Patent · US Active

GPU texture tile detail control

US8587602B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

9References

16Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

Mark S. Grossman · Palo Alto, US
Charles N. Boyd · Woodinville, US
Allison W. Klein · Seattle, US
Craig Peeper · Kirkland, US

Key dates

Filing date	Aug 16, 2010
Grant date	Nov 19, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 26, 2031

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06T2210/36
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and associated methods for processing textures in a graphical processing unit (GPU) are disclosed. Textures may be managed on a per region (e.g., tile) basis, which allows efficient use of texture memory. Moreover, very large textures may be used. Techniques provide for both texture streaming, as well as sparse textures. A GPU texture unit may be used to intelligently clamp LOD based on a shader specified value. The texture unit may provide feedback to the shader to allow the shader to react conditionally based on whether clamping was used, etc. Per region (e.g., per-tile) independent mipmap stacks may be used to allow very large textures.

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