System applications in a multimedia console

• US 20050262255A1
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sharpe, Tracy C., Maston, Michael Cory, Goossen, J. Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,707,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/5014 Reservation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/48 Program initiating; Program switching, e.g. by interrupt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4881 Scheduling strategies for dispatcher, e.g. round robin, multi-level priority queues
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/50 Allocation of resources, e.g. of the central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5011 the resources being hardware resources other than CPUs, Servers and Terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities

Abstract

A system and method provides a high level of system functionality in a multimedia console through the use of system applications, while reducing any corresponding lack of control that multimedia applications will have while running on the console. A predetermined amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console is reserved. The system application is executed substantially using the predetermined amount of reserved hardware resources and the multimedia application is executed substantially within the remaining unreserved hardware resources.

Claims

1. A method for providing a system application in a multimedia console having a central processing unit, a graphics processing unit, and a memory, the method comprising:

reserving a predetermined amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console;

executing the system application substantially using the predetermined amount of reserved hardware resources; and

executing a multimedia application substantially using the remaining unreserved hardware resources.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a predetermined amount of memory for the system application.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising reserving a second predetermined amount of memory for facilitating communication between the multimedia application and the system application.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a predetermined amount of memory determined to support systems applications associated with a multimedia application.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the system application provides network capability.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed and causes scheduling each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of frames generated by the graphics processing unit.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving at least one audio channel.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving at least ten audio channels.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of central processing unit time for execution of the system application.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising consuming unused processor cycles during the portion of central processing unit time for execution of the system application with an idle thread if the reserved processor utilization is not used by the system application.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sharing an input device between the multimedia application and the system application.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia console comprises a first and second central processing unit and wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of processing time of the second central processing unit for execution of the system application and not reserving a portion of processing time of the first central processing unit whereby the first central processing unit is dedicated to executing the multimedia application.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the multimedia console comprises a first, second, and third central processing unit and wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of processing time of the second and third central processing unit for execution of the system application and not reserving a portion of processing time of the first central processing unit whereby the first central processing unit is dedicated to executing the multimedia application.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the reserved portion of processing time of the second central processing unit is the same as the reserved portion of processing time of the third central processing unit.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the reserved portion of processing time of the second central processing unit is different than the reserved portion of processing time of the third central processing unit.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the second central processing unit executes a time critical system application and the third central processing unit executes a non-time critical system application.

18. A method for managing computer resources in a computing system, comprising:

reserving a portion of a computing system resource based on a graphics processing unit generated interrupt.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein reserving the portion of the computing system resource comprises reserving the portion of the computing system resource based on a scan line interrupt generated by the graphics processing unit.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein reserving the portion of the computing system resource comprises reserving a portion of central processing unit time at the end of a video frame, the portion of central processing unit time beginning upon a scan line interrupt generated by the graphics processing unit.

21. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the computing system comprises a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit and wherein reserving the portion of the computer resource comprises:

generating, by the graphics processing unit, a scan line interrupt at a predefined time;

stopping a multimedia application from executing on the central processing unit upon the scan line interrupt; and

running a system application on the central processing unit upon the scan line interrupt.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising stopping the system application from executing on the central processing unit upon a vertical blank interrupt.

23. A multimedia console, comprising:

a central processing unit;

a graphics processing unit;

a writable memory in communication with the graphics processing unit; and

a second memory in communication with the central processing unit,

wherein the second memory contains executable code that performs reserving a predetermined amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console to execute a system application that provides a system service using the reserved predetermined amount of hardware resources; and

wherein the system application runs concurrently with a multimedia application executing on the multimedia console, the multimedia application controlling system resources that are not reserved by the executable code and the multimedia application executing substantially within the remaining unreserved hardware resources.

24. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a predetermined amount of memory for the system application.

25. The multimedia console as recited in claim 24, wherein the second memory contains further executable code for reserving a second predetermined amount of memory for facilitating communication between the multimedia application and the system application.

26. The multimedia console as recited in claim 24, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a predetermined amount of memory determined to support systems applications associated with a multimedia application.

27. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the second memory contains further executable code for executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed.

28. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the system application provides network capability.

29. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the second memory contains further executable code for executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed and causing scheduling of each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of frames generated by the graphics processing unit.

30. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving at least one audio channel.

31. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving at least ten audio channels.

32. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of central processing unit time for execution of the system application.

33. The multimedia console as recited in claim 32, wherein the second memory contains further executable code for consuming unused processor cycles during the portion of central processing unit time for execution of the system application with an idle thread if the reserved processor utilization is not used by the system application.

34. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the second memory contains further executable code that performs sharing an input device between the multimedia application and the system application.

35. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the central processing unit comprises a first and second central processing unit and wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of processing time of the second central processing unit for execution of the system application and not reserving a portion of processing time of the first central processing unit whereby the first central processing unit is dedicated to executing the multimedia application.

36. The multimedia console as recited in claim 23, wherein the central processing unit comprises a first, second, and third central processing unit and wherein reserving the predetermined amount of hardware resources comprises reserving a portion of processing time of the second and third central processing unit for execution of the system application and not reserving a portion of processing time of the first central processing unit whereby the first central processing unit is dedicated to executing the multimedia application.

37. The multimedia console as recited in claim 36, wherein the reserved portion of processing time of the second central processing unit is the same as the reserved portion of processing time of the third central processing unit.

38. The multimedia console as recited in claim 36, wherein the reserved portion of processing time of the second central processing unit is different than the reserved portion of processing time of the third central processing unit.

39. The multimedia console as recited in claim 36, wherein the second central processing unit executes a time critical system application and the third central processing unit executes a non-time critical system application.