US 12,406,433 B2
Processing fragments which have a shader-dependent property in a graphics processing system
Panagiotis Velentzas, Hertfordshire (GB); John W. Howson, St Albans (GB); and Richard Broadhurst, Hertfordshire (GB)
Assigned to Imagination Technologies Limited, Kings Langley (GB)
Filed by Imagination Technologies Limited, Kings Langley (GB)
Filed on Jun. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/212,748.
Claims priority of application No. 22386040 (EP), filed on Jun. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0119662 A1, Apr. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. G06T 15/40 (2011.01); G06T 1/20 (2006.01); G06T 11/40 (2006.01); G06T 15/00 (2011.01); G06T 15/80 (2011.01)
CPC G06T 15/405 (2013.01) [G06T 15/80 (2013.01); G06T 1/20 (2013.01); G06T 11/40 (2013.01); G06T 15/005 (2013.01); G06T 15/40 (2013.01); G06T 2210/62 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of processing a plurality of fragments in a graphics processing system which comprises: (i) hidden surface removal logic, and (ii) processing logic configured to execute shader programs for fragments, the method comprising:
receiving a first fragment to be processed, wherein the first fragment has a shader-dependent property;
processing the first fragment, wherein said processing the first fragment comprises:
performing an early depth test on the first fragment with the hidden surface removal logic using a depth buffer,
in response to the first fragment passing the early depth test, executing one or more instructions of a shader program for the first fragment on the processing logic to determine the property of the first fragment, and
after the determination of the property of the first fragment, performing a late depth test on the first fragment with the hidden surface removal logic using the depth buffer;
after said receiving a first fragment, receiving a second fragment to be processed, wherein the second fragment does not have a shader-dependent property; and
processing the second fragment, wherein said processing the second fragment comprises, before said late depth test is performed on the first fragment, performing an early depth test on the second fragment with the hidden surface removal logic;
wherein the shader-dependent property of a fragment affects the processing performed on that fragment by the hidden surface removal logic.