Multi-Threaded Graphical Display System

• US 20130055072A1
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gandhi, Shaheen Ashok, Arnold, Robert Douglas
• Application Number:
  US13/216,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20130055072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/240
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/503 Blending, e.g. for anti-aliasing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing

Abstract

In one embodiment, a computer program executed by a main processor of a computing device renders a web page in a graphical user interface by generating a plurality of render object data structures for the web page, generating a raster image for each of the plurality of render object data structures, and creating a separate thread configured to be executed by a graphics processor of the computing device to composite the raster images into one image to be displayed in the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory;

one or more main processors;

one or more graphics processors;

a program comprising computer-readable instructions operative, when executed, to cause the one or more processors to;

in response to a request to render a structured document in a graphical user interface of an application executed by the one or more main processors;

access one or more data stores for one or more contents of the structured document;

determine one or more layers of the structured document;

for each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document;

generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer; and

generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure; and

create a first thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to composite a graphical presentation of the structured document in the graphical user interface based on the raster image of each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer, the program further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

create a second thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, the program further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

create a third thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, the program further comprises instructions operative to cause the one or more processors to:

create a third thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the render object data structure comprises a tree data structure of nodes.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a layer of the one or more layers of the structured document comprises an inline frame.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first thread is further configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to create animation for one or more contents of the structured document.

8. A method comprising:

in response to a request to render a structured document in a graphical user interface of an application hosted by a computing device, the computing device comprising one or more main processors and one or more graphics processors;

accessing one or more data stores for one or more contents of the structured document;

determining one or more layers of the structured document;

for each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document;

generating a render object data structure of the each particular layer; and

generating a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure; and

creating a first thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to composite a graphical presentation of the structured document in the graphical user interface based on the raster image of each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a render object data structure of the each particular layer, further comprises:

creating a second thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, further comprises:

creating a third thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, further comprises:

creating a third thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the render object data structure comprises a tree data structure of nodes.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein a layer of the one or more layers of the structured document comprises an inline frame.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the first thread is further configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to create animation for one or more contents of the structured document.

15. One or more computer-readable tangible storage media embodying software operable when executed by a computing device to:

in response to a request to render a structured document in a graphical user interface of an application hosted by the computing device, the computing device comprising one or more main processors and one or more graphics processors;

access one or more data stores for one or more contents of the structured document;

determine one or more layers of the structured document;

for each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document;

generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer; and

generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure; and

create a first thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to composite a graphical presentation of the structured document in the graphical user interface based on the raster image of each particular layer of the one or more layers of the structured document.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein to generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer, further comprising software operable when executed by the computing device to:

create a second thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a render object data structure of the each particular layer.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, further comprising software operable when executed by the computing device to:

create a third thread configured to be executed by the one or more main processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure, further comprising software operable when executed by the computing device to:

create a third thread configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to generate a raster image of the each particular layer based on the render object data structure.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein the render object data structure comprises a tree data structure of nodes.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein a layer of the one or more layers of the structured document comprises an inline frame.

21. The media of claim 15, wherein the first thread is further configured to be executed by at least one of the one or more graphics processors to create animation for one or more contents of the structured document.