Hybrid Hash Function for Shade Space Texture Memory Locality

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing three-dimensional graphics processing systems face challenges in efficiently managing the computational workload of complex shading operations while maintaining high frame rates, particularly in decoupled rendering scenarios where shading operations are decoupled from geometry processing.

Innovation Solution

A hybrid hash function is employed to efficiently map identifying information of shade space textures to memory addresses, utilizing a combination of randomization and linear mapping to minimize collisions and enhance memory access locality, thereby optimizing the storage and retrieval of shade space texture data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If complex shading operations are performed in decoupled rendering, then image quality is improved, but computational workload and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-calculates and stores shading information in shade space textures during a visibility pass before final rendering. By performing shading operations in advance and storing results in a structured data structure with optimized memory layout, the system reduces computational workload during actual rendering while maintaining image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent divides the rendering process into separate passes: visibility determination, shade space texture generation, and final reconstruction. This segmentation allows complex shading operations to be performed independently and stored, enabling high frame rates during final rendering without sacrificing image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If shade space textures are stored in memory with optimized access patterns, then memory access locality is improved, but memory management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory access speedVSAvoidmemory management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent organizes shade space textures into a hierarchical data structure with tiles grouped by visibility and spatial location. This segmentation creates natural memory access patterns where frequently accessed tiles are stored contiguously, improving locality without requiring complex dynamic memory management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an additional organizational dimension by grouping tiles according to visibility pass results and spatial relationships. This multi-dimensional organization optimizes memory access patterns for both reading and writing operations while maintaining manageable complexity through structured grouping rather than arbitrary arrangements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Reliability

If hybrid hash function is used to map identifying information to memory addresses, then collision minimization is improved, but computational overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollision minimizationVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hybrid hash function segments the identifying information into multiple components and processes them through different hashing stages. This segmentation allows the system to minimize collisions by distributing data across multiple hash buckets while keeping each individual hashing operation computationally simple and efficient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250209721A1Hybrid hash function for access locality
Publication Date: 2025.06.26 ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES INC
  • US20250209721A1 patent drawing
  • US20250209721A1 patent drawing
  • US20250209721A1 patent drawing

AI summary

A technique for rendering is provided. The technique includes mapping a randomization portion of an item of identifying information to a random block of an address space; mapping a linear portion of the item of identifying information to an element within the block; and accessing the element.