Method for efficient re-rendering objects to vary viewports and under varying rendering and rasterization parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10438312-B2
Application number	US-201514678445-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2015
Priority date	Apr 5, 2014
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Graphics processing renders a scene with a plurality of different rendering parameters for different locations on a screen area. A rendering parameter context is set up for each of a plurality of zones and each zone is assigned a zone index. An object covering at least two zones of the screen area is set up in memory. These zones are assigned to corresponding zone indices as part of setting up the object. A draw is issued for the object. Alternatively, graphics depicting one or more objects mapped to a screen area are processed. The screen area includes a plurality of zones, each having a different set of rendering parameters. Primitives belonging to one of the objects that covers at least two of the zones are received. Each primitive is assembled to screen space by iterating each primitive over each zone it covers using the rendering parameters of the respective zone with each iteration.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing graphics depicting one or more objects as mapped to a screen area, the screen area including a plurality of zones, each said zone having a different set of rendering parameters, the method comprising:
setting up a rendering parameter context for each said zone in memory, wherein there are more than two zones, wherein each zone corresponds to a different viewport, wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different view direction, such that each said zone has a different view direction defined by a different homogeneous coordinate space, wherein a collection of all viewports for all zones is chosen to approximate transforming objects within a scene to a non-planar observed screen space, wherein each zone has a solid angle per pixel of the screen area and the collection of all viewports for all zones is chosen to collectively minimize the variance between the solid angle per pixel of the zones and minimize an overlap between the zones;
assigning each said zone a zone index;
setting up an object in the memory, wherein the object covers at least two of the zones of the screen area, wherein the at least two zones are assigned to at least two of the zone indices, respectively, and wherein said setting up the first object includes setting up the at least two zone indices for the object;
issuing a draw call for the object; and
performing shading operations with a shader for each said zone the object covers using the zone indices for each said zone the object covers in response to the draw call wherein the zone indices are used to determine the rendering parameters for each zone that the object covers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different set of screen space transform parameters, such that each said zone has a different set of screen space transform parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different pixel format, such that each said zone has a different pixel format.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different pixel density, such that each said zone has a different pixel density.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different sample density, such that each said zone has a different sample density.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of zones include a center zone and at least one edge zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the edge zone are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the center zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of zones include a fixation point zone determined from an eye gaze tracker and at least one peripheral zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the peripheral zone are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the fixation point zone.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two zone indices for the object are set up as an array in a graphics memory.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two zone indices for the object are supplied to a graphics processing unit (GPU) by a central processing unit (CPU) or by a compute shader running on the GPU.

10. A system comprising:
a processor, and
a memory coupled to the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to perform a method of processing graphics depicting one or more objects as mapped to a screen area, the screen area including a plurality of zones, each said zone having a different set of rendering parameters, the method comprising:
setting up a rendering parameter context for each said zone in memory, wherein there are more than two zones, wherein each zone corresponds to a different viewport, wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different view direction, such that each said zone has a different view direction defined by a different homogeneous coordinate space, wherein a collection of all viewports for all zones is chosen to approximate transforming objects within a scene to a non-planar observed screen space, wherein each zone has a solid angle per pixel of the screen area and the collection of all viewports for all zones is chosen to collectively minimize the variance between the solid angle per pixel of the zones and minimize an overlap between the zones;
assigning each said zone a zone index;
setting up an object in the memory, wherein the object covers at least two of the zones of the screen area, wherein the at least two zones are assigned to at least two of the zone indices, respectively, and wherein said setting up the object includes setting up the at least two zone indices for the object;
issuing a draw call for the object; and
performing shading operations with a shader for each said zone the object covers using the zone indices for each said zone the object covers in response to the draw call wherein the zone indices are used to determine the rendering parameters for each zone that the object covers.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a large FOV display device.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of zones include a center zone and at least one edge zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the edge zone are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the center zone.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising an eye gaze tracker.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of zones include a fixation point zone determined from the eye gaze tracker, and wherein the plurality of zones include at least one peripheral zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the edge peripheral are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the fixation point zone.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different set of screen space transform parameters, such that each said zone has a different set of screen space transform parameters.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different pixel format, such that each said zone has a different pixel format.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different pixel density, such that each said zone has a different pixel density.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein each said different set of rendering parameters includes a different sample density, such that each said zone has a different sample density.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of zones include a center zone and at least one edge zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the edge zone are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the center zone.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein the plurality of zones include a fixation point zone determined from an eye gaze tracker and at least one peripheral zone, wherein the rendering parameters of the peripheral zone are selected to preserve graphics rendering resources for the fixation point zone.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having processor-executable instructions embodied therein, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor causes the processor to implement a method of processing graphics depicting one or more objects as mapped to a screen area, the screen area including a plurality of zones, each said zone having a different set of rendering parameters, the method comprising:
setting up a

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC

Inventors

• Cerny Mark Evan
• Scanlin Jason

Classifications

• G09G5/14

  Display of multiple viewports · CPC title

• G06T11/40

  Filling planar surfaces by adding surface attributes, e.g. adding colours or textures · CPC title

• G06T15/10

  Geometric effects · CPC title

• G06T1/60

  Memory management · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title