Display system with improved graphics abilities while switching graphics processing units

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9542914-B2
Application number	US-34741308-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2008
Priority date	Dec 31, 2008
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for improving graphics abilities while switching between graphics processing units (GPUs). Some embodiments may include a display system, including a plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs) and a memory buffer coupled to the GPUs via a timing controller, where the memory buffer stores data associated with a first video frame from a first GPU within the plurality of GPUs and where the timing controller is switching between the first GPU and a second GPU within the plurality.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a display;
a plurality of graphics processing units (GPUs);
a memory buffer; and
a timing controller configured to:
receive first video data from a first GPU of the plurality of GPUs, wherein the first video data includes a first plurality of frames;
send one or more frames of the first plurality of frames to the display; and
store at least one frame of the first plurality of frames in the memory buffer in response to receiving an indication that a switch from the first GPU to a second GPU of the plurality of GPUs is to occur;

wherein the memory buffer is configured to send an acknowledgement signal to the timing controller in response to a determination that storage of the at least one frame of data has completed;
wherein the timing controller is further configured to:
send, to the display, the at least one frame from the memory buffer in response to a determination that the first video data is no longer being received from the first GPU and the acknowledgement signal has been received; and
receive second video data from the second GPU of the plurality of GPUs in response to sending, to the display, the at least one frame from the memory buffer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second video data is to be provided to the display subsequent to the at least one frame from the memory buffer.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is further configured to store a predetermined number frames of the first plurality of frames to the memory buffer periodically in response to a determination that the predefined number of frames has been received.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein to store the at least one frame, the timing controller is further configured to store, for each frame sent to the display, a respective frame to the memory buffer.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is further configured to store the at least one frame in the memory buffer concurrently with sending the at least one frame to the display.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the memory buffer is powered off while the timing controller is powered on.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second GPU is external to a chipset.

8. A method comprising:
receiving first video data from a first graphics processing unit (GPU) of a plurality of GPUs, wherein the first video data includes a first plurality of frames;
storing, in a memory buffer, one or more frames of the first plurality of frames in response to receiving an indication that a switch from the first GPU to a second GPU of the plurality of GPUs is to occur;
sending, by the memory buffer, an acknowledgement signal in response to determining that storage of the at least one frame of data has completed;
sending, to a display, at least one frame from the memory buffer in response to determining that the first video data is no longer being received from the first GPU and the acknowledgement signal has been received; and
receiving second video data from the second GPU of the plurality of GPUs in response to sending, to the display, the at least one frame from the memory buffer, wherein the second video data includes a second plurality of frames.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the second video data from the second GPU after a time period has elapsed since receiving the first video data.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising sending, to the display, one or more frames of the second plurality of frames in response to a determination that the at least one frame from the memory buffer has been sent to the display.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising powering down the memory buffer prior to receiving the first video frame data.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein storing the one or more frames in the memory buffer comprises storing, in the memory buffer, an additional one or more frames of the first plurality of frames, wherein the additional one or more frames are to be subsequently displayed.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to:
receive first video data from a first graphics processing unit (GPU) in a plurality of GPUs, wherein the first video data includes a first plurality of frames;
store, in a memory buffer, one or more frames of the first plurality of frames in response to receiving an indication that a switch from the first GPU to a second GPU of the plurality of GPUs is to occur;
send, by the memory buffer, an acknowledgement signal in response to determining that storage of the at least one frame of data has completed;
send, to a display, at least one frame from the memory buffer in response to determining that the first video data is no longer being received from the first GPU and the acknowledgement signal has been received; and
receive second video data from the second GPU of the plurality of GPUs in response to sending, to the display, that at least one frame from the memory buffer.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , further comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to determine whether the second GPU is experiencing a blanking period.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein in the event that the second GPU concludes experiencing a blanking period, displaying data from the second GPU.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions that cause the computer processor to send at least one frame to the display from the memory buffer includes instructions that cause the computer processor to remove visual artifacts caused by the switching between the first GPU and the second GPU.

Assignees

• Sakariya Kapil V
• Yin Victor H
• Culbert Michael F
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Sakariya Kapil V
• Yin Victor H
• Culbert Michael F

Classifications

• G09G2360/08

  Power processing, i.e. workload management for processors involved in display operations, such as CPUs or GPUs · CPC title

• G09G2360/06

  Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens · CPC title

• G09G5/39 Primary

  Control of the bit-mapped memory · CPC title