Systems and methods for orchestrating external graphics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9558527-B2
Application number	US-201414523547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods that may be implemented to orchestrate external graphics, for example to support and extend switchable graphics capability beyond internal system components of a host information handling system so as to include an external discrete graphics processing unit (xGPU) that is not integrated or embedded within the chassis enclosure of the host information handling system, and that is coupled to the host information handling system from outside the host system chassis enclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of orchestrating external graphics for an information handling system, comprising:
operating multiple internal graphics components of a host information handling system in simultaneous on condition to display video on at least one integrated display device or first external display device coupled to a host processing device of the host information handling system, the multiple internal graphics components of the information handling system comprising an integrated graphics processing unit (iGPU) of the host processing device and an internal discrete graphics processing unit (I-dGPU) coupled to the host processing device;
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute an operating system (OS) system and system BIOS of the information handling system;
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to detect the presence of an external graphics card (xGPU) of an external docking system temporarily coupled in signal communication with the host information handling system, the xGPU card including at least one external GPU;
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to perform the following steps only after detection of the connected xGPU card:
turning off the I-dGPU of the host information handling system,
leaving on or turning on the iGPU of the host information handling system, and
turning on the xGPU card of the external docking system;

using the host processing device to load graphics drivers for the iGPU and the xGPU card only after detecting the presence of the xGPU card connected to the host information handling system; and
then operating the iGPU and the xGPU card in simultaneous on condition to display video on at least one of the integrated display device, first external display device, or at least one second external display device coupled to the external docking system.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising operating the iGPU and the xGPU card in simultaneous on condition after the system BIOS detects the presence of the xGPU card connected to the host information handling system to display video on at least one second external display device directly coupled to the external docking system, the external docking system being coupled between the information handling system and the second external display device.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the graphics drivers including switchable graphics drivers; and where the method further comprises using the host processing device to execute the switchable graphics drivers to operate each of the iGPU and the xGPU card to selectably display video from different applications executing on the host processing device on at least one of the integrated display device, first external display device, or at least one second external display device coupled to the external docking system.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising using the host processing device to execute the switchable graphics drivers to only use a user-designated one of the iGPU or xGPU card to display video from a given application executing on the host processing device on at least one of the integrated display device, first external display device, or at least one second external display device according to a whitelist designation for the given application that is configured by a user of the information handling system.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to detect the absence of an external graphics card (xGPU) of the external docking system temporarily coupled in signal communication with the host information handling system; and then:
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to perform the following steps only after detection of the absence of a connected xGPU card:
turning on the I-dGPU of the host information handling system,
leaving on or turning on the iGPU of the host information handling system,
leaving off or turning off the xGPU card of the external docking system;

using the host processing device to load graphics drivers for the iGPU and the I-dGPU only after detecting the absence of the xGPU card connected to the host information handling system; and
then operating the iGPU and the I-dGPU in simultaneous on condition to display video on at least one of the integrated display device or first external display device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the host processing device to execute the system BIOS to receive a user-generated undocking signal and to set an Undock Request flag in the system BIOS in response to receiving the user-generated undocking signal; and then performing the following steps upon execution of a next system boot:
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to detect the presence of an external graphics card (xGPU) of an external docking system temporarily coupled in signal communication with the host information handling system, the xGPU card including at least one external GPU;
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to detect the presence of the Undock Request flag in system BIOS; and
then using the at least one processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to perform the following steps only after detection of the presence of the Undock Request flag in system BIOS and despite the detection of the presence of the external graphics card (xGPU) of an external docking system temporarily coupled in signal communication with the host information handling system:
turning on the I-dGPU of the host information handling system,
leaving on or turning on the iGPU of the host information handling system, and
leaving off or turning off the xGPU card of the external docking system;

using the host processing device to load graphics drivers only after detecting the presence of the Undock Request flag in system BIOS; and
then operating the iGPU and the I-dGPU in simultaneous on condition to display video on at least one of the integrated display device or first external display device.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: using the host processing device to execute the system BIOS to receive a user-generated undocking signal; and then performing the following steps in response to receipt of the user-generated undocking signal:
using the host processing device of the host information handling system to execute the system BIOS to notify the operating system executing on the host processing device of the receipt of the user-generated undocking signal;
using the host processing device to execute an application running on the operating system to respond to the BIOS notification of receipt of the user-generated undocking signal by automatically initiating reboot or shutdown of the information handling system.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the host processing device to execute the system BIOS to detect uncoupling of the external graphics card (xGPU) of the external docking system from the information handling system in the absence of a user-generated undocking signal;
using the host processing device to execute the system BIOS to respond to the detected uncoupling of the external graphics card (xGPU) of the external docking system by performing the following steps:
leaving off the I-dGPU of the host information handling system,
leaving on the iGPU of the host information handling system, and
notifying the operating system executing on the host proce

Assignees

• Sierra Danae
• Ross Carlos L
• Bruno Louis
• Grossmann Philip J
• Casparian Mark A
• Olmsted Joe A
• Galiano Alexander
• Brito Alvarez Amaury
• Bove Henry A
• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Sierra Danae
• Ross Carlos L
• Bruno Louis
• Grossmann Philip J
• Casparian Mark A
• Olmsted Joe A
• Galiano Alexander
• Brito Alvarez Amaury
• Bove Henry A

Classifications

• G06F3/1438

  using more than one graphics controller · CPC title

• G06F15/00

  Digital computers in general (details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00); Data processing equipment in general · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06T1/20 Primary

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

• G09G2370/22

  Detection of presence or absence of input display information or of connection or disconnection of a corresponding information source · CPC title