Graphics processing on a processor core

• US 20070146373A1
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rasheed, Yasser, Cool, Lyle
• Granted Patent: US 7,656,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/502
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities

Abstract

In a many core system, receiving a call to a graphics driver; translating the call into a command executable on a core of the many core system; and executing the translated call on the core.

Claims

1. In a many core system, a method comprising:

receiving a call to a graphics driver;

translating the call into a command executable on a core of the many core system; and

executing the translated call on the core.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the graphics driver receiving the call, and determining whether to execute the call on a dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the graphics driver providing capabilities not provided by the dedicated graphics processing unit to an application layer of the system;

and the graphics driver executing commands utilizing such capabilities on the core.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the call is executable either on the core or on the dedicated graphics processing unit, further comprising the graphics driver determining whether to execute the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core based on the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the core compared to the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein translating the call into a command executable on the core further comprises a translation layer of the system performing the translation of the call into a command executable on the core.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising

the translation layer partitioning the execution of the command into a plurality of threads;

and

the translation layer scheduling the execution of the plurality of threads on at least the graphics processing unit, and the core.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the many core system further comprises a plurality of cores, further comprising the translation layer partitioning the execution of the command into a plurality of threads and the translation layer scheduling the execution of the plurality of threads on at least the graphics processing unit and one or more of the plurality of cores.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the core further comprises a segregated core of the many core system configured to be inaccessible to the operating system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein a firmware layer provides an interface to the segregated core;

and wherein executing the translated call on the core further comprises using a service of the firmware layer to execute the translated call on the segregated core.

10. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon data that when accessed via machine causes the machine to perform a method comprising:

in a many core system, receiving a call to a graphics driver;

translating the call into a command executable on a core of the many core system; and

executing the translated call on the core.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising the graphics driver receiving the call, and determining whether to execute the call on a dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising the graphics driver providing capabilities not provided by the dedicated graphics processing unit to an application layer of the system;

and the graphics driver executing commands utilizing such capabilities on the core.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 11 wherein the call is executable either on the core or on the dedicated graphics processing unit, further comprising the graphics driver determining whether to execute the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core based on the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the core compared to the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the translating the call into a command executable on the core further comprises a translation layer of the system performing the translation of the call into a command executable on the core.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 14 further comprising

the translation layer partitioning the execution of the command into a plurality of threads;

and

the translation layer scheduling the execution of the plurality of threads on at least the graphics processing unit, and the core.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 14 where in the many core system further comprises a plurality of cores, further comprising the translation layer partitioning the execution of the command into a plurality of threads and the translation layer scheduling the execution of the plurality of threads on at least the graphics processing unit and one or more of the plurality of cores.

17. The machine-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the core further comprises a segregated core of the many core system configured to be inaccessible to the operating system.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17 wherein a firmware layer provides an interface to the segregated core;

and wherein executing the translated call on the core further comprises using a service of the firmware layer to execute the translated call on the segregated core.

19. A many core system comprising:

a plurality of cores;

a memory including a graphics driver module; and

a store;

wherein the graphics driver module is adapted to receive a call to a graphics driver;

to translate the call into a command executable on one of the plurality of cores; and

to execute the translated call on the core.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the graphics driver is further adapted to determine whether to execute the call on a dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the graphics driver is further adapted to provide capabilities not provided by the dedicated graphics processing unit to an application layer of the system;

and to execute commands utilizing such capabilities on the core.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the call is executable either on the core or on the dedicated graphics processing unit, wherein the graphics driver is further adapted to determine whether to execute the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit or on the core based on the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the core compared to the estimated performance of the execution of the call on the dedicated graphics processing unit.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the core further comprises a segregated core of the many core system configured to be inaccessible to the operating system.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a firmware layer to provide an interface to the segregated core;

and to provide a service to execute the translated call on the segregated core.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the memory further comprises dynamic random access memory (DRAM).