Patent ID: RE44958

Claim:
A method of processing a primitive , using a graphics processor implemented in either hardware or a combination of hardware and software , for potential display on a display device having a plurality of pixels, the method comprising: forming, using the graphics processor, a bounding box based defined by a minimum and maximum x values and a minimum and maximum y values of the primitive; determining, using the graphics processor, if the bounding box bounds at least one pixel fragment; if the bounding box does not bound the at least one pixel fragment discarding the primitive without further culling processing; if the bounding box does bound the at least one pixel fragment, determining if the bounding box bounds a predetermined number of pixel fragments; if the bounding box bound does bound the predetermined number of pixel fragments forwarding the primitive to be further raster processed; if the bounding box does not bound the predetermined number of pixel fragments determining , using the graphics processor, if the primitive intersects at least a second predetermined number of pixel fragments on the display device , the second predetermined number being no less than one; and culling the primitive as a function of whether the primitive intersects at least the predetermined number of pixel fragments on the display device, the primitive not being raster processed if culled if the primitive intersects the second predetermined number of pixel fragments forwarding the primitive to be further raster processed; and if the primitive does not intersect the second predetermined number of pixel fragments, discarding the primitive without further culling processing .