Patent ID: 6937246

Claim:
A method for caching texture data stored in a memory, comprising: assigning a first identification (ID) number to a first block of graphics data; storing the first block of graphics data at memory locations in the memory having corresponding memory addresses; caching at least a portion of the first block of graphics data; storing for the cached portion of the first block of graphics data tags related to the memory addresses at which the cached portion is stored in the memory and the first ID number; assigning a second ID number to a second block of graphics data; storing the second block of graphics data in at least a portion of the memory locations in the memory; caching at least a portion of the second block of graphics data; and storing for the cached portion of the second block of graphics data tags related to the memory addresses at which the cached portion is stored in the memory and the second ID number, in the event a stored tag for graphics data of the cached portion of the first block of graphics data has the same tag for graphics data of the cached portion of the second block of graphics data, replacing the first ID number associated with the graphics data of the cached portion of the first block of graphics data with the second ID number for the graphics data of the cached portion of the second block of graphics data.