Patent · US Expired

Apparatus and method for processing graphical information to minimize page crossings and eliminate processing of information outside a predetermined clip window

US5079545A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
11References
2Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 13, 1989
Grant dateJan 7, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 13, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T15/30
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An apparatus and method for processing graphical information in a manner such that 1) accesses to a frame buffer in which the graphical information is to be stored result in a minimum of page crossings in the frame buffer; and 2) time spent processing graphical information outside a predetermined clip window is minimized. These two goals are sometimes conflicting and the present invention determines how the graphical information should be processed so that frame buffer accesses are always performed with the least overhead. For a given object which is to be displayed within a defined window, by determining the portions of the object which are inside the window and the portions which are outside the window, it frequently is possible to determine whether the object should be drawn from top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right or right to left so as to minimize page crossings and minimize the time spent processing portions of the object outside a predetermined clip window.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.