Patent ID: 8736620

Claim:
A pixel processing method comprising: accessing pixel packet information at a pipestage of a graphics pipeline; determining if said pixel packet information contributes to an image display presentation; associating said pixel packet information with a pixel packet status indicator wherein said pixel status indicator indicates if said pixel packet information contributes to said image display presentation; sending a scoreboard clear signal for said pixel packet to a gatekeeper stage if said pixel packet is determined to not contribute to said image display presentation, and said gatekeeper stage updates scoreboard data in response to said clear signal; and forwarding said pixel packet for processing in accordance with said pixel packet status indicator to a downstream pipestage, wherein said pixel status indicator is a kill bit included in a sideband portion of said pixel packet information and is set to prevent logic components from clocking information in a payload portion of said pixel packet information if said pixel status indicator indicates said pixel packet payload portion does not contribute to said image display presentation while continuing to clock said pixel packet sideband portion through remaining stages to a write stage of said graphics pipeline.