rendered computer graphics are transmitted from the server to a display at the client. Different transport protocols are used, depending on the requirements of a particular transmission. Data related to user interactions is transmitted using a relatively reliable transport protocol, such as TCP. Rendered subject graphics data is transmitted from the server to the client using a less reliable but faster transport protocol, such as UDP.Type: GrantFiled: April 30, 2003Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: Silicon Graphics International Corp.Inventors: Alexander Chalfin, Alpana Kaulgud, Mark Peercy
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Patent number: 8289319Abstract: An apparatus for rendering an image includes a command binning module. The command binning module generates binned image information by classifying command information into bins that each correspond to a display tile of an image to be rendered. The command binning module generates image depth information for each display tile based on the binned command information.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2007Date of Patent: October 16, 2012Assignee: ATI Technologies ULCInventors: Petri O. Nordlund, Mika H. Tuomi
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Patent number: 8284159Abstract: An input processing device comprises a display screen and a pointing device for inputting corresponding 2-dimensional coordinates on the display screen. A 3-dimensional space is displayed on the display screen and the 2-dimensional coordinates inputted from the pointing device are detected. Next, shift amounts, per unit of time, of the detected 2-dimensional coordinates are calculated based on a predetermined calculation start condition. And the calculated shift amounts are converted to 3-dimensional coordinate shift amounts in the 3-dimensional space.Type: GrantFiled: January 26, 2009Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.Inventors: Hideki Konno, Yoshitaka Ajioka, Yasushi Ebisawa, Kiyoshi Mizuki
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Patent number: 8284197Abstract: A method and apparatus for rendering instance geometry whereby all culling, level of detail (LOD) and scene management is performed directly on a GPU.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2009Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.Inventor: Joshua D. Barczak
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Patent number: 8284192Abstract: In general, the invention relates to a method for performing polygon dissections in a geographic information system. The method includes receiving a notification of a spatial update for a number of polygons, where each of the number of polygons overlaps at least one of a number of previously dissected polygons, determining that a dissection is required based on the spatial update, and obtaining an updated polygon, associated with the spatial update, and related polygons of the number of polygons, where each of the related polygons overlaps the updated polygon. The method further includes dissecting the updated polygon and the related polygons to obtain a number of dissected polygons and replacing at least one of the number of previously dissected polygons with the number of dissected polygons, where the at least one of the number of previously dissected polygons is invalid based on the spatial update.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2009Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: LandWorks, Inc.Inventor: Miles Henry Phillips
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Patent number: 8284195Abstract: According to embodiments of the invention, a data structure may be created which may be used by both a ray tracing unit and by a rendering engine. The data structure may have an initial or upper portion representing bounding volumes which partition a three-dimensional scene and a second or lower portion representing objects within the three-dimensional scene. The integrated acceleration data structure may be used by a rendering engine to render a two-dimensional image from a three-dimensional scene, and by a ray tracing unit to perform intersection tests.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2007Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Jeffrey Douglas Brown, Russell Dean Hoover, Eric Oliver Mejdrich, Robert Allen Shearer
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Patent number: 8284204Abstract: A device for rendering to multiple viewpoints of a stereoscopic display is provided. The device includes vertex shaders which receive vertices corresponding to primitives and process viewpoint dependent information. The device also includes a primitive replication unit which replicates primitives according to a number of viewpoints supported by the stereoscopic display. The primitive replication unit adds unique view tags to each of the primitives which identify the viewpoint that the respective primitive is destined for. Each replicated primitive is processed by a rasterizer and converted into pixels. The rasterizer adds a view tag to the rasterized pixels so that the pixels identify a respective primitive and identify a respective pixel buffer that the pixel is destined for. The pixels can then be processed by a pixel processing unit and written to a pixel buffer corresponding to a respective viewpoint. The pixels are subsequently output to the stereoscopic display.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2006Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: Nokia CorporationInventors: Aravind Kalaiah, Tolga Capin
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Patent number: 8279222Abstract: Processing graphics data for display on a stereoscopic display. In one example embodiment, a method of processing graphics data for display on a stereoscopic display includes several acts. First, a first projection matrix call from a graphics application to a graphics library is intercepted. Next, it is determined that the first projection matrix call produces a perspective projection matrix. Then, the first projection matrix call is forwarded to the graphics library. Next, a first drawing call with a first viewpoint from the graphics application to the graphics library is intercepted. Then, a second drawing call with a second viewpoint is generated. Next, a third drawing call with a third viewpoint is generated. Finally, the second and third drawing calls are forwarded to the graphics library.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2008Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Vasanth Swaminathan, Graham Sellers
