SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND COMPUTER-READABLE MEDIA FOR EFFICIENTLY PROCESSING GRAPHICAL DATA

• US 20120050259A1
• Filed: 08/31/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Solomonov, Dmitriy, Lindahl, Aram
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,920 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for efficiently processing graphical data using an electronic device are provided. A characteristic of graphical data may be identified and compared to a threshold. Based on whether the identified characteristic meets the threshold, the graphical data may be rendered either entirely by a first type of graphical processing unit or by both the first type of graphical processing unit and by a second type of graphical processing unit.

Claims

1. A method for processing graphical data comprising:

identifying a characteristic of the graphical data;

determining if the characteristic meets a threshold;

in response to a determination that the identified characteristic does not meet the threshold, rendering the graphical data with a first type of graphics processing unit and with a second type of graphics processing unit; and

in response to a determination that the identified characteristic does meet the threshold, rendering the graphical data with the first type of graphics processing unit but not with the second type of graphics processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical data comprises:

a first portion of graphical data that requires three-dimensional rendering; and

a second portion of graphical data that requires two-dimensional rendering.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic is the percentage of the pixel area of the graphical data provided by the pixel area of the first portion of graphical data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic is the ratio of the pixel area of the first portion of graphical data to the pixel area of the second portion of graphical data.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold is at least one.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first type of graphics processing unit is a three-dimensional graphics processing unit; and

the second type of graphics processing unit is a two-dimensional graphics processing unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination that the identified characteristic does not meet the threshold, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data with the three-dimensional graphics processing unit; and

rendering the second portion of graphical data with the two-dimensional graphics processing unit.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination that the identified characteristic does not meet the threshold, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data with the three-dimensional graphics processing unit;

rendering a first part of the second portion of graphical data with the three-dimensional graphics processing unit; and

rendering a second part of the second portion of graphical data with the two-dimensional graphics processing unit.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein, in response to the determination that the identified characteristic does meet the threshold, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data with the three-dimensional graphics processing unit; and

rendering the second portion of graphical data with the three-dimensional graphics processing unit.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the rendered graphical data.

11. A method for processing graphical data comprising:

calculating a first cost of rendering the graphical data using only a first type of graphics processing unit;

calculating a second cost of rendering the graphical data using both the first type of graphics processing unit and a second type of graphics processing unit;

determining if the calculated first cost is greater than the calculated second cost;

in response to a determination that the calculated first cost is greater than the calculated second cost, rendering the graphical data using both the first type of graphics processing unit and the second type of graphics processing unit; and

in response to a determination that the calculated first cost is not greater than the calculated second cost, rendering the graphical data using only the first type of graphics processing unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical data comprises:

a first portion of graphical data that requires three-dimensional rendering; and

a second portion of graphical data that requires two-dimensional rendering.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, in response to the determination that the calculated first cost is greater than the calculated second cost, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data using the first type of graphics processing unit; and

rendering the second portion of graphical data using the second type of graphics processing unit.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, in response to the determination that the calculated first cost is greater than the calculated second cost, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data using the first type of graphics processing unit;

rendering a first part of the second portion of graphical data using the first type of graphics processing unit; and

rendering a second part of the second portion of graphical data using the second type of graphics processing unit.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein, in response to the determination that the calculated first cost is not greater than the calculated second cost, the rendering the graphical data comprises:

rendering the first portion of graphical data using the first type of graphics processing unit; and

rendering the second portion of graphical data using the first type of graphics processing unit.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the first type of graphics processing unit is a three-dimensional graphics processing unit; and

the second type of graphics processing unit is a two-dimensional graphics processing unit.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying the rendered graphical data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the calculating the first cost comprises evaluating at least one of pixel area cost, context switch overhead cost, and memory cost of rendering the graphical data using only the first type of graphics processing unit.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the calculating the second cost comprises evaluating at least one of pixel area cost, context switch overhead cost, and memory cost of rendering the graphical data using both the first type of graphics processing unit and a second type of graphics processing unit.

20. An electronic device comprising:

a screen processing module that generates graphical data, the graphical data comprising a first data portion of a first type of data and a second data portion of a second type of data;

a decision processing module that determines if a first cost of rendering the graphical data according to a first mode of the device is greater than a second cost of rendering the graphical data according to a second mode of the device;

a first graphics processing unit that renders;

the first data portion of the graphical data and the second data portion of the graphical data when the decision processing module determines that the first cost is not greater than the second cost; and

at least the first data portion of the graphical data when the decision processing module determines that the first cost is greater than the second cost; and

a second graphics processing unit that renders;

no portion of the graphical data when the decision processing module determines that the first cost is not greater than the second cost; and

at least some of the second data portion of the graphical data when the decision processing module determines that the first cost is greater than the second cost.

21. The electronic device of claim 20 further comprising a display that presents the data rendered by the first graphics processing unit and the data rendered by the second graphics processing unit.

22. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein:

the first graphics processing unit comprises a three-dimensional rendering graphics processing unit;

the second graphics processing unit comprises a two-dimensional rendering graphics processing unit;

the first type of data comprises three-dimensional graphical data; and

the second type of data comprises two-dimensional graphical data.

23. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the first cost is based on at least one of pixel area cost, context switch overhead cost, and memory cost of rendering the graphical data according to the first mode of the device.

24. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein the second cost is based on at least one of pixel area cost, context switch overhead cost, and memory cost of rendering the graphical data according to the second mode of the device.

25. Computer readable media for controlling an electronic device, comprising computer readable code recorded thereon for:

identifying a characteristic of graphical data generated by the electronic device;

determining if the characteristic meets a threshold;

in response to a determination that the identified characteristic does not meet the threshold, rendering the graphical data using both a first graphics processing unit of the electronic device and a second graphics processing unit of the electronic device; and

in response to a determination that the identified characteristic does meet the threshold, rendering the graphical data using only the first graphics processing unit.