Claims
- 1. A computer graphics process for scan processing object primitives to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data, the blocks being sequentially stored in a frame buffer adapted to receive rectangular blocks of data, the pixel data being associated with display pixels having an associative space relationship with a display image space, said process including the steps of:
- defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of contiguous pixel areas of said display image space;
- scanning said span areas to locate lapped spans, with lapped pixels within a primitive;
- scanning pixels within said lapped spans to locate lapped pixels for processing;
- processing said lapped pixels within each span, pixel-by-pixel, to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data associated with arrays of said display pixels; and
- sequentially storing said blocks of pixel data in a frame buffer, said frame buffer including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.
- 2. A computer graphics process according to claim 1 further including the step of defining a size of said span areas according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said interface.
- 3. A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said storing step further includes the step of storing said blocks of pixel data in a cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.
- 4. A computer graphics process according to claim 3 further including the step of defining a size of said span areas according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said cache.
- 5. A computer graphics process according to claim 1 further including the steps of:
- retrieving a block of texture data from a texture memory, said texture memory including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data; and
- processing said block of texture data to provide texture for a span of said pixels.
- 6. A computer graphics process according to claim 5 wherein said retrieving step further includes the step of retrieving said blocks of texture data from a cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.
- 7. A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said lapped pixels within each span further includes the steps of:
- retrieving blocks of prior pixel data from said frame buffer;
- processing said blocks of prior pixel data from said frame buffer to provide said blocks of pixel data.
- 8. A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said step of scanning pixels includes the step of scanning said pixels in a raster sequence.
- 9. A computer graphics system for scan processing object primitives to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data, the blocks being sequentially stored in a frame buffer adapted to receive rectangular blocks of data, the pixel data being associated with display pixels having an associative space relationship with a display image space of a display unit, said system comprising:
- a frame buffer organized to have an associative space relationship with the image space of said display unit;
- means defining said frame buffer into a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of pixel areas;
- a scanner for scanning said span areas to locate lapped pixels within a primitive and a span and for scanning said lapped pixels to locate pixels for processing; and
- a processor for processing said lapped pixels within each span, pixel-by-pixel, to sequentially generate rectangular blocks of pixel data associated with arrays of said display pixels; and
- a frame buffer including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, said frame buffer connected to receive said blocks of pixel data.
- 10. A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein a size for said span areas is defined according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said interface.
- 11. A computer graphics system according to claim 9 further including a frame buffer cache for storing said blocks of pixel data, said cache being adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.
- 12. A computer graphics system according to claim 11 wherein a size for said span areas is defined according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said cache.
- 13. A computer graphics system according to claim 9 further including a texture memory, said texture memory including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, wherein said processor processes a block of texture data retrieved from said texture memory to provide texture for a span of said pixels.
- 14. A computer graphics system according to claim 13 further including a texture memory cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, wherein said processor retrieves said block of texture data from said cache.
- 15. A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein said processor processes blocks of prior pixel data retrieved from said frame buffer to provide said blocks of pixel data.
- 16. A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein said scanner processes said pixels in a raster sequence.
- 17. A computer graphics process for scan processing object primitives to generate display pixels, as in a frame buffer, the pixels being organized in screen space having an associative space relationship with a display image space, said process including the steps of:
- defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of contiguous pixel areas of said display image space;
- scanning said span areas to locate lapped spans, with lapped pixels within a primitive;
- scanning, in a raster sequence, pixels within said lapped spans to locate lapped pixels for processing; and
- processing said lapped pixels as scanned, pixel-by-pixel, span-by-span to provide pixel data in said frame buffer.
- 18. A computer graphics process according to claim 17 wherein said span areas are scanned in a predetermined sequence.
- 19. A computer graphics process according to claim 17 wherein said scanning and processing steps are executed as parallel operations to process pixels from multiple scan areas concurrently.
- 20. A computer graphics process according to claim 17 further including the steps of:
- defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of panels, each panel including a plurality of span areas; and
- scanning said panels to locate span areas.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This is a continuation-in-part of Application Ser. No. 08/370,669 filed Jan. 10, 1995 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,517, and entitled "COMPUTER GRAPHICS PIXEL RENDERING SYSTEM WITH MULTI-LEVEL SCANNING" (as amended).
US Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
5598517 |
Watkins |
Jan 1997 |
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
370669 |
Jan 1995 |
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