System, method, and computer program product for communicating sub-device state information

• US 20080021989A1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Ledebohm, Herbert O., Carraher, Terrence John
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,993 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/387 for adaptation of different data processing systems to different peripheral devices, e.g. protocol converters for incompatible systems, open system

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for communicating sub-device state information. In use, a plurality of sub-devices of a device is exposed to an application, utilizing a driver. A request may then be received from the application for state information associated with at least one of the sub-devices. In response to the request, the state information is provided to the application.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

exposing a plurality of sub-devices of a device to an application, utilizing a driver;

receiving a request from the application for state information associated with at least one of the sub-devices; and

in response to the request, providing the state information to the application.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sub-devices each include a separate graphics processor.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising receiving a request from the application for additional state information for a sub-device of another device.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, and further comprising providing the additional state information to the application, in response to the request.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the additional state information is associated with the device, if the device includes only one sub-device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state information includes performance information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state information includes temperature information.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the state information includes power information.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sub-devices are capable of operating in a first mode where a first sub-device serves as a slave to a second sub-device.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the sub-devices are capable of operating in a second mode where the first sub-device and the second sub-device are independent.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the state information associated with the at least one sub-device is provided to the application independent of whether the sub-devices are operating in the first mode and the second mode.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising determining a number of devices.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, and further comprising allocating the devices.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising determining a number of the sub-devices.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, and further comprising allocating the sub-devices.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the receiving and the providing are performed utilizing the driver.

17. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium, comprising:

driver computer code for exposing a plurality of sub-devices of a device to an application;

driver computer code for receiving a request from the application for state information associated with at least one of the sub-devices; and

driver computer code for providing the state information to the application.

18. A system, comprising:

a plurality of graphics processors organized as a plurality of devices and sub-devices; and

a driver for exposing the sub-devices to an application for providing state information associated with at least one of the sub-devices.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein the graphics processors are in communication with a display and a central processing unit via a bus.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, wherein each graphics processor includes a graphics processing unit.