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Texture compositing apparatus and method
Assignee: Nvidia Corp
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Filing: 1998-04-08
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Granted: 1999-02-09
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Expires: 2018-04-08
Abstract
Abstract A texture compositing apparatus and method for combining multiple independent texture colors in a variety of ways in a single execution pass using a single texture compositing unit (TCU) per texture. The TCU receives a control signal, a blend factor, a local data signal(C local /A local ) and an output data signal (C in /A in ) generated by another TCU, the local data signal and the output data signal represent a texture color in a RGBA format. Based upon the control signal, the TCU can generate an output signal based on a variety of functions. The outputs that can be generated include but are not limited to: (1) zero; (2) one; (3) C in ; (4) C local ; (5) C in +C local ; (6) C in -C local ; (7) C in *C local ; (8) C in *C local +A local ; (9) C in *A local +C local ; (10) (C in -C local )* F blend +C local ; and (11) (C in -C local )*(1-F blend )+C local . Another feature of the invention is that multiple TCUs can be serially coupled to enable additional texture colors to be combined in a single execution path.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary Tarolli
- 👤 Scott Sellers
- 👤 James E. Margeson, III
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 05:08
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T15/00; G06T15/50; G06T15/503; G06T15/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 31
Claim 1
Independent Claim
215 words
An apparatus receiving a source image signal and a plurality of texture signals each representing a texture, for combining the source image signal with signals representing at least two of the textures during a single pixel rendering pass, the apparatus comprising: a first texture composite unit, disposed to receive the source image signal and a first texture signal of the plurality of texture signals, the source image signal and the first texture signal representing independent textures, and a first control signal representing a first relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal, for combining the source image signal and the first texture signal in accordance with the first relationship to generate a first output texture signal; a second texture composite unit, disposed to receive the first output texture signal, a second texture signal of the plurality of texture signals, and a second control signal representing a second relationship between the first output texture signal and the second texture signal, for combining the first output texture signal and the second texture signal in accordance with the second relationship to generate a second output texture signal, wherein the second output texture signal is generated from the source image signal, the first texture signal, and the second texture signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
215 words
An apparatus receiving a source image signal and a plurality of texture signals each representing a texture, for combining the source image signal with signals representing at least two of the textures during a single pixel rendering pass, the apparatus comprising: a first texture composite unit, disposed to receive the source image signal and a first texture signal of the plurality of texture signals, the source image signal and the first texture signal representing independent textures, and a first control signal representing a first relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal, for combining the source image signal and the first texture signal in accordance with the first relationship to generate a first output texture signal; a second texture composite unit, disposed to receive the first output texture signal, a second texture signal of the plurality of texture signals, and a second control signal representing a second relationship between the first output texture signal and the second texture signal, for combining the first output texture signal and the second texture signal in accordance with the second relationship to generate a second output texture signal, wherein the second output texture signal is generated from the source image signal, the first texture signal, and the second texture signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second texture composite unit receives the first output texture signal directly from the first texture composite unit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are the same.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first control signal and the second control signal are different.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein additional texture composite units are sequentially connected such that one additional texture signal is combined by each additional texture composite unit during a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
73 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source image signal comprises a source image color signal and a source image alpha signal and the first texture signal comprises a first texture color signal and a first texture alpha signal, the apparatus further comprising: a subtraction unit, having the source image color signal and the first texture color signal as inputs, for subtracting the source image color signal from the first texture color signal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source image signal comprises a source image color signal and a source image alpha signal and the first texture signal comprises a first texture color signal and a first texture alpha signal, the apparatus fiuther comprising: a multiplication and add unit, for multiplying the first texture signal with one of the source image color signal, the first texture alpha signal, the second texture alpha signal, and a level-of-detail signal, and adding one of the source image color signal and a third signal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
75 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source image signal comprises a source image color signal and a source image alpha signal and the first texture signal comprises a first texture color signal and a first texture alpha signal, the apparatus further comprising: a multiplication unit, for multiplying the first texture color signal and one of the source image color signal, the first texture alpha signal, the second texture alpha signal, and a level-of-detail signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a constant generating unit, for generating a signal representing a predefined value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: a pass-through unit, coupled to the source image signal, for outputting the source image signal.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the source image signal and the first texture signal each include four component signals.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the four component signals include a red color signal, a green color signal, a blue color signal, and an alpha color signal.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
47 words
