Howard W Cheng

US Patent:

6342892, Jan 29, 2002

Filed:

Nov 5, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/186137

Inventors:

Timothy J. Van Hook - Menlo Park CA
Howard H. Cheng - San Francisco CA
Anthony P. DeLaurier - Sunnyvale CA
Carroll P. Gossett - Mountain View CA
Robert J. Moore - Sunnyvale CA
Stephen J. Shepard - Cupertino CA
Harold S. Anderson - Morgan Hill CA
John Princen - Sunnyvale CA
Jeffrey C. Doughty - Palo Alto CA
Nathan F. Pooley - Mountain View CA
Byron Sheppard - Santa Cruz CA
Genyo Takeda - Osaka, JP
Shuhei Kato - Shiga, JP

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto
Silicon Graphics, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06T 100

US Classification:

345503, 345541, 345419, 345542, 463 32, 463 43, 463 44

Abstract:

A low cost high performance three dimensional (3D) graphics system can model a world in three dimensions and project the model onto a two dimensional viewing plane selected based on a changeable viewpoint. The viewpoint can be changed on an interactive, real time basis by operating user input controls such as game controllers. The system rapidly produces a corresponding changing image (which can include animated cartoon characters or other animation for example) on the screen of a color television set. The richly featured high performance low cost system gives consumers the chance to interact in real time inside magnificent virtual 3D worlds to provide a high degree of image realism, excitement and flexibility. An optimum feature set/architecture (including a custom designed graphics/audio coprocessor) provides high quality fast moving 3D images and digital stereo sound for video game play and other graphics applications.

US Patent:

6556197, Apr 29, 2003

Filed:

Sep 18, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/663617

Inventors:

Timothy J. Van Hook - Menlo Park CA
Howard H. Cheng - San Francisco CA
Anthony P. DeLaurier - Sunnyvale CA
Carroll P. Gossett - Mountain View CA
Robert J. Moore - Sunnyvale CA
Stephen J. Shepard - Cupertino CA
Harold S. Anderson - Morgan Hill CA
John Princen - Sunnyvale CA
Jeffrey C. Doughty - Palo Alto CA
Nathan F. Pooley - Mountain View CA
Byron Sheppard - Santa Cruz CA
Genyo Takeda - Osaka, JP
Shuhei Kato - Shiga, JP

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd.
Silicon Graphics, Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06T 1500

US Classification:

345419, 345522

Abstract:

A low cost high performance three dimensional (3D) graphics system is disclosed that can model a world in three dimensions and project the model onto a two dimensional viewing plane selected based on a changeable viewpoint. The viewpoint can be changed on an interactive, real time basis by operating user input controls such as game controllers. The system rapidly produces a corresponding changing image (which can include animated cartoon characters or other animation) on the screen of a color television set. The richly featured high performance low cost system is intended to give consumers the chance to interact in real time right inside magnificent virtual 3D worlds to provide a high degree of image realism, excitement and flexibility. An optimum feature set/architecture (including a custom designed graphics/audio coprocessor) provides high quality fast moving 3D images and digital stereo sound for video game play and other graphics applications. Numerous features provide flexibility and capabilities in a system that is intended to be within the cost range of most consumers.

US Patent:

6593929, Jul 15, 2003

Filed:

Mar 27, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/106445

Inventors:

Timothy J. Van Hook - Menlo Park CA
Howard H. Cheng - San Francisco CA
Anthony P. DeLaurier - Sunnyvale CA
Carroll P. Gossett - Mountain View CA
Robert J. Moore - Sunnyvale CA
Stephen J. Shepard - Cupertino CA
Harold S. Anderson - Morgan Hill CA
John Princen - Sunnyvale CA
Jeffrey C. Doughty - Palo Alto CA
Nathan F. Pooley - Mountain View CA
Byron Sheppard - Santa Cruz CA
Genyo Takeda - Osaka, JP
Shuhei Kato - Shiga, JP

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto
Silicon Graphics Inc. - Mountain View CA

International Classification:

G06F 1500

US Classification:

345501, 345522

Abstract:

A low cost high performance three dimensional (3D) graphics system is disclosed that can model a world in three dimensions and project the model onto a two dimensional viewing plane selected based on a changeable viewpoint. The viewpoint can be changed on an interactive, real time basis by operating user input controls such as game controllers. The system rapidly produces a corresponding changing image (which can include animated cartoon characters or other animation) on the screen of a color television set. The richly featured high performance low cost system is intended to give consumers the change to interact in real time right inside magnificent virtual 3D worlds to provide a high degree of image realism, excitement and flexibility. An optimum feature set/architecture (including a custom designed graphics/audio coprocessor) provides high quality fast moving 3D images and digital stereo sound for video game play and other graphics applications. Numerous features provide flexibility and capabilities in a system that is intended to be within the cost range of most consumers.

