Abstract: The present invention relates to dropout control in which one or more samples are added to adjacent samples that fall within an image outline. The samples are used in sub-pixel rendering to compensate for unnaturally thin or faint object stems. Horizontal dropout control operations are provided to add samples to sets of horizontally adjacent samples such that each set of samples comprises a minimum number of samples. Vertical dropout control operations are provided to position samples such that the weighted anti-aliasing filtering will take sufficient account of the samples. In one embodiment, an associative table is utilized to calculate alternative patterns of samples. In another embodiment, the baseline of an object is used in the dropout control operations to reduce artifacts that can be created by the addition of samples in the vertical direction.

Abstract: The systems detect movement of text or areas of high spatial frequency in one frame to another frame. If such movement is detected and meets a certain level or threshold, the subpixel rendering processing of such text or areas of high spatial frequency can be changed.

Abstract: A deferred shading graphics pipeline processor and method are provided encompassing numerous substructures. Embodiments of the processor and method may include one or more of deferred shading, a tiled frame buffer, and multiple?stage hidden surface removal processing. In the deferred shading graphics pipeline, hidden surface removal is completed before pixel coloring is done. The pipeline processor comprises a command fetch and decode unit, a geometry unit, a mode extraction unit, a sort unit, a setup unit, a cull unit, a mode injection unit, a fragment unit, a texture unit, a Phong lighting unit, a pixel unit, and a backend unit.

Abstract: A three-times magnified pattern of a central target pixel and horizontally contiguously adjacent sub-pixel patterns next thereto are determined on the basis of a reference pattern that has a rectangular profile and further that consist of eight-neighboring pixel about the target pixel. The determined three-times magnified pattern is allocated to three sub-pixels that form the target pixel. The determined sub-pixel patterns are allocated to horizontally adjacent sub-pixels next to the target pixel. As a result, a black area defined by the target pixel is displaced rightward by an amount of a sub-pixel without any change in black area size that corresponds to three sub-pixels. This feature inhibits a variation in output image density, which otherwise would conspicuously occurs as a result of a varied object line width.

Abstract: A color image is produced from image data. Color image bit-planes are generated from the image data. Each color image bit-plane represents a time increment for displaying one color of a plurality of colors for each pixel of the color image. For each of the colors, color patterns are displayed in a plurality of image sub-frame locations. The color patterns represent the color image bit-planes. At least the least significant color image bit-planes are displayed in less than all of the image sub-frame locations.

Abstract: A method and system for performing multi-sample, antialiased rendering of images by performing multi-sample antialiasing at the primitive level. Geometric primitives used to represent a graphics environment are set-up, and then shifted by a sub-pixel offset and rendered to generate values for pixels of an intermediate image. The shifting and rendering is repeated for the geometric primitive, each time generating values for pixels of another intermediate image. The values for the pixels of the intermediate images are combined to produce values for the respective pixels of the resulting image.

Abstract: When a sub-pixel of B having a small contribution to luminance emits light in isolation, a sub-pixel of R is caused to emit light or sub-pixels of B and R are caused to emit light. As a result, a sub-pixel of R having, a larger contribution to luminance than the sub-pixel of B, is caused to emit light. When an adjacent set of sub-pixels B and R having a small contribution to luminance emits light in isolation, a set of sub-pixels R and G is caused to emit light. As a result, a set of sub-pixels R and G having a higher degree of contribution to luminance than the set of sub-pixels B and R is caused to emit light. Therefore, contrast degradation from any allocation of light-emitting patterns to sub-pixels having poor luminance is eliminated and a high quality display is achieved.

Abstract: Laser projection system suitable for commercial motion picture theaters and other large screen venues, including home theater, uses optical fibers to project modulated laser beams for simultaneously raster scanning multiple lines on screen. Emitting ends of optical fibers are arranged in an array such that red, green and blue spots are simultaneously scanned onto the screen in multiple lines spaced one or more scan lines apart. Use of optical fibers enables scanning of small, high resolution spots on screen, and permits convenient packaging and replacement, upgrading or modification of system components. Simultaneous raster scanning of multiple lines enables higher resolution, brightness, and frame rates with available economical components. Fiber-based beam coupling may be used to greatly enhance the flexibility of the system.

