Fragment Shading Rate Combining in Tile-Based Rendering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing graphics processing systems struggle to efficiently handle variable fragment shading rates, leading to increased processing requirements and memory bandwidth demands, particularly in tile-based systems.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for efficiently combining different fragment shading rate (FSR) sources by leveraging the likelihood of consecutive primitives sharing the same FSR value, reducing the need for redundant calculations and storage requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If variable fragment shading rates are implemented in tile-based graphics processing systems, then rendering flexibility and quality are improved, but processing requirements and memory bandwidth demands increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering flexibilityVSAvoidprocessing requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by determining and storing the combined fragment shading rate value during the geometry processing phase, before the rendering phase begins. This allows the rendering phase to simply retrieve and use the pre-calculated value, avoiding redundant calculations and reducing processing requirements during actual rendering.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple fragment shading rate values (pipeline-level FSR value and primitive-level FSR value) into a single combined fragment shading rate value. This consolidation simplifies the data structure and reduces memory bandwidth demands by storing one combined value rather than multiple separate values.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If multiple fragment shading rate values are stored for each primitive, then rendering accuracy is improved, but memory bandwidth demands increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering accuracyVSAvoidmemory bandwidth demands
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple fragment shading rate values into a single combined value that is stored in memory. This merging approach maintains the necessary rendering accuracy information while significantly reducing the quantity of data that needs to be stored and transferred, thereby lowering memory bandwidth demands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The combined fragment shading rate value is calculated and stored in advance during geometry processing, before the rendering phase. This preliminary calculation eliminates the need to store multiple separate FSR values, reducing memory bandwidth requirements while preserving rendering accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If fragment shading rate calculations are performed for every primitive, then rendering precision is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering precisionVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs the fragment shading rate calculation in advance during the geometry processing phase, storing the combined FSR value for later use. This preliminary action eliminates the need to recalculate FSR values during the rendering phase, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining rendering precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By merging pipeline-level and primitive-level FSR values into a single combined value, the patent reduces the computational complexity of FSR calculations. This consolidation maintains rendering precision while decreasing the time required for processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP4113447B1Graphics processing system and method of rendering
Publication Date: 2026.02.18 IMAGINATION TECH LTD
  • EP4113447B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4113447B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4113447B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

There is provided a method of rendering, in a rendering space, a scene formed by primitives in a graphics processing system. The method comprises a geometry processing phase, comprising the step of storing fragment shading rate data representing a first fragment shading rate value and associating data identifying a primitive with the fragment shading rate data. The method further comprises a rendering phase comprising the steps of: retrieving the stored fragment shading rate data and associated data identifying the primitive, obtaining an attachment specifying one or more attachment fragment shading rate values for the rendering space; processing the primitive to derive primitive fragments to be shaded; and for each primitive fragment, combining the first fragment shading rate value for the primitive from which the primitive fragment is derived with an attachment fragment shading rate value from the attachment to produce a resolved combined fragment shading rate value for the respective fragment.