Systems and Methods for Optimal Memory Allocation Units

• US 20100060934A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Laboratory U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: BELLERT, Darrell Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 8,854,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/122 with regard to computing resources, e.g. memory, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1244 Job translation or job parsing, e.g. page banding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management

Abstract

Methods for determining an optimal memory allocation unit size for a framebuffer in a single memory pool comprising frame buffer memory and display list memory on printing devices are presented. In some embodiments, a method for determining an optimal allocation unit size for memory allocation units allocated from a memory pool in response to a memory allocation request for a pixmap comprises determining the amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored using a plurality of memory allocation unit sizes, wherein the memory allocation unit sizes are an integral multiple of a base memory allocation unit; and selecting a memory allocation unit size from the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes based on criteria related to the amount of unutilized memory.

Claims

1. A method for determining an optimal size for memory allocation units allocated from a memory pool in response to a memory allocation request for a pixmap, wherein the memory pool comprises frame buffer memory and display list memory, the method comprising:

determining the amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored using a plurality of memory allocation unit sizes, wherein the memory allocation unit sizes are an integral multiple of the size of a base memory allocation unit; and

selecting a memory allocation unit size from the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes based on the amount of unutilized memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is the minimum integral multiple of the base allocation unit size that exceeds the size of the pixmap.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is limited by an upper threshold on the integral multiplier of the base memory allocation unit.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is one that minimizes the total amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is one that results in the unutilized memory being lower than or equal to a specified unutilized memory threshold.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the unutilized memory threshold is specified using user-selectable heuristic methods.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes comprise the base memory allocation size and a fixed integral multiple of the base allocation unit size.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein all allocated memory allocation units are of equal size.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each individual memory allocation unit comprises a contiguous section of memory.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed on a printer.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the single memory pool is resident on a printing device.

12. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform steps in a method for determining an optimal size for memory allocation units allocated from a memory pool in response to a memory allocation request for a pixmap, wherein the memory pool comprises frame buffer memory and display list memory, the steps comprising:

determining the amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored using a plurality of memory allocation unit sizes, wherein the memory allocation unit sizes are an integral multiple of the size of a base memory allocation unit; and

selecting a memory allocation unit size from the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes based on the amount of unutilized memory.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is the minimum integral multiple of the base allocation unit that exceeds the size of the pixmap.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is limited by an upper threshold on the integral multiplier of the base memory allocation unit.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is one that minimizes the total amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein the selected memory allocation unit size is one that results in the unutilized memory being lower than or equal to a specified unutilized memory threshold.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the unutilized memory threshold is specified using user-selectable heuristic methods.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 12, wherein the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes comprise the base memory allocation size and a fixed integral multiple of the base allocation unit size.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein all allocated memory allocation units are of equal size.

20. A computer-readable memory comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, perform steps in a method for determining an optimal size for memory allocation units allocated from a memory pool in response to a memory allocation request for a pixmap, wherein the memory pool comprises frame buffer memory and display list memory, the steps comprising:

determining the amount of unutilized memory when the pixmap is stored using a plurality of memory allocation unit sizes, wherein the memory allocation unit sizes are an integral multiple of the size of a base memory allocation unit; and

selecting a memory allocation unit size from the plurality of memory allocation unit sizes based on the amount of unutilized memory.