Abstract: A display method includes obtaining three-times magnified image data, which is made up of sub-pixels and with which a raster image to be displayed currently is magnified by three in the first direction. A filtering process on the three-times magnified image data is based on factors that are weighed in accordance to the degrees of contribution to luminance of the three primary colors of R, G, and B. The weighted data are allocated to sub-pixels of the three-times magnified image data that have been subject to the filtering process. The sub-pixels are formed by the three light-emitting elements that form a pixel to thereby enable the display device to perform display.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to the art of computer graphics, and more specifically to the field of line sampling object scene information for the purpose of reconstructing an image of the object scene. In particular, the inventions distributes a set of line samples across an image plane such that the distribution of the set of line samples is non-regular. Additionally, the invention projects objects from an object scene onto an image plane and computes a view of the objects along each line sample in the set of line samples. Finally, the invention combines the view along each line sample in the set of line samples to form a view of the object scene.

Abstract: An image display device includes a smoothing unit that filters the image data to be displayed. According to one aspect of the invention, only bright parts of the image that are adjacent to dark parts are smoothed, thereby improving the sharpness of dark dots and lines displayed on a bright background. According to another aspect, different primary colors are smoothed with different characteristics, enabling unwanted colored tinges to be removed from the edges of white areas. According to still another aspect, smoothing moves the luminance centroids of all primary colors in a direction in which the display screen is scanned, to reduce ringing effects without needless loss of edge sharpness.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for compressing computer graphics color data in a system utilizing a multi-sample anti-aliasing scheme using multiple planes for storing color data samples. Each of the planes is configured as a block of contiguous memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus determine an antialiased intensity of a component of a pixel. A set of objects is represented by a set of two-dimensional distance fields. For each distance field, a corresponding set of sample points is associated with the component and a corresponding distance is determined using the corresponding set of sample points. The corresponding distances are combined to determine a combined distance that is mapped to the antialiased intensity of the component of the pixel.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a method of converting a source pixel data of a first format for a display of a second format having a plurality of three-color pixel elements comprises determining implied sample areas for each data point of each color in the source pixel data of the first format. The resample areas for each emitter of each color in the display is also determined. A set of fractions for each resample area is formed. The denominators are a function of the resample area and the numerators are the function of an area of each of the implied sample areas that at least partially overlaps the resample areas. The data values for each implied sample area is multiplied by its respective fraction and all products are added together to obtain luminance values for each resample area.

Abstract: A design tool for choosing and modifying features of a dot matrix display. The design tool allows a user to design and save a character set and then to enter and view text to be displayed using the character set. The user is able to modify features of the display and to immediately see the result of any modifications made. The user may further see a representation of a hardware display having features and characteristics selected by the user, and may modify the features as desired. As the modifications are made, they are reflected in the representation of the hardware display. The design tool allows the user to store numerical representations of the selected features and characteristics of the design in order to provide the numerical representations to personnel implementing a hardware embodiment of the design.

Abstract: In a pixel display there is disclosed a pixel arrangement for LCD displays having 5 subpixel components. Namely, red, blue, green with adjacent red green pixels bordered by blue subpixels. Circuitry is disclosed for such pixels in which capacitors, functioning in sample hold circuits receive pulses to their terminal immediately after transistors are open with the resulting voltage change there occurring as an unintended voltage signal being applied to an LCD cell thereby causing unintended image artifacts. A new circuit and method is disclosed by which no transistor is open without its sample and hold stable for the remainder of the frame. Thus, preceding gate lines are tied through subsequent transistors such that all transistors open after the capacitors have their reference terminal stablized. In this way, leakage current does not occur through the source and drain of the transistors attended and certain subpixels do not have unintended image artifacts present.

Abstract: A method generates a two-dimensional distance field from a pen stroke. A pen state is sampled during the pen stroke to generate an ordered list of pen states along the pen stroke. The pen state includes a location of the pen stroke. A set of boundary descriptors is generated from the ordered list of pen states. The two-dimensional distance field is generated from the set of boundary descriptors.

