Nvidia patents cache system to speed up texture loading in graphics
Nvidia describes a method that keeps uncompressed image details, known as textures, in a temporary storage area called a cache. Instead of the software having to unpack the same compressed image data repeatedly, the system checks the cache first and uses the ready-to-use version if it is there. This reduces the workload on the graphics processor when rendering 3D scenes.
In the filing’s own words
In computer graphics, texture refers to a type of surface, including the material characteristics, that can be applied to an object in an image. In some implementations, a texture may be represented as an image that can be placed on a three-dimensional (3D) model of an object to give surface details to the 3D object. To reduce a size of textures (e.g. for storage and transmission), textures may be compressed. However, current decompression methods that execute in software shader code are costly, especially where high compression ratios are involved. The present disclosure provides for a software-assisted hardware cache for texture decompression, which can be used to access already decompressed textures thereby reducing a number of decompressions required to be performed.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method, comprising: at a device: responsive to identifying a compressed representation of image data that is to be decompressed, determining whether the image data is stored in a cache; when the image data is stored in the cache, accessing the image data from the cache.
Facts
- Company
- Nvidia (NVIDIA Corporation)
- Official title
- SOFTWARE-ASSISTED HARDWARE CACHE FOR TEXTURE DECOMPRESSION
- Publication number
- US20260301111A1
- Application number
- 19093002
- Filed
- Mar 27, 2025
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 30
Classified under
G06T 1/60 Physics & computingG06T 9/002 Physics & computingG06T 15/005 Physics & computingG06T 15/04 Physics & computingG06T 2210/08 Physics & computingMore from Nvidia in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.