CPU/GPU Synchronization Mechanism

• US 20130027410A1
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ginzburg, Boris, Osadchiy, Ilya, Zach, Yoav, Natanzon, Esfirush
• Granted Patent: US 9,633,407 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/501
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management

Abstract

A thread on one processor may be used to enable another processor to lock or release a mutex. For example, a central processing unit thread may be used by a graphics processing unit to secure a mutex for a shared memory.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a thread on a central processing unit to enable a synchronization between a thread on a graphics processing unit and another thread on the central processing unit.

2. The method of claim 1 including using a thread running on the central processing unit to lock and unlock mutex for a thread on the graphics processing unit.

3. The method of claim 1 including using a central processing unit thread to request a lock or unlock mutex for a thread on a graphics processing unit.

4. The method of claim 3 including enabling said central processing unit to notify said graphics processing unit when a mutex is available.

5. The method of claim 1 including using shared virtual memory with said processing units.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to enable a computer to:

use a thread on a central processing unit to enable synchronization between a thread on a graphics processing unit and an another thread on a central processing unit.

7. The medium of claim 6 further storing instructions to use a thread running on a central processing unit to lock mutex for a thread on the graphics processing unit.

8. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to use a thread running on the central processing unit to unlock mutex for a thread on the graphics processing unit.

9. The medium of claim 7 further storing instructions to use a central processing unit thread to request a lock or unlock mutex for a thread on a graphics processing unit.

10. The medium of claim 9 further storing instructions to enable said central processing unit to notify said graphics processing unit when a mutex is available.

11. The medium of claim 6 further storing instructions to use shared virtual memory with said processing units.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a graphics processing unit;

a central processing unit coupled to said graphics processing unit; and

a memory shared by said graphics processing unit and said central processing unit, said central processing unit to provide a thread to enable synchronization between a thread on the graphics processing unit and another thread on the central processing unit.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 including a graphics processing unit driver on said central processing unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, said central processing unit thread to lock or unlock mutex for a thread on the graphics processing unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, said central processing unit to notify said graphics processing unit when a mutex is available.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said memory is a shared virtual memory.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a central processing unit;

a memory coupled to said central processing unit; and

said central processing unit to launch a thread to enable synchronization between a thread on a graphics processing unit and another thread on the central processing unit.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said central processing unit to use a thread to lock and unlock mutex for a thread running on a graphics processing unit.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, said central processing unit to notify said graphics processing unit when a mutex is available.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 including a graphics processor coupled to said central processing unit.