Patent ID: 6778187
Filing Date: 2004-08-17
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method of processing graphics or digital video data, comprising the steps of:determining a source depth of each color component of each pixel of the data; for said each pixel, carrying out the steps of: selecting a stored depth of each color component of the pixel; selecting a non-zero stored depth of a special attribute for the pixel; compressing the color components of the pixel by carrying out the steps of: performing a right shifting operation on each group of bits representing each color component by right shifting by a first number of bits equal to a difference between the source depth and the stored depth; transforming each right shifted group of bits by stripping all but a second number of least significant bits from each right shifted group, the second number being equal to the stored depth; and assigning a third non-zero number of bits to the special attribute, the third number being no greater than the selected stored depth of the special attribute; concatenating each of the compressed color components of the pixel and the special attribute as concatenated pixel data and storing the concatenated pixel data in a memory.