Patent · US Active

Architectures for parallelized intersection testing and shading for ray-tracing rendering

US7830379B2 · kind B2 · utility

47Cited by
13References
28Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateMar 20, 2009
Grant dateNov 9, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 20, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T15/80
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Ray tracing scenes is accomplished using a plurality of intersection testing resources coupled with a plurality of shading resources, communicative in the aggregate through links/queues. A queue from testing to shading comprises respective ray/primitive intersection indications, comprising a ray identifier. A queue from shading to testing comprises identifiers of new rays to be tested, wherein data defining the rays is separately stored in memories distributed among the intersection testing resources. Ray definition data can be retained in distributed memories until rays complete intersection testing, and be selected for testing multiple times based on ray identifier. A structure of acceleration shapes can be used. Packets of ray identifiers and shape data can be passed among the intersection testing resources, and each resource can test rays identified in the packet, and for which definition data is present in its memory. Test results for acceleration shapes are used to collect rays against acceleration shapes, and closest detection ray/primitive intersections are indicated by sending ray identifiers to shading resources.

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