System, method and computer program product for programmable fragment processing in a graphics pipeline
US6982718B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 22, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/04
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system, method and computer program product are provided for programmable processing of fragment data in a computer hardware graphics pipeline. Initially, fragment data is received in a hardware graphics pipeline. It is then determined whether the hardware graphics pipeline is operating in a programmable mode. If it is determined that the hardware graphics pipeline is operating in the programmable mode, programmable operations are performed on the fragment data in order to generate output. The programmable operations are performed in a manner/sequence specified in a graphics application program interface. If it is determined that the hardware graphics pipeline is not operating in the programmable mode, standard graphics application program interface (API) operations are performed on the fragment data in order to generate output.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.