Abstract: A graphic display apparatus for displaying a graphic which is represented by binary bit map data includes: a display device including a plurality of sub-pixels; and a control section for controlling the display device, wherein the plurality of sub-pixels form a plurality of groups, each of the plurality of groups includes a predetermined plural number of sub-pixels, and the control section assigns each of bits included in the bit map data to one of the plurality of groups and displays the graphic by controlling sub-pixels included in the one of the plurality of groups based on information about bits located in the vicinity of the bit assigned to the one of the plurality of groups.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for preventing the occurrence of aliasing at the edges of polygons in 3D graphics. The system may detect both polygon geometric edges and Z edges due to intersection of multiple polygons. In one embodiment, the system includes an edge anti-aliasing module configured to selectively super-sample edge portions of primitives. The system further includes a coarse memory for storing information of pixels that are not super-sampled and a fine memory for storing information of pixels that are super-sampled by the edge anti-aliasing module.

Abstract: A display including static pixels and dots (individual element) arranged in a predetermined manner. Dynamic pixels are generated dynamically, comprising dots selected from at least two adjacent static pixels. Overlapping of dynamic pixels on the static pixels creates an enhanced resolution at the human's eyes. A weighted dot rendering method can be performed for all static and dynamic pixels of a low resolution inventive display to be displayed in an additive way with the viewing perception of an enhanced higher resolution display. By adjusting the light emitting area and space of dots in a static pixel, maximum optimized brightness in a white balance equilibrium with good contrast can be obtained in finding an optimal ratio between the non light emitting area (black mask or black barrier ribs) and the light emitting area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for visiting all productive stamp positions for a two-dimensional convex polygonal object. The object is visited with a stamp that has a stamp rectangle, and one or more discrete sample points. A productive location is one for which the object contains at least one of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. An unproductive location is one for which the object contains none of the stamp's sample points when the stamp is placed at that location. Stamp locations are discrete points that are separated vertically by the stamp rectangle's height, and horizontally by the stamp rectangle's width. The stamp may move to a nearby position, or to a previously saved position, as it traverses the object. The stamp moves in such a way as to visit all productive locations for an object while avoiding most of the unproductive locations.

Abstract: A sub-pixel assembly of one embodiment of the invention is disclosed that includes a number of active display units. Each active display unit is capable of controlling light, and has a turn-on threshold responsive to a signal. The active display units are organized by their turn-on thresholds to achieve dithering of the light, in response to the signal.

Abstract: A graphics system comprises pixel calculation units and a sample buffer which stores a two-dimensional field of samples. Each pixel calculation unit selects positions in the two-dimensional field at which pixel values (e.g. red, green, blue) are computed. The pixel computation positions are selected to compensate for image distortions introduced by a display device and/or display surface. Non-uniformities in a viewer's perceived intensity distribution from a display surface (e.g. hot spots, overlap brightness) are corrected by appropriately scaling pixel values prior to transmission to display devices. Two or more sets of pixel calculation units driving two or more display devices adjust their respective pixel computation centers to align the edges of two or more displayed images. Physical barriers prevent light spillage at the interface between any two of the display images. Separate pixel computation positions may be used for distinct colors to compensate for color distortions.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a display system are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a panel having a set of drivers connected to a subpixel rendering circuit in which the number of data lines going to the drivers is less than the different number of color data sets generated by the subpixel rendering circuit. In another embodiment, the driver circuits and/or the subpixel rendering circuit are constructed on the panel, using the panel's thin film transistors.

Abstract: A reference image updating method and apparatus used in an image-correlation system which updates a reference image when predetermined control parameters are met. An image corresponding to a displacement of a surface is captured and stored. A reference image and the captured image are compared at different offsets in a displacement direction. When the displacement falls within set predetermined displacement values or a predetermined value for a sample time that corresponds to the displacement, then the reference image is updated. By updated the reference image in this manner, systematic errors are prevented from accumulating thereby significantly removing systematic errors in the image-correlation system.

