The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 06, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 16, 1990
Applicant:
Inventor:
Marc R Hannah, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Assignee:
Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F / ; G06F / ; G09G / ; G09G / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
364518 ; 364522 ; 340799 ; 340729 ;
Abstract
A method and apparatus for clearing a Z-buffer in a raster scanned, computer controlled video display system having a frame buffer and a Z-buffer is disclosed. The method includes the step of writing a plurality of bits into pixel locations of the frame buffer, which pixel locations will be cleared in the Z-buffer and on the screen of the video display. Those plurality of bits invalidating the Z values in the Z-buffer corresponding to those pixel locations.