Multi-sample surface processing using sample subsets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9286659-B2
Application number	US-201313844147-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 15, 2016
Grant date	Mar 15, 2016

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for multi-sample processing. The multi-sample pixel data is received and is analyzed to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset. An encoding state is generated that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving multi-sample pixel data read from a memory storing multi-sample pixel data;
analyzing the multi-sample pixel data, by an analysis unit that is coupled between the memory and a processing unit, to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset;
generating an encoding state that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets;
providing the encoding state and only data for a first sample that is included in a first subset to the processing unit;
determining, by the processing unit, that the encoding state indicates that the first sample does not represent all of the samples of the multi-sample pixel; and
requesting multi-sample pixel data for one or more additional samples of the multi-sample pixel.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing the data for the first sample to generate processed data for the first sample that represents processed multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the first subset.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising storing the processed multi-sample pixel data for the first sample and the encoding state in a multi-sample buffer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the multi-sample pixel data in a buffer entry; and
receiving additional multi-sample pixel data for one sample of a second subset of samples of the multi-sample pixel.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the second multi-sample pixel data equals the multi-sample pixel data stored in the buffer entry; and
merging the second multi-sample pixel data into the buffer entry.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining that the second multi-sample pixel data is within a threshold value of the multi-sample pixel data stored in the buffer entry; and
merging the second multi-sample pixel data into the buffer entry.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing the multi-sample pixel data in a buffer; and
storing a per-pixel sample mask indicating the samples of the multi-sample pixel that are included in the subsets.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining if data for all of the samples of all of the multi-sample pixels in a tile are stored in the buffer; and
flushing the data from the buffer when all of the samples of all of the multi-san pixels in the tile are in stored in the buffer.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a multi-sample store instruction that specifies data for a single sample of a multi-sample pixel and a sample mask; and
storing the data for the single sample to each sample of e multi-sample pixel that is enabled according to the sample mask.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a multi-sample load instruction that specifies the first sample; and
returning the data for the first sample and a sample mask indicating at least one additional sample of the multi-sample pixel that is included in the first subset when the multi-sample load instruction is executed.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing, by a coalesce unit, the multi-sample pixel data in a buffer entry;
merging a sample coverage mask for the first subset into a multi-sample coverage mask stored for the pixel; and
storing a separate per-pixel coverage mask for the first subset.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform steps comprising:
receiving multi-sample pixel data read from a memory storing multi-sample pixel data;
analyzing the multi-sample pixel data, by an analysis unit that is coupled between the memory and a processing unit, to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset;
generating an encoding state that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets;
providing the encoding state and only data for a first sample that is included in a first subset to the processing unit, wherein the encoding state indicates the samples of the multi-sample pixel that are included in the first subset;
determining, by the processing unit, that the encoding state indicates that the first sample does not represent all of the samples of the multi-sample pixel; and
requesting multi-sample pixel data for one or more additional samples of the multi-sample pixel.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a multi-sample load instruction that specifies the first sample; and
returning the data for the first sample and a sample mask indicating at least one additional sample of the multi-sample pixel that is included in the first subset when the multi-sample load instruction is executed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising:
storing, by a coalesce unit, the multi-sample pixel data in a buffer entry;
merging a sample coverage mask for the first subset into a multi-sample coverage mask stored for the pixel; and
storing a separate per-pixel coverage mask for the first subset.

15. A system comprising:
a memory storing multi-sample pixel data;
an analysis unit that is coupled between the memory and a processing unit, and configured to:
receive multi-sample pixel data read from the memory;
analyze the multi-sample pixel data to identify subsets of samples of a multi-sample pixel that have equal data, such that data for one sample in a subset represents multi-sample pixel data for all samples in the subset;
generate an encoding state that indicates which samples of the multi-sample pixel are included in each one of the subsets; and
provide the encoding state and only data for a first sample that is included in a first subset to the processing unit, wherein the encoding state indicates the samples of the multi-sample pixel that are included in the first subset; and

the processing unit that is configured to:
determine that the encoding state indicates that the first sample does not represent all of the samples of the multi-sample pixel; and
request multi-sample pixel data for one or more additional samples of the multi-sample pixel.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the analysis unit resides within one or more of a load/store unit, a cache, and a processing unit.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the portion corresponds to a number of samples of the multi-sample pixel that are stored in a single cache line.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a load/store unit that is configured to:
receive a multi-sample store instruction that specifies data tier a single sample of a multi-pixel and a sample mask; and
store, in the memory, the data for the single sample to each sample of the multi-sample pixel that is enabled according to the sample mask.

19. The system of claim 15 , further comprising a load request unit that is coupled between the memory and the processing unit, and configured to:
receive a multi-sample load instruction that specifies the first sample; and
return the data for the first sample and a sample mask indicating at least one additional sample of the multi-sample pixel that is included in the first subset when the multi-sample load i

Assignees

• Nvidia Corp

Inventors

• Minkin Alexander Lev
• Moreton Henry Packard
• Uralsky Yury
• Lum Eric Brian
• Kirkland Dale L
• Heinrich Steven James
• Bastos Rui Manuel
• Kilgariff Emmett M
• Bolz Jeffrey Alan
• Bergland Tyson
• Brown Patrick R

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

• G06T11/40

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

• G06T5/002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T5/70 Primary

  Denoising; Smoothing · CPC title