MEMORY CONTROLLER INCLUDING A HARDWARE COMPRESSION AND DECOMPRESSION ENGINE FOR MANAGING SYSTEM MEMORY AND GRAPHICAL OPERATIONS

• US 20090125698A1
• Filed: 01/14/2009
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mossman Holdings LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Dye, Thomas A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,288 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/171
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/08 in hierarchically structured memory systems, e.g. virtual memory systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/401 Compressed data
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/02 Handling of images in compressed format, e.g. JPEG, MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/121 using a cache memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/125 using unified memory architecture [UMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/02 characterised by the way in which colour is displayed details of colour display specific for CRTs G09G1/28; specific for flat matrix panels other than liquid crystal displays G09G3/2003; specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/39 Control of the bit-mapped memory

Abstract

An integrated memory controller (IMC) which includes data compression and decompression engines for improved performance. The memory controller (IMC) of the present invention preferably sits on the main CPU bus or a high speed system peripheral bus such as the PCI bus and couples to system memory. The IMC preferably uses a lossless data compression and decompression scheme. Data transfers to and from the integrated memory controller of the present invention can thus be in either two formats, these being compressed or normal (non-compressed). The IMC also preferably includes microcode for specific decompression of particular data formats such as digital video and digital audio. Compressed data from system I/O peripherals such as the hard drive, floppy drive, or local area network (LAN) are decompressed in the IMC and stored into system memory or saved in the system memory in compressed format. Thus, data can be saved in either a normal or compressed format, retrieved from the system memory for CPU usage in a normal or compressed format, or transmitted and stored on a medium in a normal or compressed format. Internal memory mapping allows for format definition spaces which define the format of the data and the data type to be read or written. Software overrides may be placed in applications software in systems that desire to control data decompression at the software application level. The integrated data compression and decompression capabilities of the IMC remove system bottle-necks and increase performance. This allows lower cost systems due to smaller data storage requirements and reduced bandwidth requirements. This also increases system bandwidth and hence increases system performance. Thus the IMC of the present invention is a significant advance over the operation of current memory controllers.

Claims

1. A method for managing memory in a system including a CPU, a system memory for storing applications and data, and a memory controller coupled between the CPU and the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware compression engine and a graphics engine, the method comprising:

the memory controller receiving an uncompressed block of data from the system memory, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which is configured to store at least a portion of its data in a compressed format;

the graphics engine in the memory controller performing graphical operations on a first portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce a processed block of data;

the hardware compression engine in the memory controller compressing a second portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce a compressed block of data; and

the memory controller storing the compressed block of data and the processed block of data in the system memory after said performing graphical operations on the first portion of the uncompressed block of data and said compressing the second portion of the uncompressed block of data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said compressing the second portion of the uncompressed block of data and storing the compressed block of data in the system memory utilizes less space in the system memory than storing the uncompressed block of data in the system memory.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the memory controller receiving from the CPU an additional uncompressed block of data;

the hardware compression engine in the memory controller compressing the additional uncompressed block of data to produce an additional compressed block of data; and

the memory controller storing the additional compressed block of data in the system memory after said compressing the additional uncompressed block of data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system includes a nonvolatile memory;

the method further comprising;

the memory controller receiving from the nonvolatile memory an additional uncompressed block of data;

the hardware compression engine in the memory controller compressing the additional uncompressed block of data to produce an additional compressed block of data; and

the memory controller storing the additional compressed block of data in the system memory after said compressing the additional uncompressed block of data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware decompression engine;

the method further comprising;

the memory controller receiving the compressed block of data from the system memory;

the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller decompressing the compressed block of data to produce an uncompressed block of data; and

the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said providing comprises the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data to the CPU.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said providing comprises the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data to a nonvolatile memory.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the memory controller receiving incoming compressed video data;

the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller decompressing the compressed video data to produce uncompressed video data;

the graphics engine manipulating the uncompressed video data to produce display video data; and

displaying the display video data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said manipulating the uncompressed video data comprises:

rendering polygons;

interpolating objects; and

performing font conversion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the system memory stores a portion of its data in an uncompressed format.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the system memory stores most recently used data in an uncompressed format.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the system memory stores least recently used data in a compressed format.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware compression/decompression engine.

14. The method of claim 1,

wherein the hardware compression engine performs lossless compression;

wherein the hardware compression engine in the memory controller compressing the second portion of the uncompressed block of data comprises the hardware compression engine in the memory controller performing lossless compression on the second portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce the compressed block of data.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the uncompressed block of data comprises CPU application data.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing comprises storing the compressed block of data in the system memory to replace the second portion of the uncompressed block of data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said storing comprises storing the processed block of data to replace the first portion of the uncompressed block of data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said performing graphical operations comprises formatting the first portion of the uncompressed block of data to correct coordinate addressing.

