Hierarchical lossless compression and null data support
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A graphics processor comprising:
- a memory; and
one or more graphics cores configured to operate with the memory to process computer graphics by;
receiving an access request to a memory resource that is associated with a metadata stored in the memory, the metadata being configured to encode, as a number of bits per respective compression block, state data identifying (i) when the associated memory resource is null, a null-state indicator value so indicating, and (ii) when the associated memory resource is not null, a compression state of the respective compression block from among possible different compression states;
determining whether the state data encodes the null-state indicator value indicating that the associated memory resource is null before accessing the memory resource; and
in response to (i) the null-state determination, and (ii) the access request being a write operation, ignoring the access request.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are computer graphics technologies to facilitate effective and efficient memory handling for blocks of memory including texture maps. More particularly, one or more implementations described herein facilitates hierarchical lossless compression of memory with null data support for memory resources, including texture maps. More particularly still, one or more implementations described herein facilitates the use of meta-data for lossless compression and the support of null encodings for Tiled Resources. This technology also permits use of the fast-clear compression method, where meta-data specifies that the entire access should return some specified clear value.
17 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A graphics processor comprising:
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a memory; and one or more graphics cores configured to operate with the memory to process computer graphics by; receiving an access request to a memory resource that is associated with a metadata stored in the memory, the metadata being configured to encode, as a number of bits per respective compression block, state data identifying (i) when the associated memory resource is null, a null-state indicator value so indicating, and (ii) when the associated memory resource is not null, a compression state of the respective compression block from among possible different compression states; determining whether the state data encodes the null-state indicator value indicating that the associated memory resource is null before accessing the memory resource; and in response to (i) the null-state determination, and (ii) the access request being a write operation, ignoring the access request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16)
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11. A graphics processor comprising:
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a memory; and one or more graphics cores configured to operate with the memory to process computer graphics by; receiving an access request to a memory resource that is associated with a metadata stored in the memory, the metadata being configured to encode, as a number of bits per respective compression block, state data identifying (i) when the associated memory resource is null, a null-state indicator value so indicating, and (ii) when the associated memory resource is not null, a compression state of the respective compression block from among possible different compression states; determining whether the data of the memory resource is in a null state by accessing the state data associated with the memory resource without performing a read operation of the memory resource; in response to (i) the null state determination, and (ii) the access request being a read operation, returning a default value in response to the access request instead of reading the memory resource; and receiving another access request to the memory resource that is a write operation and, in response to (i) the null state determination, and (ii) the another access request being a write operation, ignoring the write operation access request. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one of more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
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receive an access request to a memory resource that is associated with a metadata stored in a memory, the metadata being configured to encode, as a number of bits per respective compression block, state data identifying (i) when the associated memory resource is null, a null-state indicator value so indicating, and (ii) when the associated memory resource is not null, a compression state of the respective compression block from among possible different compression states; determine whether the data of the memory resource is in a null state by accessing the state data associated with the memory resource without performing a read operation of the memory resource; and in response to (i) the null state determination, and (ii) the access request being a write operation, ignoring the access request. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification