International Business Machines Corporation

Paolo Sidoli

Steven P Larky

Lee E Johnson

Daryl J Kokoszka

Joe C St Clair

Deborah D Brase

A graphics processor including an interface for providing triangle primitives representing a graphics image, a triangle interpolator coupled to the interface for interpolating a triangle primitive and serially computing multiple line primitives from the triangle primitive, a line renderer coupled to the triangle interpolator for receiving a line primitive from the triangle interpolator and for providing pixels representing the line primitive while the triangle interpolator is computing another line primitive.

High performance triangle interpolator

A graphics processor including an interface for providing triangle primitives and line primitives representing a graphical image, a line drawer for receiving line primitives and for rendering the line primitives, and a triangle interpolator for receiving the triangle primitives from the interface and for providing line primitives therefrom to the line drawer, wherein the interface includes a register for storing graphics image line primitives and for selectively providing the stored line primitives to the line drawer.

High performance rasterization engine

A data processing system is provided that includes a plurality of processors each including a circuit for providing a busy signal. The system also includes a plurality of registers for storing data wherein each register is dedicated to a selected processor or a selected set of processors. A control circuit is provided for receiving the busy signals and prohibiting storage from an external device to the registers dedicated a processor when that processor provides a busy signal.

I/O register protection circuit

Apparatus and methods for picking three dimensional objects from images depicted on a video display. The displayed objects are selectively rerendered. During such rerendering the object pixels are compared in depth to the data in a Z buffer for determining visibility. The number and size of the objects subject to rerendering by the rasterization processor is constrained by using the front end graphics processor to define object extents and by rerendering only extents which have been clipped to the boundaries of the pick window. The rerendering operation does not alter the three dimensional graphics image stored in and repetitively scanned from the frame buffer. Selection between multiple objects within the pick window can include a weighted comparison using a pick plane memory to store visibility data by object.

Growing community of inventors

Bresso Milano, Italy

Paolo Sidoli