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:
Apr. 24, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 16, 1997
Applicant:
Inventors:
Jürgen Haas, Kusterdingen, DE;
Chandra Narayanaswami, Wilton, CT (US);
Bengt-Olaf Schneider, Yorktown Heights, NY (US);
Assignee:
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06T 1/540 ; G06T 1/00 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G06T 1/540 ; G06T 1/00 ;
Abstract
A Z-cache is provided for use in rasterizing computer generated images. The Z-cache allows for caching depth information such that a depth buffer may be implemented in system memory without degradation in performance of a depth routine for determining the visible information in a display. The Z-cache may store and compare pixel depth information. Thus, methods of using a z-cache in a graphics system as well as a graphics system, a processing system and a rasterizer are provided which utilize a Z-cache.