Apparatus and method for managing graphics buffers for a processor in sleep mode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753527-B2
Application number	US-201414339962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2014
Priority date	Dec 29, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

One disclosed method includes registering a graphics buffer with a kernel running on a first processor, storing the registered graphics buffer in memory initially without drawing the graphics buffer to a display, and passing the registered graphics buffer to a kernel display driver directly to draw the graphics buffer to the display, in response to a trigger. The method may further include informing a second processor of the registered graphics buffer and receiving the trigger by the kernel as a message from the second processor. The first processor may receive the trigger as a wake command from the second processor while the first processor is in sleep mode. A partial resume of the kernel is then performed while preventing activation of user space on the primary processor, and the graphics buffer is drawn on the display without using an operating system graphics pipeline of the user space.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
registering, by a first processor of an electronic device, a graphics buffer with a kernel executed by the first processor, the kernel comprising a display driver;
storing, by the first processor, the registered graphics buffer in a memory without outputting the graphics buffer for display;
while the first processor is in a sleep mode, receiving, by the first processor and from a second processor of the electronic device, a wake command;
responsive to receiving the wake command, performing, by the first processor, at least a partial resume of the kernel while preventing an activation of a user space accessed by the first processor;

and
responsive to receiving a command associated with the registered graphics buffer from the second processor, outputting, by the first processor using the display driver of the kernel, and for display, the graphics buffer without using an operating system graphics pipeline of the user space.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
informing, by the first processor, the second processor of the registered graphics buffer that is stored in the memory.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by an application executing in the user space, a graphics buffer creation trigger; and
responsive to receiving the graphics buffer creation trigger, registering the graphics buffer with the kernel.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein receiving the graphics buffer creation trigger comprises:
receiving, by the application executing in the user space, the buffer creation trigger in response to a notification message that is related to the graphics buffer.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the command associated with the registered graphics buffer comprises a draw command that includes buffer identification information for the registered graphics buffer.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the kernel executed by the first processor, and from the second processor, an erase command that includes buffer identification information for a graphics buffer containing a black geometric shape; and
outputting, by the first processor using the display driver of the kernel, and for display, the black geometric shape at an area in order to erase the area from display.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the wake command from the second processor comprises receiving, by the first processor and from the second processor, the wake command in response to the second processor detecting a user input a touchscreen display, the user input selecting a notification message.

8. An apparatus comprising:
a display;
a non-transitory memory;
a primary processor; and
a secondary processor,
wherein the primary processor and the secondary processor are each operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory, and
wherein the primary processor is configured to:
execute a kernel comprising a display drive;
execute a user space comprising one or more applications, the user space operative to register a graphics buffer with the kernel;
store the registered graphics buffer in the non-transitory memory without outputting the graphics buffer for display;
while the primary processor is in a sleep mode, receive, from the secondary processor of the apparatus, a wake command;
responsive to receiving the wake command, perform at least a partial resume of the kernel while preventing an activation of the user space; and
responsive to receiving a command associated with the registered graphics buffer from the secondary processor, output, using the display driver of the kernel, and for display, the graphics buffer without using an operating system graphics pipeline of the user space.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the primary processor is further configured to:
inform the secondary processor of the registered graphics buffer.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the primary processor is further configured to:
receive, by a first application executing in the user space, and from a second application executing in the user space, a graphics buffer creation trigger; and
register, by the first application, the graphics buffer with the kernel.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first application is further configured to receive the graphics buffer creation trigger in response to a notification message that is related to the graphics buffer.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the command associated with the registered graphics buffer comprises a draw command that includes buffer identification information for the registered graphics buffer.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the primary processor is further configured to:
receive, by the kernel and from the secondary processor, an erase command that includes buffer identification information for a graphics buffer stored in the non-transitory memory and containing a black geometric shape; and
output, using the display driver of the kernel, and for display, the black geometric shape at an area of the display in order to erase the area.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the display is a touchscreen display, and wherein the primary processor is configured to receive the wake command in response to the secondary processor receiving an indication of a user input detected at the touchscreen display, the user input selecting a notification message.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a touchscreen display;
a non-transitory memory;
a primary processor configured to execute a kernel and a user space comprising one or more applications, the kernel comprising a display driver, and the user space operative to register a graphics buffer with the kernel; and
a secondary processor,
wherein the primary processor and the secondary processor are each operatively coupled to the non-transitory memory, and
wherein the secondary processor is configured to:
receive an indication of a user input detected at the touchscreen display to select a notification;
responsive to receiving the indication of the user input, and while the primary processor is in a sleep mode, send a wake command to the primary processor to initiate at least a partial resume of the kernel while preventing an activation of the user space; and
pass the registered graphics buffer to the display driver of the kernel.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the secondary processor is further configured to:
receive, from the primary processor, an indication of the registered graphics buffer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the secondary processor is further configured to:
send, to the primary processor, an erase command that includes buffer identification information for a graphics buffer stored in the non-transitory memory and containing a black geometric shape.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the secondary processor is configured to send the wake command to the primary processor in response to receiving an indication of a user input detected at the touchscreen display, the user input selecting a notification message.

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Connell Nathan M
• Dharawat Parikshit
• Flowers Christian L
• Suttles Jared S
• Swantek Joseph
• Wang Haitang

Classifications

• G06F9/4418

  Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake · CPC title

• G06F9/451

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G09G2360/18

  Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/3218

  of display devices · CPC title

• G09G5/003

  Details of a display terminal, the details relating to the control arrangement of the display terminal and to the interfaces thereto (specific for a CRT G09G1/165; for a flat panel G09G3/2092) · CPC title