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:
Dec. 05, 2000
Filed:
Jul. 15, 1999
Michael Potter, Huntsville, AL (US);
Clifford A Whitmore, Huntsville, AL (US);
Intergraph Corporation, Huntsville, AL (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for and method of directing graphical data toward a display device from a plurality of graphics processors couples the graphics processors in a manner that reduces the size of the interface on each graphics processor. In particular, each graphics processor produces graphical data for an associated set of pixels on the display device, where each pixel is represented by a first amount of graphical data. The graphics processors are arranged so that one of the graphics processors is a destination processor. The total number of graphics processors that are not designated as the destination processor thus constitute a remaining number. Each graphics processor produces a second amount of graphical data during each clock cycle of a common clock. The first amount of graphical data, however, is comprised of at least substantially two times the second amount of graphical data. The graphics processors then are coupled so that during each clock cycle, the destination processor receives no more graphical data from the other processors than an amount equal to the product of the remaining number and the second amount.