Patent ID: 8686999

Claim:
A method for rendering a pixel upon an entry of graphical information into a pixel area, the method comprising: receiving first graphical data of a first object in the pixel area; determining first pixel coverage area, wherein determining first pixel coverage area comprises: maintaining one or more coverage points in the pixel area; determining which coverage points maintained in the pixel area are covered by the first object; and calculating first pixel coverage area based on the coverage points maintained in the pixel area that are covered by the first object; providing the first graphical data based on the first pixel coverage area; receiving second graphical data of a second object in the pixel area; determining relative depth of the first and second objects in a projected view in a three dimensional graphical space; determining second pixel coverage area, wherein determining second pixel coverage area comprises: determining which of the coverage points maintained in the pixel area are covered by the second object; culling areas of the second pixel coverage area of the second object that fail depth tests against the first pixel coverage area of the first object and overlap with the first pixel coverage area of the first object; and calculating second pixel coverage area from covered coverage points maintained in the pixel area; providing the second graphical data based on the second pixel coverage area; comparing the first and second pixel coverage areas; and discarding either the first graphical data or second graphical data depending upon which of the first and the second graphical data has a least amount of non-occluded areas within their respective coverage areas, wherein the first pixel coverage area and the second pixel coverage area each comprise at least some non-occluded area, wherein a collective depth of each of the first and the second graphical data is determined by calculating an average depth of each of a plurality of non-occluded coverage points within their respective coverage areas.