Ray Tracing Processor Node Culling Using Distance Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ray tracing techniques are computationally intensive and inefficient in graphics processing, particularly due to the extensive use of acceleration data structures and unnecessary testing of nodes that have been intersected by objects, leading to significant computation burden.
Innovation Solution
A graphics processor is designed with ray tracing circuitry that stores test record entries and distance data for each ray, using a stack-based management system to efficiently traverse and test nodes, and employs a ray maximum range to discard irrelevant nodes, reducing storage and computation requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If hierarchical bounding volumes are used to reduce computation, then the amount of computation required for ray tracing is reduced, but the device complexity increases due to acceleration data structures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the scene geometry into hierarchical bounding volumes (TLAS and BLAS structures), segmenting the complex scene into manageable acceleration structures that enable efficient ray traversal and intersection testing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hierarchical dimension to the scene representation by organizing bounding volumes into multiple levels (top-level and bottom-level acceleration structures), adding an organizational dimension that improves ray tracing efficiency without significantly increasing operational complexity
2Reliability
If all nodes in the acceleration structure are tested, then complete scene coverage is achieved, but the computation burden increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and stores distance data for each node in the acceleration structure, enabling the identification and elimination of nodes that are beyond the ray's maximum range, thus removing unnecessary computations while maintaining complete coverage of relevant scene elements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the approach by introducing distance as a filtering parameter, using the ray's maximum range parameter to cull nodes that cannot possibly intersect the ray, thereby transforming the problem from testing all nodes to testing only relevant nodes based on distance criteria
3Productivity
If distance data is stored for all nodes, then node culling becomes possible, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by storing distance data selectively for nodes in the acceleration structure rather than uniformly across all possible data, enabling sufficient node culling capability while avoiding excessive storage requirements through targeted distance data collection
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a graphics processor comprising: storage; execution circuitry to execute programs to perform graphics processing operations using a ray tracing process to generate a render output representative of a view of a scene; and ray tracing circuitry to trace a ray by performing tests to determine whether the ray may intersect geometry in the scene, the ray tracing circuitry being configured to store one or more test record entries for a ray being traced in the storage, each test record entry being indicative of a test to be performed to trace the ray, wherein the ray tracing circuitry is further configured to store distance data respective of one or more test record entries, the distance data respective of a test record entry being data representative of a distance to a volume of the scene associated with the test record entry.