 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Title: |
US7336283:
Efficient hardware A-buffer using three-dimensional allocation of fragment memory
[ Derwent Title ]
>> View Certificate of Correction for this publication

|
Country: |
US United States of America

|
| |
Inventor: |
McCormack, Joel James; Boulder, CO, United States of America
Jouppi, Norman P.; Palo Alto, CA, United States of America
Seiler, Larry Dean; Boylston, MA, United States of America

|
Assignee: |
Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Houston, TX, United States of America
other patents from HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P. (815532) (approx. 1,981)
News, Profiles, Stocks and More about this company

|
Published / Filed: |
2008-02-26
/ 2002-10-24

|
Application Number: |
US2002000280721

|
IPC Code: |
Advanced:
G06F 12/02;
G06T 1/60;
G09G 5/36;
G09G 5/39;
Core:
more...

|
ECLA Code: |
G09G5/36C; G06F12/02C; G06F12/02D2; G06T1/60; G09G5/39;

|
U.S. Class: |
345/543;
345/544;

|
Field of Search: |
345/544,611,543
711/153,170-173

|
Priority Number: |
| 2002-10-24 |
US2002000280721 |

|
Abstract: |
A method and apparatus for arranging fragments in a graphics memory. Each pixel of a display has a corresponding list of fragments in the graphics memory. Each fragment describes a three-dimensional surface at a plurality of sample points associated with the pixel. A predetermined number of fragments are statically allocated to each pixel. Additional space for fragment data is dynamically allocated and deallocated. Each dynamically allocated unit of memory contains fragment data for a plurality of pixels. Fragment data are arranged to exploit modern DRAM capabilities by increasing locality of reference within a single DRAM page, by putting other fragments likely to be referenced soon in pages that belong to non-conflicting banks, and by maintaining bookkeeping structures that allow the relevant DRAM precharge and row activate operations to be scheduled far in advance of access to fragment data.

|
Primary / Asst. Examiners: |
Harrison, Chante;

|
Maintenance Status: |
CC Certificate of Correction issued View Certificate of Correction

|
INPADOC Legal Status: |
Show legal status actions
Family Legal Status Report

|
Family: |
Show 2 known family members

|
First Claim:
Show all 14 claims |
1. A method, comprising: statically allocating a portion of a memory to store a first pre-determined number of base fragments for each of a plurality of pixels; storing base fragments in the statically allocated portion of memory; dynamically allocating a portion of the memory for overflow panes of additional fragment storage, wherein the overflow panes each include storage for a second pre-determined number of fragments for each of a group of the pixels that are physically near each other in a coordinate system; storing overflow panes in the dynamically allocated portion of memory; maintaining address information of the overflow panes separately from fragment data comprising storing the address information in at least one array, each entry of which is associated with a group of the pixels and a group of fragments, each entry of the at least one array storing one of the addresses or a NULL value wherein the at least one array is indexed by at least part of the coordinates of the pixels and by a value representative of at least part of a fragment number; retrieving the overflow panes from the dynamically allocated portion of memory using the maintained address information for rendering an image; and rendering the image on a display.

|
Background / Summary: |
Show background / summary

|
Drawing Descriptions: |
Show drawing descriptions

|
Description: |
Show description

|