Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphics processing – Three-dimension
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-17
2003-04-08
Vo, Cliff N. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphics processing
Three-dimension
C345S420000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06545675
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a three-dimensional graphics system which can perform a three-dimensional graphics display with relatively simple circuit configuration, and a drawing operation processing device and a nonvolatile memory device constituting the three-dimensional graphics system.
2. Description of the Background Art
FIG. 6
is a block diagram showing a constitution of a background-art three-dimensional graphics system. As shown in this figure, polygon definition data
1
mainly described in a program undergoes a geometrical operation and a drawing operation by a three-dimensional graphics processing unit
20
and then it is displayed in three-dimensional graphics on a display unit
7
by a drawing execution unit
6
. The polygon definition data
1
includes color data as well as three-dimensional data with respect to vertices of a polygon.
The operations of the three-dimensional graphics processing unit
20
is separately executed by a not-shown geometrical operation pipeline processing execution unit and a not-shown drawing operation pipeline processing execution unit.
The drawing execution unit
6
captures three-dimensional graphics drawing data (RGB &agr;) pixel by pixel, which is obtained by executing the above geometrical operation pipeline processing and drawing operation pipeline processing on the polygon definition data
1
and writes the three-dimensional drawing data into a predetermined region of a frame memory, to perform a pixel actual-generation for actually displaying three-dimensional graphics on (the two-dimensional screen) of the display unit
7
.
To perform the above three-dimensional graphics operation in real time, it is necessary to use a dedicated processing unit or a processor having a sufficiently-high operation performance as the three-dimensional graphics processing unit
20
, and that raises a problem of high cost and power consumption needed for the three-dimensional graphics processing unit
20
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a three-dimensional graphics system. According to a first aspect of the present invention, the three-dimensional graphics system comprises: nonvolatile memory means for storing first-operation processed data obtained by performing at least part of geometrical operation, the geometrical operation generating a three-dimensional polygon on the basis of data defining the three-dimensional polygon; second-operation processing means connected to the nonvolatile memory means to read the first-operation processed data therefrom, for generating graphics drawing data corresponding to the three-dimensional polygon on the basis of the first-operation processed data; and display means for displaying three-dimensional graphics on a two-dimensional screen on the basis of the graphics drawing data.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the three-dimensional graphics system according to the first aspect, the first-operation processed data includes three-dimensional data obtained by performing all the geometrical operation.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the three-dimensional graphics system according to the first aspect, the first-operation processed data includes three-dimensional data obtained by performing all the geometrical operation and part of a processing by which the graphics drawing data is obtained from the three-dimensional polygon.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the three-dimensional graphics system according to the first aspect, the first-operation processed data includes a plurality of first-operation processed data, and the three-dimensional graphics system further comprising: read control means receiving an external input signal, for controlling a read operation of selectively reading the first-operation processed data from the plurality of first-operation processed data stored in the nonvolatile memory means on the basis of the external input signal.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the three-dimensional graphics system according to the first aspect further comprises: high-speed read memory means capable of a read operation faster than the nonvolatile memory means, being interposed between the nonvolatile memory means and the second-operation processing means, and in the three-dimensional graphics system of the fifth aspect, the second-operation processing means reads the first-operation processed data from the nonvolatile memory means through the high-speed read memory means.
The present invention is also directed to a processor. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the processor has: data read means for reading data from a predetermined nonvolatile memory device storing first-operation processed data obtained by performing at least part of geometrical operation, the geometrical operation generating a three-dimensional polygon on the basis of data defining the three-dimensional polygon; and data processing means for generating graphics drawing data corresponding to the three-dimensional polygon on the basis of the first-operation processed data read out from the predetermined nonvolatile storage device.
The present invention is further directed to a computer-readable recording medium. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the computer-readable recording medium has nonvolatility, and recording first-operation processed data obtained by performing at least part of geometrical operation on the basis of data defining a three-dimensional polygon.
The second-operation processing means in the three-dimensional graphics system of the first aspect of the present invention generates the graphics drawing data corresponding to the three-dimensional polygon on the basis of the first-operation processed data obtained from the nonvolatile memory.
Since the first-operation processed data is data after undergoing at least part of the geometrical operation, by generating the graphics drawing data by the second-operation processing means on the basis of the first-operation processed data, the three-dimensional graphics display can be performed without at least part of the geometrical operation, thereby ensuring reduction in cost and power consumption.
In the three-dimensional graphics system of the second aspect, since the first-operation processed data includes data obtained by performing all the geometrical operation, by generating the graphics drawing data by the second-operation processing means on the basis of the first-operation processed data, the three-dimensional graphics display can be performed without all the geometrical operation, thereby ensuring reduction in cost and power consumption.
In the three-dimensional graphics system of the third aspect, since the first-operation processed data includes data obtained by performing all the geometrical operation and part of the operation for obtaining the graphics drawing data from the polygon, by generating the graphics drawing data by the second-operation processing means on the basis of the first-operation processed data, the three-dimensional graphics display can be performed without all the geometrical operation and the part of the operation for obtaining the graphics drawing data from the polygon, thereby ensuring reduction in cost and power consumption.
In the three-dimensional graphics system of the fourth aspect, by giving the external input signal to the read control means, it is possible to externally control the content of the three-dimensional graphics display.
In the three-dimensional graphics system of the fifth aspect, by interposing the high-speed read memory means between the nonvolatile memory means and the second-operation processing means to achieve a high-speed read of the first-operation processed data, the operation by the second-operation processing means can be performed at higher speed.
In the processor of the sixth aspect, since an operation for obtaining the graphics drawing data from the polygon on the basis of the first-operation
Azekawa Yoshifumi
Chiba Osamu
Moriwaki Shohei
Burns Doane , Swecker, Mathis LLP
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Vo Cliff N.
LandOfFree
Three-dimensional graphics system, processor and recording... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Three-dimensional graphics system, processor and recording..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Three-dimensional graphics system, processor and recording... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3041478