Efficient triangular shaped meshes

Abstract

The present invention renders a triangular mesh for employment in graphical displays. The triangular mesh comprises triangle-shaped graphics primitives. The triangle-shaped graphics primitives represent a subdivided triangular shape. Each triangle-shaped graphics primitive shares defined vertices with adjoining triangle-shaped graphics primitives. These shared vertices are transmitted and employed for the rendering of the triangle-shaped graphics primitives.

1 . An apparatus for transmitting and rendering a triangular mesh comprising a plurality of graphics triangle primitives, the graphics triangle primitives having at least one lower and upper vertex, comprising: 
 a graphics processor, wherein the graphics processor is employable to derive a plurality of adjacent graphics triangle primitives; and    a display device employable to cache both the at least one lower vertex and at least one upper vertex of each triangle primitive, wherein the display device is further employable to overwrite at least one lower vertex of each graphics triangle primitive with at least one higher vertex of each triangle primitive, the display device still further employable to cache at least one new upper vertex of a triangle primitive of the next higher row.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the graphics processor is employable to subdivide a triangular shape from triangle primitives, thereby creating a triangular mesh.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the step of subdividing comprises creating a substantially equalized bisection.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the step of subdividing comprises creating a substantially equalized n-section.  
   
   
       5 . A method for employing protocol for the transmission and rendering of a triangular mesh, comprising: 
 a first rendering of one triangle primitive upon receipt of an upper vertex of a row, wherein the vertex of the row is not the last vertex of the row;    a second rendering of two triangle primitives upon receipt of the last upper vertex of a row; and    decrementing a mesh width after a row of vertices is received.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the step of first rendering employs triangle primitives extendable to create a triangular mesh.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein a step of a subdividing decomposes a shape to be transmitted and rendered into subdivisions.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the step of subdividing comprises creating a substantially equalized bisection.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the subdividing comprises creating a substantially equalized n-section.