Portable operating environment for information devices

• US 20050091666A1
• Filed: 08/14/2001
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Twin Communications of America Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Transvirtual Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilkinson, Tim, Mehlitz, Peter
• Application Number:
  US09/931,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3004 to perform operations on memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30087 Synchronisation or serialisation instructions
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/30 Clipping
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database

Abstract

A graphics rendering software program for use on an embedded computing device includes an application layer, a graphics toolkit, and a graphics driver. the graphics driver includes a shape function layer and a framebuffer access macro layer. The shape function layer includes a target architecture specific instruction set for setting and retrieving pixel values, respectively, into and from a one-dimensional framebuffer memory. The framebuffer access macro layer includes a set of macros for inlining into the shape function layer.

Claims

1. A graphics rendering software program for providing instructions to one or more processors to render graphics on a display of an embedded computing device configured for establishing a network connection with at least one other computing device, comprising:

(a) an application layer;

(b) a graphics toolkit; and

(c) a graphics driver, including;

(1) a shape function layer including a target architecture specific instruction set for setting and retrieving pixel values, respectively, into and from a one-dimensional framebuffer memory; and

(2) a framebuffer access macro layer including a set of macros for inlining into the shape function layer.

2. The graphics rendering software program of claim 1, wherein the shape function layer is inlined into the application layer.

3. The graphics rendering software program of claim 1, wherein the macros include scanline access instructions.

4. The graphics rendering software program of claim 3, wherein the scanline access instructions are formulated to use scanline cells.

5. The graphics rendering software program of claim 4, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.

6. The graphics rendering software program of claim 3, wherein the scanline access instructions are reformulated from known algorithms to use scanline cells.

7. The graphics rendering software program of claim 6, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.

8. A method for rendering graphics on a display of an embedded computing device configured for establishing a network connection with at least one other computing device, comprising the steps of:

(a) setting and retrieving pixel values, respectively, into and from a one-dimensional framebuffer memory of a shape function layer of a graphics rendering software running on the embedded computing device; and

(b) inlining macros into the shape function layer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of inlining the shape function layer into an application layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the macros include scanline access instructions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the scanline access instructions are formulated to use scanline cells.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the scanline access instructions are reformulated from known algorithms to use scanline cells.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.

15. A graphics driver of a graphics rendering software program for providing instructions to one or more processors to render graphics on a display of an embedded computing device configured for establishing a network connection with at least one other computing device, comprising:

(a) a shape function layer including a target architecture specific instruction set for setting and retrieving pixel values, respectively, into and from a one-dimensional framebuffer memory; and

(b) a framebuffer access macro layer including a set of macros for inlining into the shape function layer.

16. The graphics driver of claim 15, wherein the shape function layer is inlined into the application layer.

17. The graphics driver of claim 15, wherein the macros include scanline access instructions.

18. The graphics driver of claim 17, wherein the scanline access instructions are formulated to use scanline cells.

19. The graphics driver of claim 18, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.

20. The graphics driver of claim 17, wherein the scanline access instructions are reformulated from known algorithms to use scanline cells.

21. The graphics driver of claim 20, wherein the scanline cells include a smallest addressable scanline unit holding pixel information.