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Patent number: 8269769Abstract: An occlusion prediction compressing system and method are presented in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, an occlusion prediction graphics processing method is utilized to predict which pixels are eventually occluded before intermediate processing stages are performed on the pixels. Culling information utilized to predict which pixel are occluded is compressed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. In one embodiment, a cull value for a pixel culling area is retrieved and an end of pipe depth value associated with a prediction area within the pixel culling area is received. A determination is made if the end of pipe depth value is within a threshold range of the cull value. The cull value is updated based upon the relationship of the end of pipe depth value to offsets from the cull value. The cull value is associated with a mask which indicates if a plurality of prediction areas are at or in front of the cull value.Type: GrantFiled: December 22, 2003Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Douglas A. Voorhies, Svetoslav D. Tzvetkov
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Patent number: 8269768Abstract: Z-buffer rendering of three-dimensional scenes is made more efficient through a method for occlusion culling by which occluded geometry is removed prior to rasterization. The method uses hierarchical z-buffering to reduce the quantity of image and depth information that needs to be accessed. A separate culling stage in the graphics pipeline culls occluded geometry and passes visible geometry on to a rendering stage. The culling stage maintains its own z-pyramid in which z-values are stored at low precision (e.g., in 8 bits). The efficiency of hierarchical z-buffering is improved through hierarchical evaluation of line and plane equations.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2003Date of Patent: September 18, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Edward Colton Greene, Patrick Matthew Hanrahan
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Publication number: 20120229463Abstract: The present invention discloses a 3D image visual effect processing method comprising the steps of providing a 3D image, and the 3D image being composed of a plurality of objects, and each of the objects having object coordinates; providing a cursor, and the cursor having cursor coordinates; determining whether or not the cursor coordinates are coincident with the object coordinates of one of the objects; changing a depth coordinate parameter corresponding to the object coordinates of the plurality of object, if the cursor coordinates are coincident with the object coordinates of one of the objects; and redrawing an image of the object matched with the cursor coordinates. Therefore, the invention can highlight the 3D image of an image corresponding to the cursor to enhance the visual effect and interaction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2011Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: J TOUCH CORPORATIONInventors: YU-CHOU YEH, LIANG-KAO CHANG
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Patent number: 8259347Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first holding unit that holds a pixel value data sequence in which each of the data sequences is formed by a pixel value and a range of the pixel value or by the pixel value, the range of the pixel value, reference to a pixel, and a range of the reference; a second holding unit that holds a transparency data sequence in which each of the one-dimensional data sequences is formed by a coefficient representing transparency of a pixel in the image element and a range of the coefficient or by the coefficient, the range of the coefficient, reference to coefficient, and a range of the reference; and an image generation unit that forms an image from the pixel value data sequence, and that generates information about transparency of the image from the transparency data sequence.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2007Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shingo Nakanishi, Hiroyuki Oyabu, Shunji Tsunashima
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Patent number: 8259352Abstract: An image generating device comprises an extraction unit that extracts parameters (specifying an elliptical shape and a gradation pattern) from an instruction for drawing an elliptical radial gradation, a transformation matrix generating unit that generates a transformation matrix for transforming the elliptical shape into a perfect circular shape based on the parameters, an inverse matrix calculating unit that calculates an inverse matrix of the transformation matrix, a perfect circle parameter calculating unit that calculates perfect circle parameters specifying each perfect circle (drawn with a uniform color value inside the perfect circular shape) based on the parameters, an ellipse parameter calculating unit that calculates ellipse parameters specifying each ellipse (drawn with a uniform color value inside the elliptical shape) by inversely transforming the perfect circle parameters using the inverse matrix, and a gradation generating unit that generates the elliptical radial gradation from the ellipse paType: GrantFiled: March 26, 2009Date of Patent: September 4, 2012Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki KaishaInventor: Sadaaki Miyazaki
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Publication number: 20120218266Abstract: In a game apparatus, firstly, a depth value in accordance with a state of a virtual three-dimensional space is obtained. Then, an image for left eye and an image for right eye which are obtained by shifting a two-dimensional object that does not exist within the virtual three-dimensional space by a shift amount in accordance with the depth value are synthesized with an image for left eye and an image for right eye which are obtained by capturing the three-dimensional object by a virtual stereo camera, respectively, and the respective synthesized images are rendered, thereby a stereoscopic image is generated. The stereoscopic image obtained as above is outputted to an upper LCD.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: NINTENDO CO., LTD.Inventors: Kazushi MAETA, Ryuji Nishikawa
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Patent number: 8253737Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product are provided for generating a disparity map. In use, a z-buffering operation is performed. In addition to such z-buffering operation, a plurality of disparity values are calculated, such that a disparity map may be generated utilizing the disparity values. To this end, such disparity map may be used for displaying stereoscopic content.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2007Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Viatcheslav V. Gostrenko, Mikhail V. Krivega, David Robert Cook
