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:
Oct. 03, 2006
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2006
Jeffrey A. Andrews, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Jeffrey A. Andrews, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
Methods and systems for transparent depth sorting are described. In accordance with one embodiment, multiple depth buffers are utilized to sort depth data associated with multiple transparent pixels that overlie one another. The sorting of the depth data enables identification of an individual transparent pixel that lies closest to an associated opaque pixel. With the closest individual transparent pixel being identified, the transparency effect of the identified pixel relative to the associated opaque pixel is computed. If additional overlying transparent pixels remain, a next closest transparent pixel relative to the opaque pixel is identified and, for the next closest pixel, the transparency effect is computed relative to the transparency effect that was just computed.