Parallel graphics system employing multiple graphics pipelines wtih multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) and supporting the object division mode of parallel graphics rendering using pixel processing resources provided therewithin

• US 20080158236A1
• Filed: 12/31/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: LucidLogix Software Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Bakalash, Reuven, Leviathan, Yaniv
• Granted Patent: US 8,497,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/28 involving image processing hardware
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/06 Use of more than one graphics processor to process data before displaying to one or more screens
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

A multiple graphics processing unit (GPU) based parallel graphics system comprising multiple graphics processing pipelines with multiple GPUs supporting a parallel graphics rendering process having an object division mode of operation. Each GPU comprises video memory, a geometry processing subsystem and a pixel processing subsystem. According to the principles of the present invention, pixel (color and z depth) data buffered in the video memory of each GPU is communicated to the video memory of a primary GPU, and the video memory and the pixel processing subsystem in the primary GPU are used to carry out the image recomposition process, without the need for dedicated or specialized apparatus.

Claims

1-27. -27. (canceled)

28. A multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system comprising:

multiple graphics processing pipelines having multiple GPUs supporting a parallel graphics rendering process having an object division mode of operation;

wherein said multiple GPUs include a primary GPU and at least one secondary GPU;

wherein each GPU comprises video memory, a geometry processing subsystem and a pixel processing subsystem;

wherein said video memory includes texture memory and a pixel frame buffer;

wherein pixel (color and z depth) data buffered in said video memory of each secondary GPU is communicated to said video memory of said primary GPU; and

wherein said video memory and at least one of said geometry subsystem and said pixel processing subsystem in said primary GPU are used to carry out an image recomposition phase of the object division mode of said parallel graphics rendering process.

29. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 28, wherein said geometry processing subsystem includes a vertex shading unit;

wherein said pixel processing subsystem includes a fragment/pixel shading unit, and

wherein said texture memory and the fragment/pixel shading unit are used to carry out the image recomposition phase of the object division mode of parallel graphics rendering process.

30. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 28 wherein said parallel graphics rendering process also includes image and time division modes of operation;

and said image recomposition phase of the object division mode of said parallel graphics rendering process can be carried out using GPU-based graphics cards supporting said image and time division modes of operation.

31. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 28, wherein the pixel frame buffers within said multiple GPUs can be composited without use of specialized and/or additional components of hardware or software.

32. The parallel graphics rendering system of claim 28, which is embodied within an integrated graphics device (IGD) that is capable of running external GPU-based graphics cards, without the risk of said IGD getting disconnected when the external GPU-based graphics cards are operating.

33. The parallel graphics rendering system of claim 32, wherein said IGD is capable of driving multiple external GPU-based graphics cards.

34. A multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system capable of supporting real-time graphics on a display device, comprising:

a PC-based host system architecture having a CPU, a memory bridge, and a CPU program space containing a decomposing module and distributing module; and

multiple graphics processing pipelines with having multiple GPUs supporting a parallel graphics rendering process having an object division mode of operation;

wherein said multiple GPUs includes a primary GPU and at least one secondary GPU;

wherein each GPU comprises video memory, a geometry processing subsystem and a pixel processing subsystem;

wherein pixel (color and z depth) data buffered in said video memory of each secondary GPU is communicated via an inter-GPU communication process, to the video memory of said primary GPU;

wherein the video memory and the geometry and/or pixel processing subsystems in said primary GPU are used to carry out an image recomposition phase of the object division mode of said parallel graphics rendering process; and

wherein a display device is operably connected to said primary GPU, for displaying graphics displayed from pixel data generated during the image recomposition phase of said object division mode of said parallel graphics rendering process.

35. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 34, wherein said decomposing module comprises functional sub-blocks for OS-GPU I/F and utilities, division control and state monitoring, and composition management.

36. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 34, whereas said distributing module comprises functional sub-block for (graphics data and command) distribution management.

37. The multiple GPU-based parallel graphics system of claim 34, wherein said inter-GPU communication process is supported over a pair of PCI Express buses extending between said memory bridge and said multiple GPUs.