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Publication number: 20120212489Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for compressing depth buffer data in a three dimensional computer graphics system. The depth buffer data is divided into a plurality of rectangular tiles corresponding to rectangular areas in an associated image. The number of starting point locations in a tile are identified and a difference in depth value determined between each starting point and depth values of each of at least two further locations. Using this information depth values are predicted at a plurality of other locations in the tile and where these predicated values substantially match an actual depth value at location is assigned to a plane associated with respective starting point. Starting point location depth value difference data and plane assignment data for each tile and locations in the tile not assigned to a plane, then stored.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Inventor: Donald FISK
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Publication number: 20120212488Abstract: A graphic processor includes a rasterizer configured to process vertex data to generate fragment data based on a maximum depth value, a minimum depth value, and a mask bit of each pixel included in one tile, each mask bit indicating whether each pixel is drawn or not, the vertex data including three dimensional information of the pixels, a pixel shader configured to process the fragment data to generate color data, and a raster operation unit configured to convert the color data to pixel data to be displayed.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2011Publication date: August 23, 2012Inventors: Chang-Hyo YU, Lee-Sup Kim, Hong-Yun Kim
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Patent number: 8248416Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program code (software) products executable in a digital processor operable to simulate light transport in a scene by ray tracing (wherein the digital processor is operable to maintain an object list representing a list of objects associated with a boundary of the scene) include executing a ray tracing method that traces r rays through n objects by (1) partitioning the object list in a recursive manner to generate partitions and (2) culling away the partitions of objects from rays, without using an explicit auxiliary acceleration data structure.Type: GrantFiled: April 9, 2009Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: Mental Images GmbHInventors: Alexander Keller, Carsten Waechter
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Patent number: 8243060Abstract: A system and processes for generalizing a collection of objects using points not necessarily part of the original objects are provided. Generalization of features in a digital map includes moving points to round number coordinates, while keeping topology correct and not moving points outside an allowed distance range, thus substantially reducing the size of the data so generalized. However, doing so requires moving points from the original polyline to new points. Generalization of polylines to points preferentially chosen from a relatively sparse set is described.Type: GrantFiled: August 6, 2008Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: deCarta Inc.Inventors: Andrew Stitt, Richard F. Poppen
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Patent number: 8244025Abstract: A method of coalescing information about inspected objects. The method includes acquiring an image set of an object to be inspected, the image set having a three-dimensional model of the object and a plurality of two-dimensional images of the object. A location of interest is identified on a surface of the modeled object and global coordinate points of the three-dimensional model are designated that characterize the location of interest of the modeled object. A markup tag annotating the location of interest is associate with the designated global coordinate points of the three-dimensional model, and the markup tag is conveyed when viewing any one of the plurality of two-dimensional images of the image set that have at least one image point that correlates to a corresponding designated global coordinate point of the three-dimensional model that characterize the location of interest.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2007Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: Siemens Energy, Inc.Inventors: Fredrick M. Davis, Yakup Genc, Robert E. Shannon, Xiang Zhang
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Patent number: 8243069Abstract: The current invention involves new systems and methods for computing per-sample post-z test coverage when the memory is organized in multiple partitions that may not match the number of shaders. Shaded pixels output by the shaders can be processed by one of several z raster operations units. The shading processing capability can be configured independent of the number of memory partitions and number of z raster operations units. The current invention also involves new systems and method for using different z test modes with multiple render targets with a single or multiple memory partitions. Rendering performance may be improved by using an early z testing mode is used to eliminate non-visible samples prior to shading.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2007Date of Patent: August 14, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Mark J. French, Phillip Keslin, Steven E Molnar, Adam Clark Weitkemper
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Patent number: 8237708Abstract: A novel layered orthographic representation of the light field, comprising a set of 3-D orientations, each orientation having an associated depth direction and two sampling directions, each such orientation being associated with a set of planar grids normal to the depth direction and containing grid points evenly sampled along the sampling directions, each grid containing orthographic samples of the light field intercepting that grid point in the direction of the associated depth direction. Information of the geometric structure is similarly stored in depth field format at these sample points.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2007Date of Patent: August 7, 2012Inventor: William Edward Mantzel
