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. 19, 2002
Filed:
Nov. 12, 1998
Ronald D. Larson, Fort Collins, CO (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for performing scan conversion in a computer graphics display system to determine pixel locations in screen space which correspond to a primitive being scan converted. The apparatus of the present invention comprises logic configured to convert a primitive into pixel locations in screen space. The logic, which is referred to hereinafter as the hierarchical tiler, subdivides the screen space into a plurality of regions, each of which comprises a plurality of pixel locations in screen space. The hierarchical tiler then determines whether a particular one of the regions is entirely outside of the primitive, entirely inside of the primitive, or partially inside of the primitive. If the hierarchical tiler determines that a particular region is entirely inside of the primitive, it converts the particular region into pixel locations in screen space. If the hierarchical tiler determines that the particular region is partially inside of the primitive, it further subdivides the particular region into a plurality of sub-regions. The hierarchical tiler then determines whether a particular one of the plurality of sub-regions is entirely outside of the primitive, entirely inside of the primitive, or partially inside of the primitive. If the hierarchical tiler determines that a particular sub-region is entirely inside of the primitive, it converts the particular sub-region into pixel locations in screen space. This process of subdividing the screen space into smaller regions continues until either a region is found to be contained within a primitive and is converted into pixels, or until screen space has been subdivided all of the way down to the pixel level.