Method and apparatus for span and subspan sorting rendering system

Abstract

Abstract The invention provides for a data shifting capability that permits sorting the data in addition to searching for obtaining real-time performance in color, with high quality imagery through a simple search of a spatial database based on a rectangularly shaped search region or range search (fig. 13). A sorting Magnitude Comparison Content Addressable Memory (SMCCAM) performs a range search, introducing a conservative approximation of the ideal Occluding Region, and provides a MCCAM wherein the data words stored in the fields is shifted to corresponding fields in an adjacent word, based on the magnitude comparisons (fig. 7). The 3D graphics method stores the parameters of a polygon span in a spatial database (804-814) and a query operation is performed on the database to determine which of those spans, or portions of spans, are visible (816 and 818), and applies a rule for comparing new span portion to an old span portion on a subspan-by-subspan basis, thereby providing additional polygon edge information within a raster line, providing anti-aliasing.

Inventors

• 👤 Jerome F. Duluk, Jr.

Bibliographic Details