Merged shader for primitive amplification
US8259111B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 4, 2008 |
| Grant date | Sep 4, 2012 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 11, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T15/005
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method, computer program product, and system are provided for processing data in a graphics pipeline. An embodiment of the method includes processing one or more vertices of a geometric primitive with a vertex shader function and generating new primitive information for the one or more processed vertices with a geometry shader function. The geometry shader function receives one or more processed vertices from the vertex shader function and emits a single vertex associated with the new primitive information. Each emitted vertex from the geometry shader function can be stored in a memory device. Unlike conventional graphic pipelines that require a memory device for data storage during the vertex and geometry shading processes, the present invention increases efficiency in the graphics pipeline by eliminating the need to access memory when the vertex and geometry shaders process vertex information.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.