US5596693A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method for controlling a spryte rendering processor
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1995-07-31
•
Granted: 1997-01-21
•
Expires: 2015-07-31
Abstract
Abstract Linked lists of spryte control blocks are prepared in memory and traversed by a spryte rendering engine. Each spryte control block controls the rendering of a respective spryte into the display buffer, and contains such information as a pointer to source data for the corresponding spryte, positional and incrementing specifications for a destination quadrilateral, a control word for manipulations to be performed on the spryte image source data, and an indication of which of several available formats the spryte image source data is packed in. Once the linked list is prepared, the spryte rendering engine can be called by writing certain values into specific memory-mapped hardware registers, and then writing dummy data to an address recognized by the hardware as a command to initiate the spryte rendering operation.
Inventors
- 👤 David L. Needle
- 👤 Robert J. Mical
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 08:35
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T1/00; G06T1/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for rendering a graphical image into a destination buffer, comprising the steps of: preparing a linked list of control blocks in a memory, each control block carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; writing a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; writing a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of said destination buffer; and causing a graphics manipulation processor to render said sub-images into the destination buffer identified by the value in said second control register (REGCTL3), in response to sequential ones of said control blocks in said linked list, and in combination with the additional image portion identified by the value in said first control register (REGCTL2).
Claim 2
Independent Claim
131 words
A method for rendering a graphical image into a destination buffer, comprising the steps of: preparing a linked list of control blocks in a memory, each control block carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; writing a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; writing a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of said destination buffer; and causing a graphics manipulation processor to render said sub-images into the destination buffer identified by the value in said second control register (REGCTL3), in response to sequential ones of said control blocks in said linked list, and in combination with the additional image portion identified by the value in said first control register (REGCTL2).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein each of said control blocks is arranged contiguously in said memory.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, a pointer to sub-image source data in said memory for use by said processor to render the sub-image corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks further comprises the step of writing to the beginning of said sub-image source data in said memory, an indication of which of a plurality of available data compression formats is used in said sub-image source data in said memory.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, a pointer to a data translation table for use by said processor to translate pixel color values in sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, a plurality of flag bits for use by said processor to process sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, an indication of starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, an indication of a number, DX and DY respectively, of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment for each pixel rendered along a first line of sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks further comprises the step of writing into said one control block, an indication of a number of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment said values DX and DY, respectively, for each line rendered of said sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
106 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, an indication of a number of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering a second line of sub-image source data corresponding to one of said control blocks, relative to starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering a first line of sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
52 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of preparing a linked list of control blocks comprises the step of writing into one of said control blocks, an indication of which of a plurality of available data compression formats is used in sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of writing a value to a control register (REGCTL0) indicating the number of pixels which said processor should consider as defining a scan line in said destination buffer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of writing a value to a control register (REGCTL0) indicating the number of pixels which said processor should consider as defining a scan line in said additional image portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of writing a horizontal clip value to a control register (REGCTL1), indicating to said processor that no destination pixels horizontally beyond said horizontal clip value need be rendered.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of writing a vertical clip value to a control register (REGCTL1), indicating to said processor that no destination pixels vertically beyond said vertical clip value need be rendered.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
30 words
A method according to any of claims 1, 3, 5, 8-11, and 12, further comprising the step of displaying as a single image, the sub-images rendered into said destination buffer.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
20 words
A system having a destination buffer containing data generated by the method of any of claims 1, 2-13, and 14-15.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for rendering a graphical image into a display buffer, comprising the steps of: preparing a linked list of control blocks in a memory, each carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; writing a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; writing a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of said destination buffer; and causing a graphics manipulation processor to begin sub-image rendering steps in response to sequential ones of said control blocks, said processor combining one of said sub-images with the additional image portion identified in said first control register (REGCTL2) in rendering said one sub-image into the destination buffer identified in said second control register (REGCTL3).
