Michael D Wasserman

US Patent:

6731300, May 4, 2004

Filed:

May 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/861177

Inventors:

Nandini Ramani - Saratoga CA
Michael A. Wasserman - Redwood City CA
Michael G. Lavelle - Saratoga CA
Mark E. Pascual - San Jose CA
Kevin Tang - Union City CA
Daniel M. Chao - San Francisco CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06T 1500

US Classification:

345611, 345612, 345613, 345614, 345615, 345606

Abstract:

A graphics system may be configured to render anti-aliased dots in terms of samples and to generate pixels by filtering the samples. The pixels are supplied to one or more display devices. The means used to generate the samples may perform the computation of radial distance at positions on a grid in a rendering coordinate space, and interpolate estimates for the radial distances of samples around the dot as needed based on the radii at the grid positions.

US Patent:

6795080, Sep 21, 2004

Filed:

Jan 30, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/060954

Inventors:

Michael G. Lavelle - Saratoga CA
David C. Kehlet - Los Altos CA
Michael A. Wasserman - Redwood City CA
Nandini Ramani - Saratoga CA
Ranjit S. Oberoi - Saratoga CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06T 1140

US Classification:

345552, 345582, 345614, 345503

Abstract:

A graphics system configured to apply multiple layers of texture information to batches of primitives. The graphics system collects primitives into a batch that share a common set of texture layers to be applied. The batch is limited so that the total estimate size of the batch is less than or equal to a storage capacity of a texture accumulation buffer. The graphics system stores samples (or fragments) corresponding to the batch primitives in the texture accumulation buffer between the application of successive texture layers.

US Patent:

6803916, Oct 12, 2004

Filed:

May 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/861475

Inventors:

Nandini Ramani - Saratoga CA
David C. Kehlet - Los Altos CA
Ewa M. Kubalska - San Jose CA
Michael G. Lavelle - Saratoga CA
Michael A. Wasserman - Redwood City CA
Kevin Tang - Union City CA
Yan Yan Tang - Mountain View CA

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G06T 120

US Classification:

345506, 345558

Abstract:

A system and method for rasterizing and rendering graphics data is disclosed. Vertices may be grouped to form primitives such as triangles, which are rasterized using two-dimensional arrays of samples bins. Individual samples may be selected from the bins according to different criteria such as memory bank allocation to improve utilization of the systems rendering pipeline. Since the arrays may have more bins than the number of evaluation units in the rendering pipeline, the samples from the bins may be stored to FIFO memories to allow invalid or empty samples (those outside the primitive being rendered) to be removed. The samples may then be filtered to form pixels that are displayable to form an image on a display device.

US Patent:

6914610, Jul 5, 2005

Filed:

May 18, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/861192

Inventors:

Michael G. Lavelle - Saratoga CA, US
Wayne A. Morse - Fremont CA, US
Rangit S. Oberoi - Saratoga CA, US
David C. Kehlet - Los Altos CA, US
Michael A. Wasserman - Redwood City CA, US
Brian D. Emberling - San Mateo CA, US
Roger C. Swanson - Morgan Hill CA, US

Assignee:

Sun Microsystems, Inc. - Santa Clara CA

International Classification:

G09G005/00

US Classification:

345581, 345582, 345614, 345552, 345587

Abstract:

A graphics system configured to apply multiple layers of texture information to primitives. The graphics system receives parameters defining a primitive and performs a size test on the primitive. If the size test cannot guarantee that a fragment size of the primitive is less than or equal to a fragment capacity of a texture accumulation buffer, the primitive is divided into subprimitives, and the graphics system applies the multiple layers of texture to fragments which intersect the primitive. The graphics system switches from a current layer to the layer next when it has applied textures corresponding to the current layer to all the fragments intersecting the primitive. The graphics system stores color values associated with the primitive fragments in the texture accumulation buffer between the application of successive texture layers.