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Patent number: 8232996Abstract: A first image having annotations is segmented into one or more image regions. Image feature vectors and text feature vectors are extracted from all the image regions to obtain an image feature matrix and a text feature matrix. The image feature matrix and the text feature matrix are projected into a sub-space to obtain the projected image feature matrix and the text feature matrix. The projected image feature matrix and the text feature matrix are stored. First links between the image regions, second links between the first image and the image regions, third links between the first image and the annotations, and fourth links between the annotations are established. Weights of all the links are calculated. A graph showing a triangular relationship between the first image, image regions, and annotations is obtained based on all the links and the weights of the links.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2009Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Timothee Bailloeul, Caizhi Zhu, Yinghul Xu
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Patent number: 8232991Abstract: The current invention involves new systems and methods for computing per-sample post-z test coverage when the memory is organized in multiple partitions that may not match the number of shaders. Shaded pixels output by the shaders can be processed by one of several z raster operations units. The shading processing capability can be configured independent of the number of memory partitions and number of z raster operations units. The current invention also involves new systems and method for using different z test modes with multiple render targets with a single or multiple memory partitions. Rendering performance may be improved by using an early z testing mode is used to eliminate non-visible samples prior to shading.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2007Date of Patent: July 31, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Mark J. French, Phillip Keslin, Steven E Molnar, Adam Clark Weitkemper
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Patent number: 8228328Abstract: The current invention involves new systems and methods for computing per-sample post-z test coverage when the memory is organized in multiple partitions that may not match the number of shaders. Shaded pixels output by the shaders can be processed by one of several z raster operations units. The shading processing capability can be configured independent of the number of memory partitions and number of z raster operations units. The current invention also involves new systems and method for using different z test modes with multiple render targets with a single or multiple memory partitions. Rendering performance may be improved by using an early z testing mode is used to eliminate non-visible samples prior to shading.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2007Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Mark J. French, Phillip Keslin, Steven E Molnar, Adam Clark Weitkemper
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Patent number: 8228337Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method for dynamically load balancing rendering operations across an IGPU and a DGPU. For each frame, the graphics driver configures the IGPU to pre-compute Z-values for a portion of the display surface and to write feedback data to the system memory indicating the time that the IGPU used to process the frame. The graphics driver then configures the DGPU to use the pre-computed Z-values while rendering to the complete display surface and to write feedback data to the system memory indicating the time that the DGPU used to process the frame. The graphics driver uses the feedback data from the IGPU and DGPU in conjunction with the percentage of the display surface that the IGPU Z-rendered for the frame to scale the portion of the display surface that the IGPU Z-renders for one or more subsequent frames. In this fashion, overall processing within the graphics pipeline is optimized across the IGPU and DGPU.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2008Date of Patent: July 24, 2012Assignee: NVIDIA CorporationInventors: Andrei Khodakovsky, Franck R. Diard
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Patent number: 8217962Abstract: Embodiments for single-pass bounding box calculation are disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment, the single-pass bounding box calculation includes rendering a first target to a 2-dimensional screen space, whereby the first target includes at least six pixels. The calculation further includes producing transformed vertices in a set of geometry primitives based on an application-specified transformation. The calculation also includes generating six new points for each transformed vertex in the set of geometry primitives. The calculation additionally includes producing an initial third coordinate value for each pixel by rendering the at least six new points generate for each pixel to each corresponding pixel. The calculation further includes producing a post-rasterization value for each pixel by rasterizing the at least six new points rendered to each pixel with each corresponding pixel.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2009Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Microsoft CorporationInventors: Xin Tong, Chen Li, Jinyu Li
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Patent number: 8217934Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for rendering three-dimensional scenes including transparent surfaces are described, including two techniques for efficient rendering of transparent surfaces that exploit partial ordering in the scene geometry. The first (hybrid layer peeling) may combine unordered meshes with ordered meshes in an efficient way, and may be well suited for rendering scenes such as volumes with embedded transparent meshes. The second (coherent layer peeling) may efficiently detect and render correctly sorted fragment sequences for a given pixel in one iteration, allowing for a smaller number of passes than traditional depth peeling. Pre-sorting and/or periodic sorting of some or all of the surfaces in a scene may be performed, but perfect sorting may not be required. The methods may be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination thereof, such as by program instructions executable on one or more CPUs and/or GPUs.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2008Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: Adobe Systems IncorporatedInventors: Nathan A. Carr, Gavin S. P. Miller, Radomir Mech
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Patent number: 8206223Abstract: A game system including cards with computer-readable information is provided. The computer-readable information may be in the form of a code embodied on the cards. The cards may be selectively chosen and compiled in a card compiling device that is configured to remove singly a series of cards from one location and to deliver the removed cards to a new location.Type: GrantFiled: April 28, 2008Date of Patent: June 26, 2012Assignee: Mattel, Inc.Inventors: Elaine Marans, James Zielinski, Rene M. Pasko, Kimberly Culmone, Stacey K. Brand