Method and apparatus for anti-aliasing in a graphics system
US6999100B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Feb 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 9, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA63F2300/203
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The system achieves highly efficient full-scene anti-aliasing by implementing a programmable-location super-sampling arrangement and using a selectable-weight vertical-pixel support area blending filter. For a 2×2 pixel group (quad), the locations of three samples within each super-sampled pixel are individually selectable. A twelve-bit multi-sample coverage mask is used to determine which of twelve samples within a pixel quad are enabled based on the portions of each pixel occupied by a primitive fragment and any pre-computed z-buffering. Each super-sampled pixel is filtered during a copy-out operation from a local memory to an external frame buffer using a pixel blending filter arrangement that combines seven samples from three vertically arranged pixels. Three samples are taken from the current pixel, two samples are taken from a pixel immediately above the current pixel and two samples are taken from a pixel immediately below the curren…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.