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. 27, 2004
Filed:
May. 05, 2000
Hisashi Nakamura, Hyogo, JP;
Renesas Technology Corp., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In a frame buffer memory including a DRAM ( ), an SRAM ( ) functioning as a cache memory, and a comparison unit ( ) comparing depth data stored in the SRAM ( ) and depth data input from an external source and writing depth data input from the external source directly to the SRAM ( ) when depth data input from the external source represents a shallower point on a screen, a maxZ detection circuit ( ) detecting depth data representing a deepest point among depth data of eight pixels stored in each memory block ( ) of SRAM ( ) is provided. The detection circuit ( ) does not compare depth data of each pixel as comparison unit ( ) but detects depth data representing a deepest point among depth data of eight pixels, whereby a Z buffering process is sped up.