Abstract: Antialiasing method and apparatus for video applications. A method for antialiasing a video graphic. First, the processor renders the pixels and, during the step of rendering, determines if an edge pixel of a polygon is being rendered. If so, a sample point is defined within each pixel and a determination made if the sample point lies within the polygon or outside of the polygon. If the sample point lies within the polygon, the color of the edge pixel is set to the color of the polygon. If the sample point lies outside of the polygon, the color of the edge pixel is set to the color of the background. The percentage of the pixel that lies in the space associated with the sampling point is then calculated. The color of the pixel is stored in a frame buffer in association with the percent value that lies in the space associated with the sample point and in association with an indication that the sample point lies within the polygon or outside of the polygon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to dropout control in which one or more samples are added to adjacent samples that fall within an image outline. The samples are used in sub-pixel rendering to compensate for unnaturally thin or faint object stems. Horizontal dropout control operations are provided to add samples to sets of horizontally adjacent samples such that each set of samples comprises a minimum number of samples. Vertical dropout control operations are provided to position samples such that the weighted anti-aliasing filtering will take sufficient account of the samples. In one embodiment, an associative table is utilized to calculate alternative patterns of samples. In another embodiment, the baseline of an object is used in the dropout control operations to reduce artifacts that can be created by the addition of samples in the vertical direction.

Abstract: Jittered sub-pixel samples are used to reduce aliasing during rendering in a graphics pipeline. Sub-pixel samples are jittered using programmed sub-pixel offset values, permitting an application to select not only the number of sub-pixel samples within a pixel, but also the position of each sub-pixel sample within the pixel.

Abstract: A computer graphics system generates a pixel value for a pixel in an image, the pixel being representative of a point in a scene. The computer graphics system generates the pixel value by an evaluation of an integral of a selected function. The computer graphics system comprises a sample point generator and a function evaluator. The a sample point generator is configured to generate respective sets of sample points each associated with one of a series of rays in a ray trace configured to have a plurality of trace levels. The ray at at least one level can be split into a plurality of rays, with each ray being associated with a ray instance identifier. The sample point generator is configured to generate the sample points as predetermined strictly-deterministic low-discrepancy sequence to which a selected rotation operator is applied recursively for the respective levels.

Abstract: Various embodiments of a display system are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a panel having a set of drivers connected to a subpixel rendering circuit in which the number of data lines going to the drivers is less than the different number of color data sets generated by the subpixel rendering circuit. In another embodiment, the driver circuits and/or the subpixel rendering circuit are constructed on the panel, using the panel's thin film transistors.

Abstract: A method of forming pixel cell for three-dimensional image display is provided. The method of forming pixel cell according to this invention relates to a method of forming pixel-cell in a three-dimensional image display system including an image display panel in which a plurality of unit patterns are arranged in a vertical direction and horizontal direction and an optical plate having repetitive pattern. The method according to this invention comprising regarding each side of rhombus pattern having an arbitrary vertex angle as a straight line having a predetermined slant; calculating a number of unit pattern in vertical direction and a number of unit pattern in horizontal direction, corresponding to said predetermined slant; approximating said predetermined slant to stepped patterns with said number of unit pattern in vertical direction and said number of unit pattern in horizontal direction; and forming said pixel cell using said stepped patterns.

Abstract: A method and apparatus determine an antialiased intensity of a component of a pixel from a two-dimensional distance field representing an object. A set of sample points in the two-dimensional distance field is associated with the component of the pixel. A distance is determined from the two-dimensional distance field and the set of sample points and then mapped to the antialiased intensity of the component of the pixel.

Abstract: A polygon rendering system for receiving geometric data defining a polygon in an image being generated. The polygon rendering system renders the geometric data as pixel data. The pixel data defines pixels used to display the image. The system comprises a first memory buffer for storing the pixel data. It also comprises a second memory buffer for storing additional pixel data used to render edge pixels at a higher resolution than pixels that are not the edge pixels. Edge pixels are pixels that are located on an edge of the polygon in the image. The system also comprises a display controller for outputting the pixel data in the first memory buffer to output circuitry. The polygon rendering system identifies which of the pixels are the edge pixels and the display controller updates contents of the first buffer with data based on contents of the second buffer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for enhancing digital streaming video. According to the present invention, the pixel resolution of the image frame of a digital streaming video, i.e., the numbers of pixels within said image frame, are artificially amplified by increasing the number of columns and rows of pixels therein. The color characters, such for examples as the color, contrast, brightness, saturation, hue, and/or luminescence, etc., of each newly created pixel or cell are obtained according to the color characters of those original neighboring pixels. The boundary or border of an image-element within said image frame may be improved by adjusting the color characters of those newly created or child pixels that are situated at or close to said image-element boundary. As a result, a small-frame digital video can be displayed as a large-frame high-resolution video having similar or even better image quality.

Abstract: A display driver integrated circuit is provided for connection to a small-area display, the integrated circuit including a hardware-implemented graphics engine for receiving vector graphics commands and rendering image data for display pixels in dependence upon the received commands, and also including display driver circuitry for driving the connected display in accordance with the image data rendered by the graphics engine. In another aspect the graphics engine is held within the display module, but not embedded in the display driver IC. The invention provides graphics acceleration that increases display performance, but does not significantly increase cost of manufacture. Power consumption in comparison to non-accelerated CPU graphics processing is lowered.

Abstract: A color image is produced from image data. Color image bit-planes are generated from the image data. Each color image bit-plane represents a time increment for displaying one color of a plurality of colors for each pixel of the color image. For each of the colors, color patterns are displayed in a plurality of image sub-frame locations. The color patterns represent the color image bit-planes. At least the least significant color image bit-planes are displayed in less than all of the image sub-frame locations.

Abstract: A system for reducing crosstalk for a display.

Abstract: The invention provides an electro-optical device including pixels disposed in a matrix at intersections of a plurality of signal lines and a plurality of scanning lines. Each of said pixels includes sub-pixels that are each provided with a static random access memory and an electro-optical element.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a fragment descriptor for use in oversampling anti-aliasing includes processing that begins by generating a single representative color value for a plurality of subpixels of a pixel. The processing then continues by generating a single representative Z value for the pixel. The processing continues by generating masking information for the pixel, wherein the masking information indicates, for a given object-element being rendered, coverage of the pixel by the object-element. The processing continues by packing the single representative color value, the single representative Z value, and the masking information into a fragment descriptor. The processing continues by transporting the fragment descriptor to a custom memory. When the custom memory receives the fragment descriptor it unpacks it to recapture the single representative color value, the single representative Z value and the masking information.

Abstract: A display apparatus includes a display section having plural display elements for displaying a display object with N (natural number larger than one) display elements per pixel, and a display control section, communicably connected to the display section, for controlling the displaying state of the display section in terms of color factors of the respective display elements in such a manner that the display object is displayed with each of the display elements corresponding to one or more pixels on the display object. It is possible to display a small letter, serving high visibility.

Abstract: A character display apparatus includes: a display device having a plurality of pixels; and a control section for controlling the display device, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of sub-pixels, one of a plurality of color elements being pre-assigned to each of the plurality of sub-pixels; the control section: acquires a first bit map which represents a basic portion of a character, performs predetermined conversion of the first bit map so as to generate a second bit map which represents a basic portion of an italic character, and sets the intensity of a color element of at least one specific sub-pixel corresponding to the basic portion of the italic character to a predetermined value so as to display the italic character on the display device; dots which form each of the first and second bit maps correspond to the plurality of sub-pixels in a one-to-one manner.

Abstract: In a display device, three light-emitting elements, which respectively emit light of the three primary colors of R, G, and B, are aligned in a fixed order in a first direction to form one pixel. A plurality of such pixels are aligned in a the direction to form one line. A plurality of such lines are aligned in a second direction, which is orthogonal to the first direction, to form a display screen. With this display device, a three-times magnified pattern, with which a target pixel in a raster image to be displayed currently is magnified by three in the first direction, is determined dynamically in accordance with a rectangular reference pattern of 3×3 pixels consisting of the target pixel and pixels surrounding the target pixel. Display is performed upon allocating this three-times magnified pattern to the three light-emitting elements that comprise one pixel. Character interval adjustment and color display of sub-pixel precision precision are enabled.

