System architecture for high speed ray tracing
US7012604B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 12, 2002 |
| Grant date | Mar 14, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 18, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/80
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method for generating images of three-dimensional objects. The system includes one or more tracing processors, and one or more shading processors. Each of the tracing processors may be configured to (a) perform a first set of computations on a corresponding group of primary rays emanating from a viewpoint resulting in a ray tree and a set of one or more light trees for each primary ray of the corresponding group, (b) transfer the ray trees and associated light trees to one of the shading processors, and (c) repeat (a) and (b). Each of the shading processors may be configured to (d) receive ray trees and associated light trees from one of the tracing processors, (e) perform a second set of computations on the received ray trees and associated light trees to determine pixel color values, and (f) repeat (d) and (e) a plurality of times.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.