Patent ID: 6573902
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A cache memory apparatus for texture mapping, applied in a computer graphic processing system storing an array of image texels which form at least one texture, said apparatus comprising one or more cache memories, each of said cache memories storing a part of said array of the image texels according to the row number of said array of the image texels respectively so as to reduce the area occupied by said cache memories in said graphic processing system, wherein the cache memory apparatus comprises:a first to fourth cache memories and a first to second multiplexers when said computer graphic processing system uses a mapping method of accessing one texture, in which the first cache memory stores the content of odd rows of said array of the image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and the content of odd rows of odd layers of said array of the image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used, the second cache memory stores the content of even rows of said array of the image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and stores the content of even rows of odd layers of said array of the image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used, third cache memory stores the content of odd rows of said array of the image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and stores the content of odd rows of even layers of said array of the image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used, and the fourth cache memory stores the content of even rows of said array of the image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and the content of even rows of even layers of said array of the image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used, said first multiplexer being connected to the third cache memory to select the addresses of a first group containing one fourth image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and select the addresses of a third group containing one fourth image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used and the second multiplexer being connected to the fourth cache memory to select the addresses of a second group containing one fourth image texels when the mapping methods of selecting the nearest point and bilinear filtering are used and select the addresses of a fourth group containing one fourth image texels when the mapping method of trilinear filtering is used.