Patent ID: 8169442

Claim:
A fragment graphic module comprising: a depth test buffer structured to store a current depth value; a depth test stage coupled to the depth test buffer to compare the current depth value with a depth coordinate associated with an incoming fragment and define a resulting fragment; a test stage to test the resulting fragment and generate a retained fragment from the resulting fragment that passes the test; a further depth test stage coupled to the test stage and structured to test the retained fragment received from the test stage and to update the depth test buffer; an enabling/disabling stage placed before the depth test stage and adapted to enable the further depth test stage and disable the depth test stage when a previous fragment having planar coordinates of the incoming fragment is under processing by the test stage; the enabling/disabling module structured to enable the depth test stage and to disable the further depth test stage when the test stage has terminated the processing of a previous fragment; and a buffer writing stage operatively associated with the test stage to receive the retained fragment, the buffer writing stage coupled to the depth test buffer and adapted to update the current depth value with a depth value of the retained fragment.