Methods and systems for displaying animated graphics on a computing device

• US 7,038,690 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wilt, Nicholas P., McCartney, Colin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US10/074,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20030071818A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,540 Days
• Field of Search: 345/503, 345/505, 345/520, 345/531, 345/535, 345/536, 345/537, 345/539, 345/629, 345/632, 345/660, 345/672, 345/501
• US Class Current: 345/537
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/103 Detection of image changes, e.g. determination of an index representative of the image change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/10 Mixing of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of an operation, e.g. adding, on the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/393 Arrangements for updating the contents of the bit-mapped memory
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/397 Arrangements specially adapted for transferring the contents of two or more bit-mapped memories to the screen simultaneously, e.g. for mixing or overlay G09G5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/399 using two or more bit-mapped memories, the operations of which are switched in time, e.g. ping-pong buffers

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and systems for interfaces between video applications and display screens that allow applications to intelligently use display resources of their host device without tying themselves too closely to operational particulars of that host. A graphics arbiter provides display environment information to the video applications and accesses the applications'"'"' output to efficiently present that output to the display screen, possibly transforming the output or allowing another application to transform it in the process. The graphics arbiter tells applications the estimated time when the next frame will be displayed on the screen. Applications tailor their output to the estimated display time, thus improving output quality while decreasing resource waste by avoiding the production of “extra” frames. The graphics arbiter tells an application when its output is fully or partially occluded so that the application need not expend resources to draw portions of frames that are not visible.

Claims

1. A system for displaying information from a first display source and from a second display source on a display device, the system comprising:

a presentation surface set associated with the display device, wherein the presentation surface set comprises a presentation flipping chain, the presentation flipping chain comprising a primary presentation surface and a presentation back buffer;

a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source;

a graphics arbiter, distinct from the first display source and from the second display source, for transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to the presentation surface set, wherein the graphics arbiter transfers display information to the presentation back buffer; and

a comparator for comparing contents of the presentation back buffer with contents of a buffer immediately preceding the presentation back buffer in the presentation flipping chain and, if the contents match, for inhibiting a flip in the presentation flipping chain.

2. A system for displaying information from a first display source and from a second display source on a display device, the system comprising:

a presentation surface set associated with the display device;

a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source; and

a graphics arbiter, distinct from the first display source and from the second display source, for transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to the presentation surface set, wherein the graphics arbiter notifies the first display source of a first estimated time when a future frame will be displayed on the display device.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the graphics arbiter notifies the first display source in association with receiving an indication of a refresh of the display device.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first display source deinterlaces video to prepare display information in the first display memory surface set, the deinterlacing based, at least in part, on the first estimated frame display time.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the first display source interpolates video to prepare display information in the first display memory surface set, the interpolating based, at least in part, on the first estimated frame display time.

6. A system for displaying information from a first display source and from a second display source on a display device, the system comprising:

a presentation surface set associated with the display device;

a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source; and

a graphics arbiter, distinct from the first display source and from the second display source, for transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to the presentation surface set, wherein the graphics arbiter provides occlusion information to the first display source.

7. A method for a graphics arbiter, distinct from a first display source and from a second display source, to display information from the first display source and from the second display source on a display device, the method comprising:

gathering display information from a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

gathering display information from a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source;

transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to a presentation surface set associated with the display device, wherein transferring display information comprises transferring display information to a presentation back buffer of a presentation flipping chain of the presentation surface set; and

comparing contents of the presentation back buffer with contents of a buffer immediately preceding the presentation back buffer in the presentation flipping chain and, if the contents match, inhibiting a flip in the presentation flipping chain.

8. A method for a graphics arbiter, distinct from a first display source and from a second display source, to display information from the first display source and from the second display source on a display device, the method comprising:

gathering display information from a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

gathering display information from a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source;

transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to a presentation surface set associated with the display device; and

notifying the first display source of an estimated time when a future frame will be displayed on the display device.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the notifying of the first display source is associated with receiving an indication of a refresh of the display device.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the first display source deinterlaces video to prepare display information in the first display memory surface set, the deinterlacing based, at least in part, on the estimated frame display time.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first display source interpolates video to prepare display information in the first display memory surface set, the interpolating based, at least in part, on the estimated frame display time.

12. A method for a graphics arbiter, distinct from a first display source and from a second display source, to display information from the first display source and from the second display source on a display device, the method comprising:

gathering display information from a first display memory surface set associated with the first display source;

gathering display information from a second display memory surface set associated with the second display source;

transferring display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set to a presentation surface set associated with the display device; and

providing occlusion information to the first display source.