Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Attributes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2002-11-26
Luu, Matthew (Department: 2672)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Attributes
C345S582000, C345S589000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06486887
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to computer systems, particularly computer graphics systems, and more particularly to a method and system for improving the color quality of a 3D rendered image for a computer system using a display which contains discrete color elements, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or plasma display.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional computer systems are widely used to display three-dimensional graphical images. For example,
FIG. 1
depicts a display
10
for a conventional computer system. The display
10
is typically a LCD. The display
10
include a plurality of pixels, one of which is depicted as pixel
20
. The display
10
is used for providing graphical images to users. Typically, objects in the graphical image are broken into primitives, typically triangles. Four primitives
12
,
14
,
16
and
18
are depicted in FIG.
1
. Primitives may stand alone, may be adjacent, such as the primitives
12
and
14
, or may intersect, such as the primitives
16
and
18
.
Each of the primitives
12
,
14
,
16
and
18
intersects one or more pixels
20
. The data for a primitive intersecting a particular pixel will be termed a fragment. Thus, each fragment corresponds to a particular pixel and a particular primitive, or object. The fragment typically includes, but is not limited to, color data, &agr;-blending data, texture data, the z-value (distance from the viewing plane) and x and y coordinate values (position across the display screen). The texture data for a fragment typically includes one or more textures which are to be displayed. In order to display the graphical image, data for each fragment intersecting each pixel
20
is processed, then displayed on the pixels
20
. The texture can be thought of as another color that is typically derived from a texture map. In most conventional systems, texture from the texture map and primitive's color are blended together to obtain a final color value for the fragment. Thus, at least both the color and the texture data for each fragment are processed in order to display the graphical image.
Multum in parvo (MIP) maps often are used for texture processing. Using MIP maps for texture mapping, an object's (or primitive's) size and distance from the viewing plane can be accounted for. Each MIP map contains data for a texture on several levels. Each level of the MIP map contains data for the texture at a different resolution. For example, the first MIP map level may contain the texture at a first, full resolution. The second MIP map level contains a lower resolution version of the texture. Higher MIP map levels contain lower resolution versions of the texture. The second MIP map level is thus at one-half of the resolution of the first MIP map level. The third MIP map level typically contains a version of the texture at one-fourth the resolution of the first MIP map level.
In order to use the MIP map, the appropriate MIP map level for each fragment is selected. The texture for this MIP map level can then be used in texture mapping for the fragment being rendered. In some conventional methods, the MIP map level is selected using a ratio which depends upon a conventional display area and a conventional texture area. The display area is the area occupied on the display
10
(display space) by a primitive
12
,
14
,
16
, or
18
or a portion of the primitive
12
,
14
,
16
, or
18
, such as a pixel
20
. The conventional texture area is the corresponding area in the texture (texture space). The conventional display area divided by the conventional texture area provides a ratio which is used to select a MIP map level and, in some conventional systems, interpolate between MIP map levels.
Once the final color value, using the color data and texture data of a fragment, is obtained, the fragment can be displayed on a pixel
20
. To be capable of displaying different colors, each pixel
20
typically has multiple display elements of different colors. Typically, there are three display elements per pixel
20
. These display elements typically are red, green and blue. Just as each pixel
20
has a size and location on the display
10
, the display elements within a pixel have a physical size and location within the pixel
20
.
The display elements may also be configured differently. For example,
FIGS. 2A
,
2
B and
2
C depict different configurations for display elements.
FIG. 2A
depicts a two pixel by two pixel portion of the display
10
having four pixels
20
′. Each of the pixels
20
′ includes display elements
22
,
24
and
26
. The display element
22
is red. The display element
24
is green, and the display
26
is blue. The pixels
20
′ are thus arranged in an array such that the display elements
22
,
24
and
26
always alternate colors red, green, then blue in each row.
FIG. 2B
depicts a two pixel by two pixel portion of the display
10
having four pixels
20
″. Each of the pixels
20
″ also includes display elements
22
,
24
and
26
. The pixels
20
″ are thus arranged in an array such that the display elements
22
,
24
and
26
always alternate colors red, green, then blue in each column.
FIG. 2C
depicts a two pixel by two pixel portion of the display
10
having four pixels
20
′″. Each of the pixels
20
′″ includes display elements
22
,
24
and
26
. The pixels
20
′″ are thus arranged in an array such that the display elements
22
,
24
and
26
alternate colors red, green, then blue in one row. In the next row of pixels
20
′″, the display element
26
is first, followed by the display elements
24
and
22
, respectively. In addition, the display elements
22
,
24
and
26
in one row are offset from the display elements
26
,
24
and
22
in the next row. Although the configurations of display elements
22
,
24
and
26
has been explained using pixels
20
′,
20
″ and
20
′″, for simplicity when reference is made to a pixel
20
, the pixel
20
could be any one of the pixels
20
′,
20
″,
20
′″ or a pixel having a different configuration of display elements or display elements of different colors.
FIG. 3
depicts one embodiment of a conventional method
50
for processing color and texture data for a particular pixel
20
. The color or colors for each fragment intersecting the pixel
20
is sampled at a particular point in the pixel
20
, via step
52
. Typically, the color for each fragment is sampled at the center of the pixel
20
. This sampling at a particular point typically results in a red value, a green value and a blue value for each fragment intersecting the pixel. Thus, a color value for each display element
22
,
24
or
26
is typically obtained through a single sampling of the fragment at a single point in the corresponding pixel. The color values for each fragment are processed for the pixel, via step
54
. Step
54
often includes interpolating the color values to provide new, interpolated color values.
Texture data for each fragment is also processed, via step
56
. As discussed above, typically the texture data for each fragment can be considered to be an additional color to be displayed. In order to perform step
56
, the texture or textures are obtained from a single sample point, typically at the same point from which color is sampled. Step
56
also typically includes providing texture data of the appropriate resolution using MIP map levels
20
to account for an object's distance from the viewing plane. The color and texture data are then displayed, via step
58
. Typically, step
58
includes combining the texture and color data. For example, step
58
typically includes combining the interpolated red, green and blue values with the corresponding texture values. Step
58
would also include displaying these combined values in the red display element
22
, the green display element
24
and the blue display element
26
, respectively. The method
50
can be repeated for ea
Broadcom Corporation
Luu Matthew
Sawyer Law Group LLP
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