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:
Nov. 30, 1993
Filed:
Feb. 15, 1991
Kurt Akeley, Union City, CA (US);
James Foran, Milpitas, CA (US);
Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling the storage of display information into a frame buffer is disclosed. A memory means is provided for storing information for controlling the storage of display information into the frame buffer where the memory means contains a plurality of locations each of which corresponds to and controls the storing of display information in one location of the frame buffer. A pass/fail ALU is coupled to the memory means to obtain a value for a particular pixel; this ALU provides a signal indicative of one of a first or second state which state indicates whether storage of display information to the frame buffer will occur. A first function is stored in a register, which function specifies the first signal. A first storage register and a second storage register store a second function and a third function respectively and provide a second value and a third respectively. The second value or third value is stored as a new value in the first memory for said first pixel location depending upon the state indicated by the first signal. An application of the method and device of the invention includes a method for generating hollow polygons having an interior region and a perimeter in said frame buffer for display on said display device.