Graphics processor, system and method for generating screen pixels in raster order utilizing a single interpolator

Abstract

A graphics pipeline, graphics processing system, and method for generating a screen image are disclosed that associate three-dimensional image data of multiple objects with respective screen pixels and determine the screen pixel characteristics in raster order. The data processor includes an application processor which operates a software application to produce a screen image, a transformation processor which transforms image data into polygon segments and parameter data, and a rasterizer processor that produces a set of screen pixels in raster order. The data processor system includes a data memory which stores the image data and rasterized data sets and a display which scans the rasterized data in the raster order.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A graphics processor including: 
 a transformation processor coupled to the application processor for producing a set of transformed data according to a set of instructions from a set of raw data describing at least one three-dimensional object within a bounded space extending from a display screen;    a rasterizer coupled to the transformation processor for identifying portions of the transformed data mapping a pre-defined area of the display screen in parallel and sequentially rendering the identified portions of the transformed data in a pre-determined refresh order, the refresh order being the order that screen data is provided to the display screen to generate a screen image; and,    an interpolator coupled to the rasterizer for determining a visible portion of the identified portions associated with a respective selected area of the display and characterizing the selected area according to transformed data associated with the visible portion.    
     
     
         2 . The graphics processor as in  claim 1  wherein the graphics processor includes: 
 an application processor including a software application, the software application including the set of instructions for generating the screen image.  
 
     
     
         3 . The graphics processor as in  claim 1  wherein the set of transformed data comprises multiple sets of primitive data respectively describing planar geometric shapes and parameter data associated with respective of the sets of primitive data, each of the planar geometric shapes describing a respective surface portion of the three-dimensional object.  
     
     
         4 . The graphics processor as in  claim 1  wherein the rasterizer includes: 
 a processor array coupled to the transformation processor for identifying the portions of the transformed data.  
 
     
     
         5 . The graphics processor as in  claim 4  wherein the processor array includes 
 a plurality of primitive processors, 
 each primitive processor storing no more than a single portion of transformed data describing a portion of a planar surface of the three-dimensional object,  
 the processor array associating respective primitive processors containing single portions associated with respective areas of the display; and  
 
 wherein the interpolator includes 
 a single interpolator processor connected to the processor array for sequentially evaluating and comparing data from each primitive processor associated with a selected respective area to determine the visible portion, the single interpolator processor determining the visible portion associated with each area of the display in the refresh order.  
 
 
     
     
         6 . The graphics processor as in  claim 1  wherein the pre-defined area comprises a screen pixel, a set of the screen pixels define a screen image for display on the display screen, the refresh order defining a pre-determined order of a data stream of the screen pixels for transmission to and illumination of the display.  
     
     
         7 . The graphics processor as in  claim 3  wherein the rasterizer includes a memory for storing the associated parameters of the respective multiple sets of primitive data.  
     
     
         8 . A graphics processor system including: 
 a graphics processor including:    a transformation processor coupled to the application processor for producing a set of transformed data according to a set of instructions from a set of raw data describing at least one three-dimensional object within a bounded space extending from a display screen;    a rasterizer coupled to the transformation processor for identifying portions of the transformed data mapping a pre-defined area of the display screen in parallel and sequentially rendering the identified portions of the transformed data in a pre-determined refresh order, the refresh order being the order that screen data is provided to the display screen to generate a screen image;    an interpolator coupled to the rasterizer for determining a visible portion of the identified portions associated with a respective selected area of the display and characterizing the selected area according to transformed data associated with the visible portion; and    a display producing an image by scanning the rasterized data in the refresh order.    
     
     
         9 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  including: 
 a memory connecting to the graphics processor and storing the set of rasterized data.  
 
     
     
         10 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  including: 
 a user interface providing access by a user to the graphics processor to accommodate the insertion of instructions and data by the user to the system.  
 
     
     
         11 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  wherein the graphics processor includes: 
 an application processor including a software applications, the software application including the set of instructions for generating the screen image.  
 
     
     
         12 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  wherein the set of transformed data comprises multiple sets of primitive data respectively describing planar geometric shapes and parameter data associated with respective of the sets of primitive data, each of the planar geometric shapes describing a respective surface portion of the three-dimensional object.  
     
     
         13 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  wherein the rasterizer includes: 
 a processor array coupled to the transformation processor for identifying the portions of the transformed data.  
 
     
     
         14 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 13  wherein the processor array includes 
 a plurality of primitive processors, 
 each primitive processor storing no more than a single portion of transformed data describing a portion of a planar surface of the three-dimensional object,  
 the processor array associating respective primitive processors containing single portions associated with respective areas of the display.  
 
 
     
     
         15 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 8  wherein the pre-defined area comprises a screen pixel, a set of the screen pixels define a screen image for display on the display screen, the refresh order defining a pre-determined order of a data stream of the screen pixels for transmission to and illumination of the display.  
     
     
         16 . The graphics processor system as in  claim 12  wherein the rasterizer includes a memory for storing the associated parameters of the respective multiple sets of primitive data.  
     
     
         17 . A method for producing a graphics image including the steps of: 
 obtaining data describing a three-dimensional object within a space bounded in two directions x,y, the space including a reference plane in the x,y directions, the reference plane including an identifiable area;    transforming the data into geometric data blocks describing respective geometric surfaces, the geometric surfaces describing surface portions of the three dimensional object;    identifying geometric data blocks which map the described geometric surface onto the identifiable area of the reference plane; and,    identifying a visible data block defining a geometric surface that is nearest to the identifiable area along an axis extending perpendicularly from the area of those surfaces described by the associated data blocks.    
     
     
         18 . The method as in  claim 17  wherein the method includes: 
 generating the screen image according to a set of instructions.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method as in  claim 17  wherein the step identifying geometric data blocks identifies multiple of the geometric data blocks in parallel and sequentially renders the identified geometric data blocks in a pre-determined refresh order, the refresh order being the order that screen data produced from the geometric data blocks is provided to the display screen to generate a screen image.  
     
     
         20 . The method as in  claim 17  including the steps of: 
 interpolating the visible data block to determine a point on the perpendicular axis;  
 characterizing the selected area according to transformed data associated with the point; and  
 generating a set of screen data characterizing the selected area and successively selected areas obtained by repeating the prior steps, the set of screen data being generated in refresh order for directly scanning a screen image onto a display.