Graphics processing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016247249-A1
Application number	US-201615049392-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A graphics processing pipeline includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to determine attribute information for an object to be rendered for a set of sampling points from a compressed representation of attribute information associated with the object, when the set of sampling points is being processed by the graphics processing pipeline to generate a render output. The processing circuitry is also configured to use the determined attribute information to control the processing of the set of sampling points by the graphics processing pipeline when generating the render output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of operating a graphics processing pipeline, the method comprising:
determining attribute information for an object to be rendered for a set of one or more sampling points from a compressed representation of attribute information associated with the object, when the set of one or more sampling points is being processed by the graphics processing pipeline to generate a render output; and using the determined attribute information to control the processing of the set of one or more sampling points by the graphics processing pipeline when generating the render output.

2 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control of the processing of the set of one or more sampling points comprises using the determined attribute information by determining one or more processing steps to be performed for the set of one or more sampling points in the graphics processing pipeline when generating the render output.

3 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the determining of the attribute information for the object from the compressed representation comprises issuing scout tasks to the graphics processing pipeline that are operable to sample the compressed representation to determine the attribute information.

4 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attribute information for the object is determined in advance or in parallel with other processing for the set of sampling points.

5 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the attribute information is stored as a texture that is to be used for the object.

6 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compressed representation comprises a compressed representation of transparency values for the object.

7 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compressed representation represents the attribute information in question at a lower precision than the original attribute information.

8 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compressed representation represents the attribute information with fewer pieces of data than in the original attribute information.

9 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compressed representation of the attribute information comprises a set of two or more compressed representations of the attribute information, each storing and representing the attribute information at a lower resolution than the original attribute information.

10 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising generating a compressed representation of attribute information associated with an object to be rendered; and storing the compressed representation along with the original attribute information for use in generating a render output by a graphics processing pipeline when rendering the object.

11 . A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the control of the processing of the set of sampling points comprises one or more, or all, of: omitting or disabling a step in the processing, enabling or activating a step in the processing, only processing a subset of the sampling points in the set, terminating the processing of one or more of the sampling points, and modifying a step in the processing, based on the determined attribute information.

12 . A method of operating a graphics processing system, the method comprising:
for an object to be rendered by the graphics processing system to generate a render output:
generating a compressed representation of attribute information associated with the object to be rendered and
storing the compressed representation along with the original attribute information for use in generating a render output by a graphics processing pipeline when rendering the object.

13 . A graphics processing pipeline comprising:
processing circuitry capable of:
determining attribute information for an object to be rendered for a set of one or more sampling points from a compressed representation of attribute information associated with the object, when the set of one or more sampling points is being processed by the graphics processing pipeline to generate a render output; and
using the determined attribute information to control the processing of the set of one or more sampling points by the graphics processing pipeline when generating the render output.

14 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the control of the processing of the set of one or more sampling points comprises using the determined attribute information by determining one or more processing steps to be performed for the set of one or more sampling points in the graphics processing pipeline when generating the render output.

15 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is capable of issuing scout tasks to the graphics processing pipeline that are operable to sample the compressed representation to determine the attribute information for the object from the compressed representation.

16 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is capable of determining the attribute information for the object in advance or in parallel with other processing for the set of sampling points.

17 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the attribute information is stored as a texture that is to be used for the object.

18 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the compressed representation comprises a compressed representation of transparency values for the object.

19 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the compressed representation represents the attribute information in question at a lower precision than the original attribute information.

20 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the compressed representation represents the attribute information with fewer pieces of data than in the original attribute information.

21 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the compressed representation of the attribute information comprises a set of two or more compressed representations of the attribute information, each storing and representing the attribute information at a lower resolution than the original attribute information.

22 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is capable of: generating a compressed representation of attribute information associated with an object to be rendered; and storing the compressed representation along with the original attribute information for use in generating a render output by a graphics processing pipeline when rendering the object.

23 . A graphics processing pipeline as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the control of the processing of the set of sampling points comprises one or more, or all, of: omitting or disabling a step in the processing, enabling or activating a step in the processing, only processing a subset of the sampling points in the set, terminating the processing of one or more of the sampling points, and modifying a step in the processing, based on the determined attribute information.

24 . A graphics processing system comprising:
processing circuitry capable of:
generating, for an object to be rendered by the graphics processing system to generate a render output, a compressed representation of attribute information associated with the object to be rendered; and
storing the compressed repres

Assignees

• Advanced Risc Mach Ltd

Inventors

• Harris Peter William
• Kakarlapudi Sandeep
• Engh-Halstvedt Andreas Due

Classifications

• G06T9/00 Primary

  Image coding (bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00) · CPC title

• G06T15/005 Primary

  General purpose rendering architectures · CPC title

• G06T11/40

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

• G06T1/20 Primary

  Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining · CPC title

• G06T11/001

  Physics · mapped topic