Method and apparatus for intelligent cloud-based graphics updates

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016284041-A1
Application number	US-201514670962-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 27, 2015
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method are described for cloud-based graphics updates. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises a system optimization agent to detect a graphics application installed on the apparatus, the system optimization agent to responsively transmit, over a network, information related to the graphics application including a new graphics application or a new version of an existing graphics application. The apparatus may further comprise the system optimization agent to receive, over the network, optimized program code comprising one or more optimizations to specified portions of a graphics driver, where the one or more optimizations relate to the graphics application. The apparatus may further comprise the system optimization agent to install and enable only those specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations have been received, where the installation and enablement triggers at least one of increased user experience and increased performance relating to the graphics application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
a system optimization agent to detect a graphics application installed on the apparatus, the system optimization agent to responsively transmit, over a network, information related to the graphics application including a new graphics application or a new version of an existing graphics application; the system optimization agent to receive, over the network, optimized program code comprising one or more optimizations to specified portions of a graphics driver, wherein the one or more optimizations relate to the graphics application; and the system optimization agent to install and enable only those specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations have been received, wherein the installation and enablement triggers at least one of increased user experience and increased performance relating to the graphics application.

2 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the system optimization agent is to further transmit, over the network, user preference data to facilitate determination of the specified portions of the graphics driver to be updated, if any, based, at least in part, on the user preference data, wherein the network includes a Cloud network.

3 . The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the user preference data indicates a desired level of quality and/or performance such that offline optimization towards either quality or performance is performed in accordance with the user preference data using cloud-based resources.

4 . The apparatus as in claim 3 wherein to achieve relatively greater quality, the system optimization agent to facilitate performance of offline shader compilation in the cloud.

5 . The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the system optimization agent is to further transmit system configuration data to facilitate determination of the specified portions of the graphics driver to be updated, if any, based, at least in part, on the system configuration data.

6 . The apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations are received comprise system configuration-specific optimizations.

7 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the optimizations to specified portions of the graphics driver comprise shader optimizations.

8 . The apparatus as in claim 7 wherein, depending on user preferences, the shader optimizations are to be generated by performing offline shader compilation.

9 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the system optimization agent is to additionally receive application-specific optimizations, the system optimization agent to install the application-specific optimizations on the apparatus.

10 . The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the application-specific optimizations comprise an indication of how physical memory is to be partitioned between a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a central processing unit (CPU), how hardware resources on the GPU are partitioned, and/or whether certain GPU hardware resources are enabled or disabled.

11 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the system optimization agent is to detect the graphics application installed on the apparatus using periodic checks and/or install hooks.

12 . The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the system optimization agent is to install and enable only those specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations have been received without reinstalling the entire graphics driver.

13 . A method comprising:
detecting a graphics application installed on an apparatus, the apparatus to process graphics commands; responsively transmitting, over a network, information related to the graphics application including a new graphics application or a new version of an existing graphics application; receiving, over the network, optimized program code comprising one or more optimizations to specified portions of a graphics driver; and installing and enabling only those specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations have been received, wherein installing and enabling triggers at least one of increased user experience and increased performance relating to the graphics application.

14 . The method as in claim 13 further comprising:
transmitting, over the network, user preference data to facilitate determination of the specified portions of the graphics driver to be updated, if any, based, at least in part, on the user preference data, wherein the network includes a Cloud network.

15 . The method as in claim 14 wherein the user preference data indicates a desired level of quality and/or performance to perform offline optimization towards either quality or performance in accordance with the user preference data using cloud-based resources.

16 . The method as in claim 15 further comprising performing offline shader compilation in the cloud to achieve relatively greater quality.

17 . The method as in claim 14 further comprising:
transmitting system configuration data to facilitate determination of the specified portions of the graphics driver to be updated, if any, based, at least in part, on the system configuration data.

18 . The method as in claim 17 wherein the specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations are received comprise system configuration-specific optimizations.

19 . The method as in claim 13 wherein the optimizations to specified portions of the graphics driver comprise shader optimizations.

20 . The method as in claim 19 wherein, depending on user preferences, the shader optimizations are to be generated by performing offline shader compilation.

21 . The method as in claim 13 further comprising:
receiving application-specific optimizations; and
installing the application-specific optimizations.

22 . The method as in claim 21 wherein the application-specific optimizations comprise an indication of how physical memory is to be partitioned between a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a central processing unit (CPU), how hardware resources on the GPU are partitioned, and/or whether certain GPU hardware resources are enabled or disabled.

23 . The method as in claim 13 wherein the graphics application installed on the apparatus is detected using periodic checks and/or install hooks.

24 . The method as in claim 13 wherein the specified portions of the graphics driver for which optimizations have been received are installed without reinstalling the entire graphics driver.

25 . An apparatus comprising:
a graphics optimization service to detect installation of an application; the graphics optimization service to monitor user preferences relating to a user of the application; the graphics optimization service to compile an optimized program code having optimizations relating to the application, wherein the optimizations are determined based on the user preferences; and the graphics optimization service to communicate, over a network, the optimized program code to facilitate at least one of increased user experience and increased performance relating to the application.

26 . The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the graphics optimization service is further to monitor at least one of system configuration and user behavior relating to the user of the application, wherein the optimizations are further determined based on at least one of the system configuration and user behavior.

27 . The a

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Schluessler Travis T
• Taylor Robert B
• Venkatesh Abhishek
• Walsh Daniel H

Classifications

• G06F8/658

  Incremental updates; Differential updates · CPC title

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06T1/20 Primary

  Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining · CPC title