Computer graphics pixel rendering system with multi-level scanning

Claim 2

A computer graphics process for scan processing object primitives to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data, the blocks being sequentially stored in a frame buffer adapted to receive rectangular blocks of data, the pixel data being associated with display pixels having an associative space relationship with a display image space, said process including the steps of: defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of contiguous pixel areas of said display image space; scanning said span areas to locate lapped spans, with lapped pixels within a primitive; scanning pixels within said lapped spans to locate lapped pixels for processing; processing said lapped pixels within each span, pixel-by-pixel, to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data associated with arrays of said display pixels; and sequentially storing said blocks of pixel data in a frame buffer, said frame buffer including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.

Claim 3

A computer graphics process according to claim 1 further including the step of defining a size of said span areas according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said interface.

Claim 4

A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said storing step further includes the step of storing said blocks of pixel data in a cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.

Claim 5

A computer graphics process according to claim 3 further including the step of defining a size of said span areas according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said cache.

Claim 6

A computer graphics process according to claim 1 further including the steps of: retrieving a block of texture data from a texture memory, said texture memory including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data; and processing said block of texture data to provide texture for a span of said pixels.

Claim 7

A computer graphics process according to claim 5 wherein said retrieving step further includes the step of retrieving said blocks of texture data from a cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.

Claim 8

A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said step of processing said lapped pixels within each span further includes the steps of: retrieving blocks of prior pixel data from said frame buffer; processing said blocks of prior pixel data from said frame buffer to provide said blocks of pixel data.

Claim 9

A computer graphics process according to claim 1 wherein said step of scanning pixels includes the step of scanning said pixels in a raster sequence.

Claim 10

A computer graphics system for scan processing object primitives to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data, the blocks being sequentially stored in a frame buffer adapted to receive rectangular blocks of data, the pixel data being associated with display pixels having an associative space relationship with a display image space of a display unit, said system comprising: a frame buffer organized to have an associative space relationship with the image space of said display unit; means defining said frame buffer into a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of pixel areas; a scanner for scanning said span areas to locate lapped pixels within a primitive and a span and for scanning said lapped pixels to locate pixels for processing; and a processor for processing said lapped pixels within each span, pixel-by-pixel, to sequentially generate rectangular blocks of pixel data associated with arrays of said display pixels; and a frame buffer including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, said frame buffer connected to receive said blocks of pixel data.

Claim 11

A computer graphics system for scan processing object primitives to generate rectangular blocks of pixel data, the blocks being sequentially stored in a frame buffer adapted to receive rectangular blocks of data, the pixel data being associated with display pixels having an associative space relationship with a display image space of a display unit, said system comprising: a frame buffer organized to have an associative space relationship with the image space of said display unit; means defining said frame buffer into a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of pixel areas; a scanner for scanning said span areas to locate lapped pixels within a primitive and a span and for scanning said lapped pixels to locate pixels for processing; and a processor for processing said lapped pixels within each span, pixel-by-pixel, to sequentially generate rectangular blocks of pixel data associated with arrays of said display pixels; and a frame buffer including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, said frame buffer connected to receive said blocks of pixel data.

Claim 12

A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein a size for said span areas is defined according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said interface.

Claim 13

A computer graphics system according to claim 9 further including a frame buffer cache for storing said blocks of pixel data, said cache being adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data.

Claim 14

A computer graphics system according to claim 11 wherein a size for said span areas is defined according to a size defined for said blocks of data received and transmitted by said cache.

Claim 15

A computer graphics system according to claim 9 further including a texture memory, said texture memory including an interface adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, wherein said processor processes a block of texture data retrieved from said texture memory to provide texture for a span of said pixels.

Claim 16

A computer graphics system according to claim 13 further including a texture memory cache adapted to receive and transmit rectangular blocks of data, wherein said processor retrieves said block of texture data from said cache.

Claim 17

A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein said processor processes blocks of prior pixel data retrieved from said frame buffer to provide said blocks of pixel data.

Claim 18

A computer graphics system according to claim 9 wherein said scanner processes said pixels in a raster sequence.

Claim 19

A computer graphics process for scan processing object primitives to generate display pixels, as in a frame buffer, the pixels being organized in screen space having an associative space relationship with a display image space, said process including the steps of: defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of contiguous pixel areas of said display image space; scanning said span areas to locate lapped spans, with lapped pixels within a primitive; scanning, in a raster sequence, pixels within said lapped spans to locate lapped pixels for processing; and processing said lapped pixels as scanned, pixel-by-pixel, span-by-span to provide pixel data in said frame buffer.

Claim 20

A computer graphics process for scan processing object primitives to generate display pixels, as in a frame buffer, the pixels being organized in screen space having an associative space relationship with a display image space, said process including the steps of: defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of span areas, each span area including a plurality of contiguous pixel areas of said display image space; scanning said span areas to locate lapped spans, with lapped pixels within a primitive; scanning, in a raster sequence, pixels within said lapped spans to locate lapped pixels for processing; and processing said lapped pixels as scanned, pixel-by-pixel, span-by-span to provide pixel data in said frame buffer.

Claim 21

A computer graphics process according to claim 17 wherein said span areas are scanned in a predetermined sequence.

Claim 22

A computer graphics process according to claim 17 wherein said scanning and processing steps are executed as parallel operations to process pixels from multiple scan areas concurrently.

Claim 23

A computer graphics process according to claim 17 further including the steps of: defining object primitives in relation to a plurality of panels, each panel including a plurality of span areas; and scanning said panels to locate span areas.