Systems and methods for updating a frame buffer based on arbitrary graphics calls
First Claim
1. A method for updating the image on a computer display device, said method comprising:
- logically dividing the computer display device into a plurality of zones;
tracking which zones are revised; and
updating only the revised zones on the display device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for dividing a display into zones at system initialization for tracking which zones have any pixels revised so that, when the time comes to update the display, only the zones requiring revision (that is, those zones in which any pixel has been revised) are copied from shadow memory to the frame buffer for display on the display device. The memory for tracking these zones can be allocated at initialization and held since it is relatively small. Consequently, a significant performance gain may be achieved by avoiding the shortcomings of the existing methods in the art notwithstanding the fact that some “clean” pixels in each zone having even a single changed pixel are also rewritten to the frame buffer.
21 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for updating the image on a computer display device, said method comprising:
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logically dividing the computer display device into a plurality of zones;
tracking which zones are revised; and
updating only the revised zones on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions for updating the image on a computer display device, said computer-readable instructions comprising:
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instructions for logically dividing the computer display device into a plurality of zones;
instructions for tracking which zones are revised; and
instructions for updating only the revised zones on the display device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A system for updating the image on a computer display device, said system comprising:
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a memory;
a shadow memory in said memory, said shadow memory comprising a plurality of zones;
a zone grid in said memory for tracking whether changes occur in each zone of said plurality of zones;
a processing unit for rendering revisions to said shadow memory and tracking in said zone grid which zones of said plurality of zones are revised;
a frame buffer to which the processing unit, based on the information stored in the zone grid, writes only those zones that have been revised from the shadow memory to said frame buffer; and
a display device coupled to said frame buffer. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system for updating the image on a computer display device, said system comprising:
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means for logically dividing the computer display device into a plurality of zones;
means for tracking which zones are revised; and
means for updating only the revised zones on the display device.
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Specification