Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Patent
1996-08-08
1997-11-04
Zimmerman, Mark K.
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
345136, G06T 1100
Patent
active
056849397
ABSTRACT:
An image processing system that receives polygonal image data at the direction of a processor and develops antialiased image data for display on a raster scanned display. In particular, the image system includes a scan convertor for converting the polygonal image data into pixel data, which includes pixel screen coordinates and at least one color value for each polygon covered pixel of the pixel data and a supersample coverage mask indicating an extent of polygon coverage within each polygon covered pixel The image system also includes a raster system having at least one image processor for receiving the pixel data for each pixel, for developing a region mask based on the supersample coverage mask, and for storing the color value in association with the region mask as anitialiased display data in an image memory in communication with the image processor based on the pixel screen coordinates. The region mask indicates one or more geographical regions of supersamples within each pixel covered by one or more polygons and indicates a color value stored in the image memory to be assigned to the supersamples in a region. This requires only a single color value for supersamples within a region of a covered pixel to be stored in the image memory. The image system can also be configured to develop and store Z-values, alpha values, stencil values, and texture values for each pixel for storage in the image memory in association with the region mask.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5027292 (1991-06-01), Rossignac et al.
patent: 5123085 (1992-06-01), Wells et al.
patent: 5265214 (1993-11-01), Nitta
patent: 5363475 (1994-11-01), Baker et al.
Carpenter, "The A-Buffer, an Antialiased Hidden Surface Method", Computer Graphics, vol. 18, No. 3, Jul. 1984, pp. 103-108.
Haeberli, et al., "The Accumulation Buffer: Hardware Support for High-Quality Rendering", Computer Graphics, vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 309-313, Aug. 1990.
Schilling, "A New Simple and Efficient Antialiasing With Subpixel Masks", Computer Graphics, vol. 25, No. 4, pp. 133-140, Jul. 1991.
Foran James L.
Leather Mark M.
Silicon Graphics Inc.
Zimmerman Mark K.
LandOfFree
Antialiased imaging with improved pixel supersampling does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Antialiased imaging with improved pixel supersampling, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Antialiased imaging with improved pixel supersampling will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1840672