Patent Document ID: 8253730
Application ID: 12201847
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising: accessing an initial data structure comprising a plurality of elements that collectively represent a coarse hierarchy of a three-dimensional scene geometry, wherein the scene geometry comprises a plurality of geometric primitives, wherein the coarse hierarchy is not dependent on the locations of the plurality of geometric primitives within a scene represented by the three-dimensional scene geometry, wherein at least one element of the initial data structure represents two or more of the plurality of geometric primitives, and wherein the at least one element comprises information specifying spatial coordinates of a spatial bounding range of the two or more geometric primitives; sorting the plurality of elements of the initial data structure into multiple spatial partitions with respect to one or more splitting planes, wherein said sorting is dependent, at least in part, on the spatial coordinates of the spatial bounding range of the at least one element that are specified in the initial data structure, and wherein the at least one element is sorted with respect to the one or more splitting planes without visiting the two or more geometric primitives; storing the sorted elements in a ray tracing data structure; and solving a ray tracing query for a ray, wherein said solving the ray tracing query comprises traversing the ray tracing data structure to identify a first geometric primitive intersected by the ray.