Claim 20
Independent Claim
129 words
A method for rendering a graphical image into a display buffer, comprising the steps of: preparing a linked list of control blocks in a memory, each carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; writing a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; writing a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of said destination buffer; and causing a graphics manipulation processor to begin sub-image rendering steps in response to sequential ones of said control blocks, said processor combining one of said sub-images with the additional image portion identified in said first control register (REGCTL2) in rendering said one sub-image into the destination buffer identified in said second control register (REGCTL3).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system having a display buffer containing data generated by the method of claim 18.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
180 words
A computer-readable medium, for use with a CPU, a graphics manipulation processor and a memory, said computer-readable medium having stored thereon: first computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, prepare a linked list of control blocks in said memory, each control block carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; second computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; third computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of a destination buffer; and fourth computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, cause said graphics manipulation processor to render said sub-images into the destination buffer identified in said second control register (REGCTL3), in response to sequential ones of said control blocks in said linked list, and to combine one of said sub-images with the additional image portion identified in said first control register (REGCTL2) in rendering said one sub-image into said destination buffer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
180 words
A computer-readable medium, for use with a CPU, a graphics manipulation processor and a memory, said computer-readable medium having stored thereon: first computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, prepare a linked list of control blocks in said memory, each control block carrying rendering information for a corresponding sub-image; second computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value into a first control register (REGCTL2) indicating a base address in said memory of an additional image portion; third computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value into a second control register (REGCTL3) indicating a base address in said memory of a destination buffer; and fourth computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, cause said graphics manipulation processor to render said sub-images into the destination buffer identified in said second control register (REGCTL3), in response to sequential ones of said control blocks in said linked list, and to combine one of said sub-images with the additional image portion identified in said first control register (REGCTL2) in rendering said one sub-image into said destination buffer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions arrange said control blocks contiguously in said memory.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, a pointer to sub-image source data in said memory for use by said processor to render the sub-image corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
46 words
A medium according to claim 22, wherein said first computer instructions further write to the beginning of said sub-image source data in said memory, an indication of which of a plurality of available data compression formats is used in said sub-image source data in said memory.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
46 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, a pointer to a data translation table for use by said processor to translate pixel color values in sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
40 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, a plurality of flag bits for use by said processor to process sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
45 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, an indication of starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
62 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, an indication of a number, DX and DY respectively, of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment for each pixel rendered along a first line of sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
60 words
A medium according to claim 27, wherein said first computer instructions further write into said one control block, an indication of a number of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment said values DX and DY, respectively, for each line rendered of said sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
97 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, an indication of a number of horizontal and vertical pixels in said destination buffer by which said processor is to increment starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering a second line of sub-image source data corresponding to one of said control blocks, relative to starting coordinates in said destination buffer at which said processor is to begin rendering a first line of sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
43 words
A medium according to claim 20, wherein said first computer instructions further write into one of said control blocks, an indication of which of a plurality of available data compression formats is used in sub-image source data corresponding to said one control block.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
46 words
A medium according to claim 20, having further stored thereon additional computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value to a control register (REGCTL0) indicating the number of pixels which said processor should consider as defining a scan line in said destination buffer.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
47 words
A medium according to claim 20, having further stored thereon additional computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a value to a control register (REGCTL0) indicating the number of pixels which said processor should consider as defining a scan line in said additional image portion.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
A medium according to claim 20, having further stored thereon additional computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a horizontal clip value to a control register (REGCTL1), indicating to said processor that no destination pixels horizontally beyond said horizontal clip value need be rendered.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
46 words
A medium according to claim 20, having further stored thereon additional computer instructions, which when executed by said CPU, write a vertical clip value to a control register (REGCTL1), indicating to said processor that no destination pixels vertically beyond said vertical clip value need be rendered.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-01-21 | 2000-07-22 | 2001-01-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-01-21 | 2004-07-22 | 2005-01-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-01-21 | 2008-07-22 | 2009-01-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |