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:
Jul. 06, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Stephanie L Winner, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Michael W Kelley, San Mateo, CA (US);
Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
A computer graphics system having a processor for generating objects for display, a multi-layered Z-buffer for storing data according to their relative depths, the processor also compositing the data stored in the Z-buffer, a frame buffer for storing composited data, a display for displaying an image as a number of pixels responsive to the composited data in the frame buffer, and two registers for facilitating the Z-buffering process is disclosed. One of the registers stores a number indicating how many of the layers in the Z-buffer contain visible data dependent on opacity of existing objects. In the other register, a number of addresses corresponding to each of the layers of the Z-buffer are stored. Each address specifies a location where data of one of the layers is stored. A determination is made as to which layer data associated with an incoming object is to be inserted. This determination depends on the contents of the first register as well as the value of the incoming object relative to those of objects already stored in the Z-buffer. The addresses of the second register are arranged to correspond to the appropriate layers in response to insertion of the incoming data.