Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Salvatore Arcuri

Michael Frank Deering

Ranjit S Oberoi

A graphics system comprises a rendering unit, a sample buffer and a sample-to-pixel calculation unit. The rendering unit receives graphics data specifying three triangle vertices, generates sample positions, and determines which samples reside inside the triangle. The rendering unit computes an axial rate of change of an ordinate based on the positions and ordinates of the vertices, and, for each sample residing inside the triangle, (a) multiplies the axial rate by a edge-relative sample displacement resulting in a first product, (b) interpolates a projection value for a projection point on a first edge of the triangle, and (c) adds the first product to the projection value resulting in a sample ordinate value. The sample buffer stores the sample ordinate value the samples inside the triangle. The sample-to-pixel calculation unit reads sample ordinate values from the sample buffer and generates a pixel value by filtering the sample ordinate values.

Interpolating sample values from known triangle vertex values

A method of encoding and storing locations of bounding boxes of drawing primitives to be rendered on a multi-resolution display that includes a plurality of regions of different resolution, at least one of which is subdivided into a plurality of sub-regions. The method includes steps of dividing the viewable area of the multi-resolution display into four quadrants and encoding only selected attributes of each of the plurality of bounding box locations within only one of the four quadrants of the multi-resolution display. The encoded selected attributes are then stored in a number of locations of a memory. The selected attributes include information regarding the regions of different resolutions within the multi-resolution display and the boundary lines therebetween, such as the region of lowest resolution partially covered by each of the bounding boxes; either the number of boundary lines cutting each of the bounding boxes or the number of sub bounding boxes forming each of the bounding boxes; either the direction of the first boundary line cutting through each of the bounding boxes or the direction of the sub-region of lowest resolution partially covered by each of the bounding boxes; and an indication as to whether a portion of the region of lowest resolution appears on both sides of the first cut cutting through each of the bounding boxes.

Method for encoding bounding boxes of drawing primitives to be rendered

High speed communication of digital information is accomplished using an analog transmission format. A transmitter receiving digital data in parallel multi-bit words converts digital words in conversion clock cycles to a single analog signal relative to a DC level. The transmitter also includes a reference pulse generator which combines a reference pulse with the analog levels generated by the converter to form an analog output for transmission to the receiver. The receiver includes a detector receiving the analog output. In response to the reference pulse, the receiver generates a recovery clock. A flash analog-to-digital converter converts the analog levels in the analog output to multi-bit digital outputs. The parallel multi-bit words are regenerated in recovery clock cycles from sampling the multi-bit digital output once per cycle. Thus, by using a digital to analog to digital system, effective bit rates are achieved that are higher than the switching speeds of the transmitter and receiver.

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Salvatore Arcuri