Intel Corporation

Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (publ)

Jacob J Munkberg

Jon N Hasselgren

Tomas Guy Akenine-Möller

Petrik Clarberg

Jacob Ström

Tomas G Akenine-Moller

Franz Petrik Clarberg

Jim Rasmusson

Robert M Toth

Tomas G Akenine-Moeller

A method for improving performance of generation of digitally represented graphics. The method comprises: receiving a first representation of a base primitive; providing a set of instructions associated with vertex position determination; executing said retrieved set of instructions on said first representation of said base primitive using bounded arithmetic for providing a second representation of said base primitive, and subjecting said second representation of said base primitive to a culling process. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also presented.

Method, apparatus, and computer program product for improved graphics performance

A unified compression/decompression architecture is disclosed for reducing memory bandwidth requirements in 3D graphics processing applications. The techniques described erase several distinctions between a texture (compressed once, and decompressed many times), and buffers (compressed and decompressed repeatedly during rendering of an image). An exemplary method for processing graphics data according to one or more embodiments of the invention thus begins with the updating of one or more tiles of a first image array, which are then compressed, using a real-time buffer compression algorithm, to obtain compressed image array tiles. The compressed image array tiles are stored for subsequent use as a texture. During real-time rendering of a second image array, the compressed image array tiles are retrieved and decompressed using a decompression algorithm corresponding to the buffer compression algorithm. The decompressed image array tiles are then applied as a texture to one or more primitives in the second image array.

Unified compression/decompression graphics architecture

A computer graphics processor () and a method for rendering a three-dimensional image on a display screen. The computer graphics processor () comprises a rasterizer () configured to perform pixel traversal of a primitive after projection of the primitive. Furthermore, the rasterizer () is configured to perform the pixel traversal of a first primitive for a plurality of views prior to performing pixel traversal of a next primitive for one or several views.

Computer graphics processor and method for rendering a three-dimensional image on a display screen

This relates to a generation of digitally represented graphics. A first representation of a group of vertices is received. A second representation of said group of vertices is determined based on said first representation. A first set of instructions is executed on said second representation of said group of vertices for providing a third representation of said group of vertices, said first set of instructions being associated with vertex position determination. The third representation of said group of vertices is subjected to a culling process.

First and second codewords are determined, based on first feature vector components of the image elements in an image block, as representations of a first and second component value. Third and fourth codewords are determined, based on second vector components, as representations of a third and fourth component value. First N1 and second N2 resolution numbers are selected based on the relation of a distribution of the first vector components and a distribution of the second vector components. N1 additional component values are generated based on the first and second component values and N2 additional component values are generated based on the third and fourth component values. Component indices indicative of the generated component values are then provided for the different image elements.

Using resolution numbers to determine additional component values

A block () of image elements () is compressed by determining multiple base vectors () based on the feature vectors () associated with the image elements. Additional vectors () are calculated based on defined pairs of neighboring base vectors (). A vector among the base vectors () and the additional vectors () is selected as representation of the feature vector () of an image element (). An identifier () associated with selected vector is assigned to the image element () and included in the compressed block () which also comprises representations of the determined base vectors ().

Vector-based image processing

First and second codewords are determined, based on first feature vector components of the image elements in an image block, as representations of a first and second component value. Third and fourth codewords are determined, based on second vector components, as representations of a third and fourth component value. First Nand second Nresolution numbers are selected based on the relation of a distribution of the first vector components and a distribution of the second vector components. Nadditional component values are generated based on the first and second component values and Nadditional component values are generated based on the third and fourth component values. Component indices indicative of the generated component values are then provided for the different image elements.

Image processing using resolution numbers to determine additional component values

A block () of image elements () is compressed by identifying a base vector () based on normalized feature vectors () of the block (). If a position-determining coordinate () of the base vector () is present inside a defined selection section () of feature vector space (), the block () is compressed according to a default mode and an auxiliary mode to get a default and auxiliary compressed block (), respectively. The compressed block () resulting in smallest compression error is selected. If the auxiliary mode is selected, the position-determining coordinate () is mapped to get a mapped coordinate () present outside the representable normalization portion () of vector space (). The auxiliary compressed block () comprises a representation of this mapped coordinate (). If the default mode is selected no such coordinate mapping is performed and the default compressed block () instead comprises a representation of the non-mirrored coordinate ().

Multi-mode vector-based image processing

Hierarchical bounding of displaced parametric surfaces may be a very common use case for tessellation in interactive and real-time rendering. An efficient normal bounding technique may be used, together with min-max mipmap hierarchies and oriented bounding boxes. This provides substantially faster convergence for the bounding volumes of the displaced surface, without tessellating and displacing the surface in some embodiments. This bounding technique can be used for different types of culling, ray tracing, and to sort higher order primitives in tiling architectures.

Hierarchical bounding of displaced parametric surfaces

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for the processing of frame buffer data, such as color buffer data, in graphics processing applications. Although more generally applicable, these methods and apparatus are particularly useful in real-time, polygon-based, 3D rendering applications. An exemplary method for processing graphics data according to one or more embodiments of the invention begins with the retrieval, from a buffer, of pixel values corresponding to a tile of two or more pixels, and with the updating of one or more of those updated pixel values. The updated pixel values are selectively compressed using a lossy compression operation or a lossless compression operation, based on an accumulated error metric value for the tile. If lossy compression is used, then the accumulated error metric value for the tile is updated; in either event, the compressed pixel values are stored in the frame buffer for further processing. With this approach, the accumulated error caused by successive, or tandem, compression operations may be limited to a pre-determined maximum.

Frame buffer compression and decompression method for graphics rendering

A compressor for compressing a block of feature vectors representing a feature associated with image elements, includes electronic circuitry for determining the distribution of the feature vectors, electronic circuitry for transforming each point pattern in a predetermined set of point patterns to fit the determined distribution, and a selector for selecting a transformed point pattern that best fits the determined distribution. Furthermore, an encoder represents the block of feature vectors by an identifier identifying the selected point pattern in the set of point patterns, parameters representing the transformation associated with the selected point pattern, and an index for each feature vector representing the nearest point in the transformed selected point pattern.

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Malmö, Sweden

Jacob J Munkberg