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:
Mar. 23, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 27, 1996
Joseph W Chauvin, Issaquah, WA (US);
Steven A Gabriel, Redmond, WA (US);
Howard Good, Seattle, WA (US);
Kent E Griffin, Bellevue, WA (US);
Mark L Kenworthy, Duvall, WA (US);
William Chambers Powell, III, Seattle, WA (US);
George Easton Scott, III, Redmond, WA (US);
Michael A Toelle, Bellevue, WA (US);
John G Torborg, Jr, Redmond, WA (US);
James E Veres, Woodinville, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A graphics rendering chip serially renders a stream of geometric primitives to image regions called chunks. A set-up processor in the chip parses rendering commands and the stream of geometric primitives and computes edge equation parameters. A scan-convert processor receives the edge equation parameters from the set-up processor and scan converts the geometric primitives to produce pixel records and fragment records. An internal, double-buffered pixel buffer stores pixel records for fully covered pixel addresses and also stores references to fragment lists stored in a fragment buffer. A pixel engine performs hidden surface removal and controls storage of pixel and fragment records to the pixel and fragment buffers, respectively. An anti-aliasing engine resolves pixel data for one pixel buffer while the pixel engine fills the other pixel buffer with pixel data for the next chunk.