Image rendering device and image rendering method

1. An image rendering device, comprising:

a fragment generator configured to generate a set of fragments including pixels in different positions based on inputted pixel data and store them as rasterization results in the data buffer, wherein the fragment generator reads the rasterization result in an identical coordinate position which is already stored in the data buffer, and merges pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data and stores them as one rasterization result in the data buffer when the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data do not conflict with each other;

a data buffer configured to hold rasterization results of polygons, wherein the data buffer merges the rasterization results which do not conflict with each other and holds them as one rasterization result; and

a pixel processor configured to acquire the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially process pixel data contained in the rasterization result and contained in the fragment generated by the fragment generator,

wherein the fragment is a set of pixels located adjacent to each other in a rectangular shape, and

wherein the fragment is a set of pixels located apart from each other.

2. The image rendering device according to claim 1 , wherein when merging the plural rasterization results, the fragment generator performs merging processing in merger units of at least two or more pixels square.

3. The image rendering device according to claim 1 , wherein the data buffer comprises a plurality of data buffers.

4. The image rendering device according to claim 3 , wherein a coordinate position of the fragment stored in each of the data buffers is fixed.

5. The image rendering device according to claim 1 , wherein the fragment generator comprises a depth test function.

6. An image rendering method comprising:

storing rasterization results of polygons in a data buffer;

merging the rasterization results which do not conflict witch each other and storing them as one rasterization result in the data buffer;

acquiring the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially processing pixel data contained in the rasterization result;

generating a set of fragments including pixels in different positions based on the inputted pixel data and storing them as rasterization results in the data buffer;

reading the rasterization result in an identical coordinate position which is already stored in the data buffer; and

merging pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data and storing them as one rasterization result in the data buffer when the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data do not conflict with each other.

7. The image rendering method according to claim 6 , wherein when the plural rasterization results are merged, merging processing is performed in merger units of at least two or more pixels square.

8. The image rendering method according to claim 6 , wherein the data buffer comprises a plurality of data buffers.

9. The image rendering method according to claim 8 , wherein a coordinate position of the fragment stored in each of the data buffers is fixed.

10. An image rendering method, comprising:

storing rasterization results of polygons in a data buffer;

merging the rasterization results which do not conflict with each other and storing them as one rasterization result in the data buffer; and

acquiring the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially processing pixel data contained in the rasterization result,

wherein when the rasterization result is stored in the data buffer, a depth test is performed, and pixel data having a deeper depth is abandoned.

11. A graphic system comprising:

a memory in which original vertex data to render object is stored;

a CPU configured to read out the original vertex data from the memory to execute processing and output the result of the processing as processed vertex data; and

an image rendering device including:

a rasterizer to which the processed vertex data is inputted from the CPU and which performs a rasterizing process for the processed vertex data and outputs pixel data;

a fragment generator configured to generate a set of fragments including pixels in different positions based on the inputted pixel data from the rasterizer, wherein the sets of the fragments are regarded as rasterization results;

a data buffer in which the rasterization results are stored from the fragment generator, wherein the fragment generator merges the rasterization results which do not conflict with each other and stores them as one rasterization result in the data buffer; and

a pixel processor configured to acquire the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially process the pixel data contained in the rasterization result.

12. An image rendering device, comprising:

a fragment generator configured to generate sets of fragments including pixels in different positions based on inputted pixel data from a rasterizer, wherein the sets of the fragments are regarded as rasterization results;

a data buffer in which the rasterization results are stored from the fragment generator, wherein the fragment generator merges the rasterization results which do no conflict with each other and stores them as one rasterization result in the data buffer; and

a pixel processor configured to acquire the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially process pixel data contained in the rasterization result.

13. The image rendering device according to claim 12 ,

wherein the fragment generator reads from the data buffer the rasterization result in an identical coordinate position to the inputted pixel data, and the fragment generator merges the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data and stores them as one rasterization result in the data buffer when the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data do not conflict with each other.

14. The image rending device according to claim 13 , wherein when merging the plural rasterization results, the fragment generator performs merging processing in merger units of at least two or more pixels square.

15. The image rendering device according to claim 12 , wherein the data buffer comprises a plurality of data buffers.

16. The image rendering device according to claim 15 , wherein a coordinate position of the fragment stored in each of the data buffers is fixed.

17. The image rendering device according to claim 12 , wherein the fragment generator comprises a depth test function.

18. An image rendering method, comprising:

generating sets of fragments including pixels in different position based on inputted pixel data from a rasterizer, wherein the sets of the fragments are regarded as rasterization results;

storing the rasterization results from the fragment generator in a data buffer;

merging the rasterization results which do not conflict with each other and storing them as one rasterization result in the data buffer; and

acquiring the rasterization result from the data buffer and sequentially processing pixel data contained in the rasterization result.

19. The image rending method according to claim 18 , wherein the merging comprises:

reading from the data buffer the rasterization result in an identical coordinate position to the inputted pixel data; and

merging the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data and storing them as one rasterization result in the data buffer when the pixel data contained in the read rasterization result and the inputted pixel data do not conflict with each other.

20. The image rendering method according to claim 19 , wherein when the plural rasterization results are merged, merging processing is performed in merger units of at least two or more pixels square.

21. The image rendering method according to claim 18 , wherein the data buffer comprises a plurality of data buffers.

22. The image rendering method according to claim 21 , wherein a coordinate position of the fragment stored in each of the data buffers is fixed.

23. The image rendering method according to claim 18 , wherein when the rasterization result is stored in the data buffer, a depth test is performed, and pixel data having a deeper depth is abandoned.