Wow, ich glaube wirklich dieses Patent beschreibt den Revo. Aus dem Gamespot-Forum:
HOW I GOT TO MY CONCLUSIONS
(actual simplified explanation below picture)
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Quoted from the Patent:
Abstract
A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. Emboss style effects are created using fully pipelined hardware including two distinct dot-product computation units that perform a scaled model view matrix multiply without requiring the Normal input vector and which also compute dot-products between the Binormal and Tangent vectors and a light direction vector in parallel. The resulting texture coordinate displacements are provided to texture mapping hardware that performs a texture mapping operation providing texture combining in one pass. The disclosed pipelined arrangement efficiently provides interesting embossed style image effects such as raised and lowered patterns on surfaces.
Explanation: The patent explains that instead of having the current method of bump-mapping, they will create a seperate system (assumed to be a piece of hardware) to do bump-mapping calculations while the primary system just applies these calculations.
[0033] In graphics rendering systems where the T&L operations are performed by dedicated graphics hardware, the host CPU typically provides model-space vertex attributes to the dedicated T&L hardware and then allows the hardware to perform all the coordinate space transformations and lighting computations. Consequently, it is not particularly efficient to require the host CPU to compute texture coordinate displacements for bump mapping purposes subsequent to the T&L hardware performing space transformations of the vertex position and surface normal/binormal vectors. Essentially, this would effectively undermine rendering speed improvements gained from utilizing dedicated T&L hardware whenever bump mapping operations are performed.
[0034] The present invention solves this problem by providing techniques and arrangements in a graphics rendering system for the efficient generation of texture coordinate displacements for implementing at least an emboss-style bump-mapping texture effect without the need for the host CPU application software to compute the required texture coordinate displacements. An enhanced API (applications program interface) vertex attribute function capable of specifying three surface normals per vertex (i.e., the Normal, Tangent and Binormal) is utilized and the host CPU application software need only compute the required additional Tangent and Binormal surface vectors per vertex in object-space (model-space), in addition to providing the surface Normal and other conventional per-vertex attributes.
Then it goes into detail of how the system will work.
IF you READ the patent, I've deduced the following:
System 54- The hardware (console) itself.
"audio digital signal processor"~Quoted from Abstract
[0056] To play a video game or other application using system 50, the user first connects a main unit 54 to his or her color television set 56 or other display device by connecting a cable 58 between the two. Main unit 54 produces both video signals and audio signals for controlling color television set 56. The video signals are what controls the images displayed on the television screen 59, and the audio signals are played back as sound through television stereo loudspeakers 61L, 61R.
Systems 52 (a,b,c,d, etc) - Input devices, such as Control Pads, or controllers
[0058] The user may use hand controllers 52a, 52b to control main unit 54. Controls 60 can be used, for example, to specify the direction (up or down, left or right, closer or further away) that a character displayed on television 56 should move within a 3D world. Controls 60 also provide input for other applications (e.g., menu selection, pointer/cursor control, etc.). Controllers 52 can take a variety of forms. In this example, controllers 52 shown each include controls 60 such as joysticks, push buttons and/or directional switches. Controllers 52 may be connected to main unit 54 by cables or wirelessly via electromagnetic (e.g., radio or infrared) waves.
System 50- The "seperate piece of hardware [used] to apply bump-mapping to textures"
"graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline"~Quoted from Abstract
[0055] In this example, system 50 is capable of processing, interactively in real time, a digital representation or model of a three-dimensional world. System 50 can display some or all of the world from any arbitrary viewpoint. For example, system 50 can interactively change the viewpoint in response to real time inputs from handheld controllers 52a, 52b or other input devices. This allows the game player to see the world through the eyes of someone within or outside of the world. System 50 can be used for applications that do not require real time 3D interactive display (e.g., 2D display generation and/or non-interactive display), but the capability of displaying quality 3D images very quickly can be used to create very realistic and exciting game play or other graphical interactions.
So, it is official; the patent is for a "console" that has two-parts. Notice the picture; system 50 is not included in the diagram, but left blank.
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Simplified Explanation
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What this means is that, there are 2 pieces of the console hardware.
The main console (system 54) does this:
Sends audio/video signals to the television set, meaning it applies what "system 50" processes to the audio. Basically it puts the calculations into the formula in the correct order.
And the second, unshown hardware, (system 50) does this:
Processes the digital models, displays some/all of the world from [viewpoint x], can "interactively change the viewpoint in response to real time inputs from handeld controllers 52a, 52b, or other input devices. This lets the player "see the world through the eyes of someone within or outside of the world". It also can display 2-d images, but is primarily used to "create very realistic and exciting game play" or other graphical interactions.
And the input devices (aka: controllers)
Will not always take this example. They can take "a variety of forms".
````` The REALLY interesting thing is that, if this is true, Nintendo hasn't even shown us the REAL "revolution" console yet. What they have shown us (the black box) is simply a communication device between the ACTUAL console (the part that does the calculations), the player (via the controller), and the television screen. We haven't seen ANYTHING yet. Literally.
The clues are adding up. Think of it what you wish. But, interestingly enough, it all sounds a lot like what this guy wrote:
http://revolutionspecs.blogspot.com/
Okay, bis der Revo enthüllt wurde, glaube ich an ON oder ähnliches. Alleine schon, dass beschrieben wird, dass es ZWEI Systeme geben soll...
Revo + ON ... :suprised:
)
! Die Unreal3 Engine beruht zu einem riesen Teil auf dieser Technik..