19. A method for managing memory in a system including a CPU, a system memory for storing applications and data, and a memory controller coupled between the CPU and the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware decompression engine and a graphics engine, the method comprising:

the memory controller receiving a compressed block of data from the system memory, and also receiving compressed video data, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which stores at least a portion of its data in a compressed format;

the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller decompressing the compressed block of data to produce an uncompressed block of data, and decompressing the compressed video data to produce uncompressed video data;

the graphics engine in the memory controller manipulating the uncompressed video data to produce display video data;

the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data and the display video data after said decompressing the compressed block of data and the compressed video data, wherein said providing comprises the memory controller storing the uncompressed block of data in the system memory.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

storing the compressed block of data in the system memory prior to said receiving;

wherein said storing the compressed block of data in the system memory utilizes less space in the system memory than storing the block of data in the system memory in an uncompressed format.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said providing comprises the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data to the CPU.

22. The method of claim 19,

wherein the system includes a nonvolatile memory;

wherein said providing comprises the memory controller providing the uncompressed block of data to the nonvolatile memory.

23. The method of claim 19,

wherein the memory controller includes a hardware compression engine;

the method further comprising;

the memory controller receiving the uncompressed block of data;

the hardware compression engine in the memory controller compressing the uncompressed block of data to produce a compressed block of data; and

the memory controller storing the compressed block of data in the system memory.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said receiving the uncompressed block of data comprises the memory controller receiving the uncompressed block of data from the CPU.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said receiving the uncompressed block of data comprises the memory controller receiving the uncompressed block of data from the nonvolatile memory.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the system memory stores a portion of data in an uncompressed format.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the system memory stores most recently used data in an uncompressed format.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the system memory stores least recently used data in a compressed format.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware compression/decompression engine.

30. The method of claim 19,

wherein the hardware decompression engine performs lossless decompression;

wherein the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller decompressing the compressed block of data comprises the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller performing lossless decompression on the compressed block of data to produce the uncompressed block of data.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the compressed block of data comprises CPU application data.

32. The method of claim 19, wherein said providing comprises providing the display video data to a video display.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising displaying the display video data on the video display.

34. A method for managing memory in a system including a CPU, a system memory for storing applications and data, and a memory controller coupled between the CPU and the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware decompression engine and a graphics engine, the method comprising:

the memory controller receiving a compressed block of data from the system memory, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which stores at least a portion of its data in a compressed format;

the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller decompressing the compressed block of data to produce an uncompressed block of data;

the graphics engine in the memory controller performing graphical operations on at least a first portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce a processed uncompressed block of data; and

the memory controller storing the processed uncompressed block of data in the system memory after said decompressing the compressed block of data and said performing the graphical operations.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said decompressing the compressed block of data and storing the processed uncompressed block of data in the system memory utilizes more space in the system memory than storing the compressed block of data in the system memory.

36. A system with improved memory management, the system comprising:

a CPU;

a system memory, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which stores at least a portion of its data in a compressed format; and

a memory controller coupled to the CPU and to the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware compression engine and a graphics engine;

wherein the memory controller is operable to receive an uncompressed block of data from the system memory;

wherein the graphics engine in the memory controller is operable to perform graphical operations on a first portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce a processed block of data;

wherein the hardware compression engine in the memory controller is operable to compress a second portion of the uncompressed block of data to produce a compressed block of data;

wherein the memory controller is operable to store the compressed block of data and the processed block of data in the system memory after the graphics engine performs graphical operations on the first portion of the uncompressed block of data and the hardware compression engine compresses the second portion of the uncompressed block of data.

37. A system with improved memory management, the system comprising:

a CPU;

a system memory, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which stores at least a portion of its data in a compressed format; and

a memory controller coupled to the CPU and to the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller includes a hardware decompression engine and a graphics engine;

wherein the memory controller is operable to receive a compressed block of data from the system memory and is further operable to receive compressed video data;

wherein the hardware decompression engine in the memory controller is operable to decompress the compressed block of data to produce an uncompressed block of data and is further operable to decompress the compressed video data to produce uncompressed video data;

wherein the graphics engine in the memory controller is operable to manipulate the uncompressed video data to produce display video data;

wherein the memory controller is operable to provide the uncompressed block of data to the system memory after the hardware decompression engine decompresses the compressed block of data; and

wherein the memory controller is operable to provide the display video data to a video display.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the memory controller is further operable to provide the uncompressed block of data to a device.

39. A system with improved memory management, the system comprising:

a CPU;

a system memory, wherein the system memory is a volatile memory which stores at least a portion of its data in a compressed format; and

a memory controller coupled between the CPU and the system memory, wherein the memory controller performs memory control functions for the system memory, wherein the memory controller comprises circuitry operable to perform compression and decompression of data, and graphical operations;

wherein the memory controller is operable to receive;

uncompressed blocks of data from the system memory; and

compressed blocks of data from the system memory;

wherein the circuitry in the memory controller is operable to;

compress at least a first portion of the uncompressed blocks of data to produce additional compressed blocks of data;

decompress the compressed blocks of data to produce additional uncompressed blocks of data and uncompressed video data; and

perform graphical operations on at least a second portion of the uncompressed blocks of data and the uncompressed video data to produce video display data;

wherein the memory controller is operable to;

provide the additional compressed blocks of data to the system memory after the circuitry compresses the at least first portion of the uncompressed blocks of data;

provide the additional uncompressed blocks of data to the system memory after the circuitry decompresses the compressed blocks of data; and

provide the video display data to a video display.