The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each texture composite unit further comprises four texture combine subunits, each texture combine subunit associated with one of the four component signals, each of the texture combine subunits having a first blend factor determinator, a blending unit, and an addition unit.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the texture combine subunits receives a control signal, and performs at least one of the blend function and the add function in response to the control signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein two or more of the texture combine subunits receive a first control signal and perform at least one of the blend function and the add function in response to the first control signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
54 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first storage unit coupled to the first texture composite unit and a second storage unit coupled to the second texture composite unit, the first storage unit storing a representation of a first mipmap level, the second storage unit storing a representation of a second mipmap level.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
98 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the first texture composite unit includes: a first blend factor determinator, for determining a first blend factor, the first blend factor representing a blending relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal; a first blending unit, coupled to the first blend factor determinator, for blending the source image signal and the first texture signal based upon the first blend factor; and a first addition unit, having the source image signal and the first texture signal as inputs, for adding the first output texture signal and the first texture signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
58 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the blending factor is equal to a selected composite factor representing one of the first mipmap level and a mid-level mipmap level between the first mipmap level and the second mipmap level, the source image color signal representing the first mipmap level, the first texture color signal representing the second mipmap level.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein a texture effect is indicated by either or both of the first control signal and the second control signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the texture effect is one or both of specular light reflections and diffuse light reflections.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer based method for combining at least two texture signals, in a single pixel rendering pass, the computer having a first texture composite unit and a second texture composite unit, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a source image signal; (b) receiving a first texture signal representing an independent texture; (c) receiving a first control signal representing a first relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal; and (d) combining the source image signal and the first texture signal in accordance with the first relationship to generate a first output texture signal; (e) receiving a second texture signal; (f) receiving a second control signal representing a second relationship between the first output texture signal and the second texture signal; and (g) combining the first output texture signal and the second texture signal in accordance with the second relationship to generate a second output texture signal; wherein the second output texture signal is generated from the source image signal, the first texture signal, and the second texture signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
177 words
A computer based method for combining at least two texture signals, in a single pixel rendering pass, the computer having a first texture composite unit and a second texture composite unit, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a source image signal; (b) receiving a first texture signal representing an independent texture; (c) receiving a first control signal representing a first relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal; and (d) combining the source image signal and the first texture signal in accordance with the first relationship to generate a first output texture signal; (e) receiving a second texture signal; (f) receiving a second control signal representing a second relationship between the first output texture signal and the second texture signal; and (g) combining the first output texture signal and the second texture signal in accordance with the second relationship to generate a second output texture signal; wherein the second output texture signal is generated from the source image signal, the first texture signal, and the second texture signal in a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second control signals are the same.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the first and second control signals are different.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 21, wherein steps (e)-(g) are sequentially repeated for each generated output texture signal and additional texture signals such that one additional texture is combined by each repetition of steps (e)-(g) during a single pixel rendering pass.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 21, wherein the second relationship can be represented by at least one of a blending operation, a multiplication operation, a subtraction operation, and an additional operation.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
89 words
The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of: determining a blend factor representing a relationship between the source image signal and the first texture signal; and performing one of a blending operation and an addition operation in a single texture rendering pass in response to the second control signal, the blending operation combining the source image signal and the first texture signal according to the blend factor, the addition operation adding the source image signal to the first texture signal to generate the first texture output signal.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of: performing a subtraction operation on the source image signal and the first texture signal in response to the first control signal.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
99 words
The method of claim 26, wherein the source image signal comprises a source image color signal and a source image alpha signal, the first texture signal comprises a first texture color signal and a first texture alpha signal, the second texture signal comprises a second texture color signal and a second texture alpha signal, and further comprising the step of: performing a multiplication operation on the first texture color signal and one of the source image color signal, the source image alpha signal, the first texture alpha signal, and a level-of-detail signal in response to the first control signal.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of: generating one of a binary one signal and a binary zero signal in response to the first control signal.
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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) | 2002-02-08 | 2002-08-10 | 2003-02-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-02-08 | 2006-08-10 | 2007-02-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-02-08 | 2010-08-10 | 2011-02-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |