Rendering architecture with selectable processing of multi-pixel spans

Claim 2

A rendering system, comprising: an external data input connection; a rasterizer connected to receive and process 2D and 3D primitives from said external data input connections, and accordingly to decompose said primitives into fragments; wherein in an externally selected first mode of operation of said rasterizer, said rasterizer decomposes at least some of the 2D primitives into multi-pixel fragments which each include multiple pixels; and wherein in an externally selected second mode of operation of said rasterizer, multi-pixel fragment processing is disabled; and rendering hardware connected to receive said fragments from said rasterizer, and to render said fragments; whereby the rendering system provides accelerated performance of 2D rendering tasks.

Claim 3

The rendering system of claim 1, wherein a multi-pixel data mask corresponding to each of said multi-pixel fragments is passed with said multi-pixel fragment data, and is modified by said rendering hardware.

Claim 4

A rendering system, comprising: an external data input connection: a rasterizer connected to receive and process 2D and 3D primitives from said external data input connections, and accordingly to decompose said primitives into fragments; wherein in an externally selected first mode of operation of said rasterizer, said rasterizer decomposes at least some of the 2D primitives into multi-pixel fragments which each include multiple pixels; and rendering hardware connected to receive said fragments from said rasterizer, and to render said fragments; whereby the rendering system provides accelerated performance of 2D rendering tasks; wherein when said fragments are passed between said rasterizer and said rendering hardware, less total data is required to be passed when using said multi-pixel fragments than when using a corresponding set of single-pixel fragments.

Claim 5

A rendering system, comprising: an external data input connection: a rasterizer connected to receive and process 2D and 3D primitives from said external data input connections, and accordingly to decompose said primitives into fragments; wherein in an externally selected first mode of operation of said rasterizer, said rasterizer decomposes at least some of the 2D primitives into multi-pixel fragments which each include multiple pixels; and rendering hardware connected to receive said fragments from said rasterizer, and to render said fragments; whereby the rendering system provides accelerated performance of 2D rendering tasks; wherein when said fragments are passed between said rasterizer and said rendering hardware, less total data is required to be passed when using said multi-pixel fragments than when using a corresponding set of single-pixel fragments.

Claim 6

The rendering system of claim 3, wherein said rasterizer also operates in an externally selected second mode of operation, in which multi-pixel fragment processing is disabled.

Claim 7

A rendering system, comprising: an external data input connection; a rasterizer connected to receive and process 2D and 3D primitives from said external data input connections, and accordingly to decompose said primitives into fragments; wherein in an externally selected first mode of operation of said rasterizer, said rasterizer decomposes at least some of the 2D primitives into multi-pixel fragments which each include multiple pixels; and rendering hardware connected to receive said fragments from said rasterizer, and to render said fragments; wherein said rendering hardware uses a fast block fill on said multi-pixel fragments which are of a constant color; whereby the rendering system provides accelerated performance of 2D rendering tasks.

Claim 8

A rendering system, comprising: an external data input connection; a rasterizer connected to receive and process 2D and 3D primitives from said external data input connections, and accordingly to decompose said primitives into fragments; wherein in an externally selected first mode of operation of said rasterizer, said rasterizer decomposes at least some of the 2D primitives into multi-pixel fragments which each include multiple pixels; and rendering hardware connected to receive said fragments from said rasterizer, and to render said fragments; wherein said rendering hardware uses a fast block fill on said multi-pixel fragments which are of a constant color; whereby the rendering system provides accelerated performance of 2D rendering tasks.

Claim 9

The rendering system of claim 5, wherein when said fragments are passed between said rasterizer and said rendering hardware, less total data is required to be passed when using said multi-pixel fragments than when using a corresponding set of single-pixel fragments.

Claim 10

The rendering system of claim 5, wherein said rasterizer also operates in an externally selected second mode of operation, in which multi-pixel fragment processing is disabled.

Claim 11

A graphics processing subsystem, comprising: an input buffer; a rasterizer, connected to read messages from said input buffer and, in a first mode of operation, to generate a sequence of pixel locations accordingly, and in a second mode of operation, to generate multi-pixel sets and corresponding pixel location pointers accordingly; one or more differential data analyzers, operatively connected to receive messages from said rasterizer, and connected to provide a sequence of incrementally changing parameter values for sequences of pixel locations or pixel sets defined by messages received from said rasterizer; a plurality of additional processing units, operatively connected in series in a pipeline relationship, and jointly operatively connected to receive messages from said differential data analyzers; plural ones of said additional processing units each having customized hardware which is different from one another and from said differential data analyzers; said processing units being mutually interconnected in a pipeline relationship, such that individual ones of said processing units receive messages and, in accordance with the content of each said respective message, programmably perform a respective graphics processing operation, and selectably transmit said respective message to a succeeding one of said processing units; whereby said plural processing units jointly provide a pipelined multiple-instruction-multiple-device (MIMD) graphics processing architecture.

Claim 12

A graphics processing subsystem, comprising: an input buffer; a rasterizer, connected to read messages from said input buffer and, in a first mode of operation, to generate a sequence of pixel locations accordingly, and in a second mode of operation, to generate multi-pixel sets and corresponding pixel location pointers accordingly; one or more differential data analyzers, operatively connected to receive messages from said rasterizer, and connected to provide a sequence of incrementally changing parameter values for sequences of pixel locations or pixel sets defined by messages received from said rasterizer; a plurality of additional processing units, operatively connected in series in a pipeline relationship, and jointly operatively connected to receive messages from said differential data analyzers; plural ones of said additional processing units each having customized hardware which is different from one another and from said differential data analyzers; said processing units being mutually interconnected in a pipeline relationship, such that individual ones of said processing units receive messages and, in accordance with the content of each said respective message, programmably perform a respective graphics processing operation, and selectably transmit said respective message to a succeeding one of said processing units; whereby said plural processing units jointly provide a pipelined multiple-instruction-multiple-device (MIMD) graphics processing architecture.

Claim 13

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said parameter is a color value.

Claim 14

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said parameter is a depth value.

Claim 15

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said processing units include a texturing unit.

Claim 16

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said processing units include a memory access unit which reads and writes a local buffer memory.

Claim 17

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein at least some ones of said processing units include internally paralleled data paths.

Claim 18

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said rasterizer and said differential data analyzers and all of said additional processing units are integrated into a single integrated circuit.

Claim 19

The graphics processing subsystem of claim 8, wherein said rasterizer generates step messages which are passed through all of said processors.

Claim 20

A rendering method, comprising the steps of: (a.) receiving primitive data; (b.) if a first mode is selected, then decomposing said primitive data into multi-pixel fragments; performing a set of pre-rendering graphics processes on said fragments; rendering said fragments and storing the result in a framebuffer; (c.) if a second mode is selected, then decomposing said primitive data into single-pixel fragments; performing a set of pre-rendering graphics processes on said fragments; rendering said fragments and storing the result in a framebuffer; and (d.) displaying the contents of said framebuffer; wherein said multi-pixel fragments allow multiple pixels to be processed in parallel.

Claim 21

A rendering method, comprising the steps of: (a.) receiving primitive data; (b.) if a first mode is selected, then decomposing said primitive data into multi-pixel fragments; performing a set of pre-rendering graphics processes on said fragments; rendering said fragments and storing the result in a framebuffer; (c.) if a second mode is selected, then decomposing said primitive data into single-pixel fragments; performing a set of pre-rendering graphics processes on said fragments; rendering said fragments and storing the result in a framebuffer; and (d.) displaying the contents of said framebuffer; wherein said multi-pixel fragments allow multiple pixels to be processed in parallel.

Claim 22

The rendering method of claim 16, wherein said first mode indicates that 2D data is being processed.

Claim 23

The rendering method of claim 16, wherein said second mode indicates that 3D data is being processed.

Claim 24

The rendering method of claim 16, wherein using said multi-pixel fragments allows fragment data to be passed in less total data entries than when using corresponding single-pixel fragments.

Claim 25

The rendering method of claim 16, wherein said graphics processes of step (b.) include a clipping process in which each said fragment is compared against a corresponding multi-pixel mask.

Claim 26

The rendering method of claim 16, wherein said graphics processes of step (b.) include a coloring process in which a color mask having data for at least one color is applied to each said fragment.

Claim 27

The rendering method of claim 21, wherein VRAM block fills are used when said color mask has data for only one color.