Abstract: A method renders a region of a composite glyph. The composite glyph is defined by a set of elements. A set of two-dimensional distance fields is generated using the set of elements, where a composition of the set of two-dimensional distance fields represents the composite glyph. The region of the composite glyph is then rendered using the set of two-dimensional distance fields.

Abstract: A method renders a region of a composite glyph. The composite glyph is defined by a set of elements. A set of two-dimensional distance fields is generated using the set of elements, where each two-dimensional distance field is partitioned into cells and each cell includes a method for reconstructing the corresponding two-dimensional distance field within the cell. A composition of the set of two-dimensional distance fields represents the composite glyph. The region of the composite glyph is then rendered using the set of two-dimensional distance fields.

Abstract: A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The system achieves highly efficient full-scene anti-aliasing by implementing a programmable-location super-sampling arrangement and using a selectable-weight vertical-pixel support area blending filter. For a 2×2 pixel group (quad), the locations of three samples within each super-sampled pixel are individually selectable. A twelve-bit multi-sample coverage mask is used to determine which of twelve samples within a pixel quad are enabled based on the portions of each pixel occupied by a primitive fragment and any pre-computed z-buffering. Each super-sampled pixel is filtered during a copy-out operation from a local memory to an external frame buffer using a pixel blending filter arrangement that combines seven samples from three vertically arranged pixels.

Abstract: A graphics system may include a frame buffer and a hardware accelerator. The frame buffer may include a sample buffer and a double-buffered display area. The hardware accelerator may be coupled to the frame buffer, and configured (a) to receive primitives, (b) to generate samples for the primitives based on a dynamically adjustable sample density value, (c) to write the samples into the sample buffer, (d) to read the samples from the sample buffer, (e) to filter the samples to generate pixels, (f) to store the pixels in a back buffer of the double-buffered display area. A host computer may be configured (e.g., by means of stored program instructions) to dynamically update programmable registers of the graphics system to reallocate the sample buffer in the frame buffer in response to user input specifying a change in one or more window size parameters.

Abstract: The described arrangements and procedures anti-alias a character for display on a monitor such as an interlaced television monitor. In one implementation, an expanded character is generated by increasing a character's original dimensions. The expanded character includes multiple sub-blocks and each sub-block includes multiple pixels. The pixels of each sub-block are mapped to a single destination color that is based on specific numbers of foreground pixels in the sub-block and a particular number of gray levels used to represent the character. Subsequent to this mapping, the expanded character is scaled back to its original size.

Abstract: Methods and systems for selecting different anti-aliasing filters to be applied to objects of image data rendered with pixel sub-component precision based on the attributes of the objects of the graphics image. For example, when rendering a character traditional anti-aliasing applied in the direction parallel to the striping of the pixel sub-components is adapted to the unique requirements of different character font sizes such that a large amount of anti-aliasing is applied to large font sizes while a small amount of anti-aliasing is provided for characters at small font sizes. Displaced sampling is utilized to determine the alpha values for a plurality of vertical samples for each RGB pixel sub-component. The selected anti-aliasing filter is applied to the alpha values to determine the luminous intensity values of the RGB pixel sub-components.

Abstract: A system and method of maintaining computer graphics data sets in a line tree data structure. A data set is defined by a reference range with endpoint references r0 and r1 and is associated with a segment of a sampling line that analytically represents a part of an object. A data set contains data at the endpoint references r0 and r1 including values for depth, color, transparency, and depth range. Targeted data sets are defined as data sets containing certain reference values and are retrieved using a data set retrieval procedure. After retrieval, a targeted data set is compared to a new data set by a data set update procedure to determine whether the targeted data set remains, the new data set replaces the targeted data set, or modified data sets are required to be created and inserted into the line tree data structure.

Abstract: Improved arrangements for antialiasing coverage computations, useable in numerous embodiments, a non-exhaustive/non-limiting listing including graphics chips, chipsets, systems, methods and software embodiments.