Configurable GPU Hardware Switching Vertex Pixel Processing Paths

The patent implements a unified rendering pipeline that can operate in both immediate rendering mode and tile-based rendering mode using the same hardware resources. The configurable hardware circuit can be dynamically switched between different processing paths (vertex processing path and pixel processing path) depending on the rendering mode, eliminating the need for separate dedicated hardware for each mode and thereby reducing hardware complexity while maintaining graphics processing performance.

The patent merges the vertex processing functions and pixel processing functions into a single integrated rendering pipeline. By combining these previously separate processing stages into one unified path with configurable hardware, the system reduces the total memory allocation required and decreases bandwidth usage while maintaining graphics processing performance.

The patent employs a dynamic configurable hardware circuit that can be reconfigured at runtime to perform different functions. The hardware is dynamically switched between vertex processing mode and pixel processing mode based on the current rendering phase, allowing a single hardware implementation to provide the versatility of multiple dedicated processing paths without incurring the cost of implementing all paths simultaneously.