Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Apple Inc.

Ati Technologies Ulc

Ati Technologies Inc.

Andrew S Pomianowski

Konstantine I Iourcha

Skyler Jonathon Saleh

Christopher Jude Brennan

Ruijin Wu

Vineet Goel

Raja Koduri

Pazhani Pillai

Jason Yang

Christopher A Burns

Anthony P DeLaurier

Rajabali M Koduri

David A Gotwalt

David Ronald Oldcorn

Arcot J Preetham

Angus McDonald Dorbie

A method and an apparatus for decoding an image are disclosed. A region of the image is selected and the decoding is selected region and associated metadata is performed. Pixels for a generated for a decoded image based on the decoded selected region and metadata.

Region-based image decompression

Techniques for performing shader operations are provided. The techniques include, performing pixel shading at a shading rate defined by pixel shader variable rate shading ('VRS') data, and updating the pixel VRS data that indicates one or more shading rates for one or more tiles based on whether the tiles of the one or more tiles include triangle edges or do not include triangle edges, to generate updated VRS data.

VRS rate feedback

An apparatus for encoding an image and an apparatus for decoding an image are presented. An image contains one or more regions. For encoding the image, the image is decomposed into one or more regions and a region is evaluated to determine whether the region meets a predetermined compressions acceptability criteria. The region is then encoded in response to the transformed and quantized region meeting the predetermined compression acceptability criteria. For decoding the image, a region of the image is selected and the selected region is decoded using metadata associated with the selected region. The metadata includes transformation quantization settings and information describing an aspect ratio used to compress the region.

Region-based image compression and decompression

A technique for performing rasterization and pixel shading with decoupled resolution is provided herein. The technique involves performing rasterization as normal to generate quads. The quads are accumulated into a tile buffer. A shading rate is determined for the contents of the tile buffer. If the shading rate is a sub-sampling shading rate, then the quads in the tile buffer are down-sampled, which reduces the amount of work to be performed by a pixel shader. The shaded down-sampled quads are then restored to the resolution of the render target. If the shading rate is a super-sampling shading rate, then the quads in the tile buffer are up-sampled. The results of the shaded down-sampled or up-sampled quads are written to the render target.

Integration of variable rate shading and super-sample shading

Techniques for performing shader operations are provided. The techniques include, performing pixel shading at a shading rate defined by pixel shader variable rate shading ('VRS') data, updating the pixel VRS data that indicates one or more shading rates for one or more tiles based on whether the tiles of the one or more tiles include triangle edges or do not include triangle edges, to generate updated VRS data, and writing a VRS rate feedback buffer based on the updated VRS data.

A method, apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for compressing an image including one or more regions are presented. An image is decomposed into one or more regions and a region is evaluated to determine whether the region meets a predetermined compressions acceptability criteria. In response to the region not meeting the predetermined compression acceptability criteria, the region is transformed and quantized. The region is then encoded in response to the transformed and quantized region meeting the predetermined compression acceptability criteria. In response to the transformed and quantized region not meeting the predetermined compression acceptability criteria, transformation and quantization settings are adjusted and the region is transformed and quantized using the adjusted settings. The region is then encoded in response to the predetermined compression acceptability criteria having been reached.

Region-based image compression

A technique for performing rasterization and pixel shading with decoupled resolution is provided herein. The technique involves performing rasterization as normal to generate fine rasterization data and a set of (fine) quads. The quads are accumulated into a tile buffer and coarse quads are generated from the quads in the tile buffer based on a shading rate. The shading rate determines how many pixels of the fine quads are combined to generate coarse pixels of the coarse quads. Combination of fine pixels involves generating a single coarse pixel for each such fine pixel to be combined. The positions of the coarse pixels of the coarse quads are set based on the positions of the corresponding fine pixels. The coarse quads are shaded normally and the resulting shaded coarse quads are modified based on the fine rasterization data to generate shaded fine quads.

Variable rate shading

A method and a non-transitory computer readable medium for decompressing an image including one or more regions are presented. A region of the image is selected to be decoded. The region and metadata associated with the region are decoded, the metadata including transformation and quantization settings used to compress the region. A reconstruction transformation is applied to the region using the transformation and quantization settings.

Techniques are disclosed relating to interpolation for texture mapping. In some embodiments, a graphics unit includes circuitry configured to map a texture to a screen space such that a set of multiple in the screen space falls between first and second adjacent texels of the texture in a first dimension. In some embodiments, the graphics unit also includes texture processing circuitry configured to perform different types of interpolation for pixels in the group of pixels. In these embodiments, this includes determining pixel attributes for first and second end groups of pixels in the set of pixels using a nearest-neighbor interpolation technique and attributes of the first and second texels respectively. In these embodiments, this also includes determining pixel attributes for an intermediate group of pixels in the set of pixels using a second, different interpolation technique and attributes of both the first and second texels.

Interpolation circuitry and techniques for graphics processing

Embodiments are described for a method for using anti-aliasing hardware to generate a higher resolution image at the processing of a lower resolution image with anti-aliasing. A graphics image comprising allocating a buffer used in a multisample anti-aliasing process, wherein the allocated buffer has a dimension comprising a reduction in at least one of the width or height of an original dimension of an original buffer provided by the anti-aliasing hardware; rendering sampled image data to the allocated buffer at a sampling rate proportional to the reduction; and expanding the allocated buffer back to the dimension of the original buffer.

Variable acuity rendering using multisample anti-aliasing

A method for compressing an image includes decomposing the image into one or more regions. A region of the image is selected to be evaluated. The selected region is transformed and quantized if the region does not meet a predetermined compression acceptability criteria. The predetermined compression acceptability criteria may include a specific bit rate, a specific image quality, or combinations thereof. If the region does not meet the predetermined compression acceptability criteria after the region has been transformed and quantized, then the transformation and quantization settings are adjusted and the region is transformed and quantized using the adjusted settings. The region is then encoded when the predetermined compression acceptability criteria has been reached. The encoding may include additional compression stages.

A filtering method and apparatus for anti-aliasing takes advantage of improved existing hardware by using as input the data stored in the multisampling anti-aliasing (MSAA) buffers after rendering. The standard hardware box-filter is then replaced with a more intelligent resolve implemented using shader programs. Embodiments find scene edges using existing samples generated by Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. Using samples from a footprint larger than a single pixel, a gradient is calculated matching the direction of an edge. A non-linear filter over contributing samples in the direction of the gradient gives the final result.

Filtering method and apparatus for anti-aliasing

Embodiments of a filtering method and apparatus for anti-aliasing as described herein take advantage of improved existing hardware by using as input the data stored in the multisampling anti-aliasing (MSAA) buffers after rendering. The standard hardware box-filter is then replaced with a more intelligent resolve implemented using shader programs. Embodiments find scene edges using existing samples generated by Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware. Using samples from a footprint larger than a single pixel, a gradient is calculated matching the direction of an edge. A non-linear filter over contributing samples in the direction of the gradient gives the final result.

A processing unit, method, and graphics processing system are provided for processing a plurality of frames of graphics data. For instance, the processing unit can include a first plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs), a second plurality of GPUs, and a plurality of compositors. The first plurality of GPUs can be configured to process a first frame of graphics data. Likewise, the second plurality of GPUs can be configured to process a second frame of graphics data. Further, each compositor in the plurality of compositors can be coupled to a respective GPU from the first and second pluralities of GPUs, where the plurality of compositors is configured to sequentially pass the first and second frames of graphics data to a display module.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Andrew S Pomianowski