EP0438194A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Display apparatus
Assignee: Philips Electronics UK Ltd
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Filing: 1991-01-11
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-01-11
Abstract
Abstract A display apparatus for real-time 3-D image synthesis comprises a display processor (28′, 49 ) having associated texture memory (41′) for storing pyramidal arrays of texture element ("texel") values. Each pyramid array represents a 2-D modulation pattern at several distinct levels of resolution. The apparatus further includes an inter-level interpolator (LINT) for combining data (MOD1 and MOD2) from two levels of the pyramidal array. The texture memory (41′) is divided into two banks (TRAM1 and TRAM2) and the apparatus is arranged to store successive levels of a pyramidal array alternately in the first and second banks (TRAM1 and TRAM2) of the texture memory (41′) so as to allow parallel readout (at 65A-65D and 67A-67D) of data from any two adjacent levels of the pyramidal array for supply to the inter-level interpolator (LINT).
Inventors
- 👤 Paul Anthony Winser
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 16:46
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T15/00; G06T15/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A display apparatus comprising a display processor having associated display memory and texture memory for storing at least one pyramidal or part-pyramidal array of texture element ("texel") values representing a two-dimensional (2-D) modulation pattern at at least two distinct levels of resolution identifiable by respective values of a level coordinate, the apparatus further comprising inter-level interpolating means responsive to a fractional part of a received level coordinate for combining together corresponding texel values from two levels of a stored pyramidal array so as to generate an interpolated texel value, characterised in that the texture memory comprises separate first and second parallel-addressable texture memory banks and in that the apparatus further comprises means for storing 2-D arrays of texel values forming successive levels of the stored pyramidal array alternately in only one of the first and second texture memory banks.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
98 words
A display apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 wherein each texture memory bank is divided into at least three parallel-addressed memories and wherein the texel value storage means are arranged to distribute the texel values being stored in an interleaved manner so that values for a 2-D patch of texels may be read in parallel from each of the first and second texture memory banks, the interpolation means being arranged to combine the inter-level interpolation with 2-D interpolation within each patch to generate a single 3-D interpolated value from a set of eight or more stored texel values.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
A display apparatus as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the interpolation means comprise first and second 2-D interpolators, for performing 2-D interpolation between the values within the 2-D patches stored in the first and second texture memory banksrespectively, and a 1-D interpolator for combining interpolated values generated by the first and second 2-D interpolators so as to perform interpolation between the two adjacent levels of the array.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A display apparatus as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the display processor further comprises feedback means whereby texel values read from a 2-D array stored one texture memory bank and interpolated by the first 2-D interpolator may be written into a smaller, corresponding array in another texture memory bank, so that the smaller array represents the same pattern of modulation as the first-mentioned array but at a lower level of resolution.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
123 words
A display apparatus as claimed in any of Claims 1 to 4 comprising physical address generating means for receiving pyramidal texture coordinates in the form of a 2-D coordinate pair and an associated level coordinate, and for generating therefrom a physical address for application to the texture memory, the said means further comprising means for generating a further physical address corresponding to the same 2-D texture coordinate pair but with a level coordinate offset from the received level coordinate, and selection means whereby the physical address and the further physical address are applied to different ones of the first and second texture memory banks so as to cause the said simultaneous read-out of texel values from two adjacent levels of the pyramidal array.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A display apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein each physical address comprises two physical address coordinates, each generated from a respective one of the received texture coordinate pair independently of the other address coordinate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A display apparatus as claimed in Claim 5 wherein each physical address comprises a linear address generated by combining both coordinates of the received 2-D texture coordinate pair.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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