Abstract: A method and system for efficiently rendering and displaying the color intensity information of a pixel in a computer system is disclosed. The pixel includes a plurality of fragments. The method and system comprises providing a weighted average of a preselected number of the plurality of fragments for a pixel for a plurality of the color intensity information to a first portion of a register. The register is within a data structure in the computer system. The method and system also includes providing the color intensity information of a preselected number of fragments, except the one with the largest coverage to at least one additional portion of the register. The method and system further includes sending the information in the first portion and at least one additional portion to a memory in the computer system and sending the information in the first portion and at least one additional portion of the memory to a display.

Abstract: A multi-pass pixel processing circuit and method that allows a single set of texturing circuitry to be used for performing texture mapping operations that map multiple texture maps to a video graphics primitive is presented. The multi-pass pixel processing circuit includes a raster engine that is operably coupled to receive primitive parameters corresponding to video graphics primitives. For each portion of a selected primitive, the raster engine performs a first pass of texture map coordinate generation. During the first pass, the raster engine generates a first set of texture map coordinates corresponding to a first texture map for each pixel in the portion of the selected video graphics primitive. A coordinate combination block that is operably coupled to the raster engine provides the first set of texture map coordinates for each pixel to a memory that stores the first texture map to retrieve texture data corresponding to the first texture map for each pixel.

Abstract: A dual-cache pixel processing circuit that allows one cache to be flushed while the other receives subsequent pixel fragments is presented. The system includes a first fragment cache and a first set of state registers where the first set of state registers stores state variables for drawing operations corresponding to fragments stored in the first fragment cache. The system also includes a second fragment cache and a second set of state registers where the second set of state registers stores state variables for drawing operations corresponding to fragments stored in the second fragment cache. The system further includes a render backend block that is operably coupled to the first and second fragment caches and to a frame buffer that stores current pixel information for a plurality of pixels in a display frame.

Abstract: The present invention is generally directed to a system and method for anti-aliasing edges of adjacent primitives. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a method operates by determining whether a pixel is an edge pixel of a filled primitive, approximating a coverage area of the pixel, the coverage area being the area of the pixel interior to the primitive edge, determining a direction from the pixel center to an external edge of the primitive, and blending a first color of the primitive with a second color, the second color being a color of a pixel of a second primitive adjacent the external edge. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system is provided having frame buffer circuitry uniquely configured for rendering an anti-aliased graphics scene.

Abstract: Loss-less data compression/decompression especially useful in a limited resource environment such as a handheld portable video game system allows graphics and/or attribute data to be efficiently and quickly decompressed on an as-needed basis in real time response to interactive user inputs. A two-level run-length-encoding is used to encode redundant patterns and redundant symbols. A common sentinel field format encodes whether data following the field is non-redundant data, a symbol run, or a pattern run. Compression ratios of 60% for representative symbol-mapped video display graphics/attribute files can be achieved.

Abstract: A method and apparatus, for use in a computer image generation system wherein polygons are displayed on an array of pixels, for encoding data representing intersections of the polygons and the pixels. The method comprises the steps of receiving input data signals characterizing a set of coordinates of each of at least three vertices of each polygon to be displayed, each different pair of the vertices of each polygon defining a different edge of the polygon; and generating, responsive to the received vertex data signals, edge data signals describing the intersection, if any, of the polygon edges with each pixel to be displayed.

Abstract: A system and method for providing antialiasing of a graphical image on a display is disclosed. The graphical image is generated from data describing at least one object. The display includes a plurality of pixels. The at least one object includes a plurality of fragments. A portion of the plurality of fragments intersects a pixel of the plurality of pixels. Each of the plurality of fragments including an indication of a portion of a corresponding pixel that is intersected. The system and method include providing at least one active region for the pixel. The at least one active region intersects a first portion of the pixel. The method and system also include providing at least one new region. A first portion of the at least one new region indicates where in the pixel the at least one active region and the fragment intersect. A second portion of the at least one new region indicates where in the pixel the at least one active region and the fragment do not intersect.

Abstract: A software graphics engine includes a selectable mode filter for improved texture mapping. An x, y pixel coordinate is mapped into a u, v texture map. The mapped u, v coordinate includes integer and fractional portions. Depending on the location of the coordinate relative to the four nearest texels, which are represented as integers, one of several texture mapping schemes are used to either select or calculate the texel value to be used to render the pixel at the x, y screen location. The three texture mapping schemes include point sampling in which the nearest texel from the texture map is selected, two-texel averaging in which the closest two texels are combined in a weighted average, and four-texel averaging in which the closest four texels are combined in a weighted average. By providing a selectable filter than can perform point sampling or two or four-texel averaging, the speed benefit of point sampling can be approached as well as the superior quality of two- and four-texel averaging.

Abstract: A system, method and article of manufacture for automatically inserting concurrency object services into binary classes in an information handling system employing object oriented technology, includes the steps of recognizing a constraint indicating that an object does not support concurrency and generating a concurrent version of the object. One alternative for generating a version of an object supporting concurrency is automatic transactional locking. The approach includes the steps of inheriting from the Lockable class which adds state to a class to allow object-level locking, inheriting from the Serialised metaclass which adds before and after methods to all methods of the non-concurrent version, and the object must be a RecoverableObject. Another alternative for generating a version of an object supporting concurrency is automatic per method locking.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image reproduction apparatus for performing video signal processing by utilizing a plurality of DSPs. A digital video signal is supplied to a DSP signal processor constituted by combining the plurality of DSPs, and programs to be supplied to the plurality of DSPs are time-divisionally switched on the basis of a transmission timing of the video signal, so that the DSP signal processor can execute a plurality of systems of processing operations, and many functions can be added without increasing a circuit scale.