Graphics processing unit with unified vertex cache and shader register file
US7928990B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 27, 2006 |
| Grant date | Apr 19, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 30, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/005
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Techniques are described for processing computerized images with a graphics processing unit (GPU) using a unified vertex cache and shader register file. The techniques include creating a shared shader coupled to the GPU pipeline and a unified vertex cache and shader register file coupled to the shared shader to substantially eliminate data movement within the GPU pipeline. The GPU pipeline sends image geometry information based on an image geometry for an image to the shared shader. The shared shader performs vertex shading to generate vertex coordinates and attributes of vertices in the image. The shared shader then stores the vertex attributes in the unified vertex cache and shader register file, and sends only the vertex coordinates of the vertices back to the GPU pipeline. The GPU pipeline processes the image based on the vertex coordinates, and the shared shader processes the image based on the vertex attributes.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.