US Patent:

6867781, Mar 15, 2005

Filed:

Nov 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/722419

Inventors:

Timothy J. Van Hook - Atherton CA, US
Farhad Fouladi - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Robert Moore - Heathrow FL, US
Howard H. Cheng - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G06T001/20

US Classification:

345506, 345522, 345501, 345502

Abstract:

A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The graphics pipeline processes graphics commands at different rates depending upon the type of operation being performed. This makes it difficult to synchronize pipeline operations with external operations (e. g. , a graphics processor with a main processor). To solve this problem, a synchronization token including a programmable data message is inserted into a graphics command stream sent to a graphics pipeline. At a predetermined point near the bottom of the pipeline, the token is captured and a signal is generated indicated the token has arrived. The graphics command producer can look at the captured token to determine which of multiple possible tokens has been captured, and can use the information to synchronize a task with the graphics pipeline. Applications include maintaining memory coherence in memory shared between the 3D graphics pipeline and a graphics command producer.

US Patent:

7184059, Feb 27, 2007

Filed:

Nov 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/722663

Inventors:

Farhad Fouladi - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Mark M. Leather - Saratoga CA, US
Robert Moore - Heathrow FL, US
Howard Cheng - Sammamish WA, US
Timothy J. Van Hook - Atherton CA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 5/02
G09G 5/397
G06T 1/20

US Classification:

345604, 345546, 345506

Abstract:

A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The graphics processor includes an embedded frame buffer for storing frame data prior to sending the frame data to an external location, such as main memory. A copy pipeline is provided which converts the data from one format to another format prior to writing the data to the external location. The conversion may be from one RGB color format to another RGB color format, from one YUV format to another YUV format, from an RGB color format to a YUV color format, or from a YUV color format to an RGB color format. The formatted data is either transferred to a display buffer, for use by the video interface, or to a texture buffer, for use as a texture by the graphics pipeline in a subsequent rendering process.

US Patent:

7317459, Jan 8, 2008

Filed:

Nov 27, 2006

Appl. No.:

11/604374

Inventors:

Farhad Fouladi - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Mark M. Leather - Saratoga CA, US
Robert Moore - Heathrow FL, US
Howard Cheng - Sammamish WA, US
Timothy J. Van Hook - Atherton CA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 5/02
G09G 5/397
G06T 1/20

US Classification:

345604, 345546, 345506

Abstract:

A graphics processor includes an embedded frame buffer for storing frame data prior to sending the frame data to an external location, such as main memory. A copy pipeline is provided which converts the data from one format to another format prior to writing the data to the external location. The conversion may be from one RGB color format to another RGB color format, from one YUV format to another YUV format, from an RGB color format to a YUV color format, or from a YUV color format to an RGB color format. MPEG image data initially stored in main memory in a YUV format as a texture is transferred to the embedded frame buffer prior to initiating a copy-out process via the copy pipeline from the embedded frame buffer to an external frame buffer in main memory. During the copy-out process, pixels are converted from YUV format to an RGB format. A new texture image containing MPEG image data is placed in the embedded frame buffer prior to each successive copy out process operation so as to produce a streaming video image as a surface texture on at least a portion of a displayed object image.

US Patent:

7538772, May 26, 2009

Filed:

Nov 28, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/726220

Inventors:

Farhad Fouladi - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Winnie W. Yeung - San Jose CA, US
Howard Cheng - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G06F 13/18
G09G 5/39
G06F 13/00

US Classification:

345535, 345531, 711100

Abstract:

A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. A memory controller performs a wide range of memory control related functions including arbitrating between various competing resources seeking access to main memory, handling memory latency and bandwidth requirements of the resources requesting memory access, buffering writes to reduce bus turn around, refreshing main memory, and protecting main memory using programmable registers. The memory controller minimizes memory read/write switching using a “global” write queue which queues write requests from various diverse competing resources. In this fashion, multiple competing resources for memory writes are combined into one resource from which write requests are obtained. Memory coherency issues are addressed both within a single resource that has both read and write capabilities and among different resources by efficiently flushing write buffers associated with a resource.

US Patent:

8098255, Jan 17, 2012

Filed:

May 22, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/470712

Inventors:

Farhad Fouladi - Los Altos Hills CA, US
Winnie W. Yeung - San Jose CA, US
Howard Cheng - Sammamish WA, US

Assignee:

Nintendo Co., Ltd. - Kyoto

International Classification:

G09G 5/36
G06F 13/18
G06F 13/00

US Classification:

345558, 345535, 345536

Abstract:

A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. A memory controller performs a wide range of memory control related functions including arbitrating between various competing resources seeking access to main memory, handling memory latency and bandwidth requirements of the resources requesting memory access, buffering writes to reduce bus turn around, refreshing main memory, and protecting main memory using programmable registers. The memory controller minimizes memory read/write switching using a “global” write queue which queues write requests from various diverse competing resources. In this fashion, multiple competing resources for memory writes are combined into one resource from which write requests are obtained. Memory coherency issues are addressed both within a single resource that has both read and write capabilities and among different resources by efficiently flushing write buffers associated with a resource.