Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphic processing system – Plural graphics processors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-10
2003-05-20
Tung, Kee M. (Department: 2676)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphic processing system
Plural graphics processors
C345S502000, C345S544000, C345S002100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06567092
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the field of displaying images and data. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of ultra-high resolution displays.
BACKGROUND ART
Currently, there is a wide variety of devices and techniques utilized to visually display analog and/or digital signals containing moving images, data, and the like, thereby enabling people to view this information. Many of these display devices are very familiar to the general public. For instance, moving images and data are visually displayed on television sets, computer monitors, and arcade video games, to name a few. It should be appreciated that there are many different technologies which are utilized to implement these type of display devices. Some of these technologies include a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a laser based system, a reflective LCD, and a plasma display.
Furthermore, there are other types of monitors and display devices that display moving images and data which have exceptionally high bandwidth requirements compared to typical monitors. These types of monitors usually display ultra-high resolution images. But there are problems associated with implementing these type of monitors. One of the main problems is providing an exceptionally high bandwidth interface between one or more image generators and a ultra-high resolution display. One prior art solution for providing a high bandwidth interface is to design and build a point solution interface for a specific bandwidth (e.g., 3.6 gigabytes/sec). In other words, design and build a particular interface which operates with a specific scanning architecture of a ultra-high resolution display. It should be appreciated that there are several disadvantages to this prior art point solution interface.
One of the main disadvantages of this prior art point solution interface is that it is very expensive. For instance, since the scanning architectures at these ultra-high resolutions are very complicated, there is a lot of overhead in designing and building an interface specifically for an ultra-high resolution monitor. Furthermore, for every different type of ultra-high resolution scanning architecture, a new interface has to be designed and built basically from scratch. As such, this prior art interface solution is not very cost efficient because it does not provide any type of interface standardization. Another disadvantage of the above mentioned prior art interface solution is that the resulting interface is specifically limited to its designed operating bandwidth (e.g., 3.6 GB/sec). Therefore, if there is a need for an interface having a larger operating bandwidth (e.g., 4.0 GB/sec), the existing interface does not satisfy this desired operating bandwidth. As such, a new interface has to be designed and built, as described above.
Another disadvantage of the prior art point solution interface described above is that it would typically need an extremely large amount of wires and there would be the concern of skewing all of the wires appropriately. Moreover, the large amount of wires results in a very thick cable that would be very expensive and would also lose desirable flexibility.
Another prior art solution for providing an exceptionally high bandwidth interface is to use multiple smaller interfaces to couple an image generator to an ultra-high resolution display. One of the ways to implement multiple interfaces is to break up image data into a grid of multiple regions of equal size, as shown in FIG.
1
. But there are disadvantages associated with this prior art interface grid solution. One of the main disadvantages is that the scanning architecture of an ultra-high resolution monitor needs to be built specifically to operate, in the manner of the interfaces. As such, the existing interfaces can only be use for a specific type of scanning architecture.
Another disadvantage associated with the prior art interface grid solution is that the regions located below a horizontal seam are not temporally aligned with the regions located above the horizontal seam. As such, there is a need to buffer an entire frame of data of an ultra-high resolution image. This buffering results in two further disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that extra memory devices are needed in order to buffer the entire frame of data thereby resulting in higher costs, additional heat, and utilizing more board space. The other disadvantage of buffering the entire frame of data is that it adds another frame of latency to the ultra-high resolution display. An additional frame of latency is specifically problematic for visual simulation, which is a driving force behind ultra-high resolution displays. Specifically, visual simulation is an active feedback system. As such, it is important that a visual simulation system visually react to any received input signals (e.g., from a joystick) in a short amount of time (e.g., less than 50 milliseconds). Otherwise, the images displayed by the visual simulator appear unrealistic to a viewer. Therefore, the addition of another frame of latency can slow down the reaction of the visual simulator thereby causing the visual simulation experience to be unrealistic.
Another prior art way to implement multiple small interfaces to couple an image generator to an ultra-high resolution display is to have each interface only deal with a single pixel column of image data, as shown in FIG.
2
. In other words, if there were 16 interfaces, one interface would deal with a first single pixel column of image data while a second interface would deal with a second single pixel column of image data and so forth. Therefore, the 16 interfaces would transmit 16 pixels in parallel to the ultra-high resolution display. But there are disadvantages associated with this prior art single pixel column interface solution. One of the main disadvantages is that it lacks the ability to run things in a parallel fashion. For example, 20 million pixels at 60 Hertz is a lot of data to move and one graphics card may not have enough rendering bandwidth, to generate images that large in real-time. As such, multiple image generators can be used to generate this much data. The problem is that custom hardware has to be created to match the kind of pixel interleaving that needs to be supported, resulting in very expensive overhead in designing the system. Furthermore, this prior art solution exhibits some of the same disadvantages as the prior art point solution interface, described above.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method and system for providing an exceptionally high bandwidth interface between an image generator and an ultra-high resolution display which requires huge volumes of data. A further need exists for a method and system which meets the above need but is not very expensive. Still another need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and provides a standard for an exceptionally high bandwidth interface. Yet another need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and is not specifically limited to one operating bandwidth. A further need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and which does not require a large amount of wires. Still another need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and which does not have to be used with only one specific type of scanning architecture. A need also exists for a method and system which meets the above need and produces an image that is temporally aligned. Another need exists for a method and system which meets the above need but which does not require buffering an entire frame of data of an ultra-high resolution image. Yet another need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and which does not add another frame of latency. A further need exists for a method and system which meets the above need and has the ability to run things in a parallel fashion.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method and system for providing an exceptionally high bandwidth interface between an im
Microsoft Corporation
Tung Kee M.
LandOfFree
Method for interfacing to ultra-high resolution output devices does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Method for interfacing to ultra-high resolution output devices, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method for interfacing to ultra-high resolution output devices will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3005050