Data transferring apparatus and its method

• US 7,050,060 B1
• Filed: 10/10/2000
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ohara, Moriyoshi, Furuichi, Sanehiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RICHER, JONI
• Application Number:
  US09/684,328
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 345/522, 345/537, 345/538, 345/562, 345/545, 345/530, 345/501, 710/6, 710/21, 712/206, 712/205, 712/215, 712/214, 712/216
• US Class Current: 345/537
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/18 Use of a frame buffer in a display terminal, inclusive of the display panel
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/047 using display data channel standard [DDC] communication
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/363 Graphics controllers

Abstract

A data transferring apparatus for transferring transfer packets each including one or more transfer data as objectives of transfer from a first apparatus to a second apparatus, each transfer data including commands indicating processes against a preliminarily assigned area, the first apparatus comprises a unit for merging a plurality of the transfer data meeting a certain requirement, a unit for generating transfer packets each including at least one of one or more the transfer data whose amount is within a certain predetermined range and one or more the merged transfer data, and a unit for transferring the generated transfer packets to the second apparatus.

Claims

1. A data transferring apparatus for transferring transfer packets each including one or more transfer data as objectives of transfer from a first apparatus to a second apparatus, said each transfer data including commands indicating processes against a preliminarily assigned area, said first apparatus including:

a scheduler for merging a plurality of drawing commands meeting a certain requirement and for translating said merged drawing commands into a single drawing command, thereby reducing a volume of said transfer data; and

a communication controller for generating transfer packets each including at least one of said plurality of drawing commands whose amount is within a certain predetermined range and one or more said merged drawing commands,

said communication controller transferring said generated transfer packets to said second apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scheduler generates said drawing commands to be transferred from said first apparatus to said second apparatus by combining an effect of said plurality of drawing commands which affect a same area in a predetermined short period of time on a frame buffer.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said communication controller transfers only updated areas on a frame memory by analyzing graphics commands in a form of drawing commands to said second apparatus.

2. A data transferring apparatus for transferring transfer packets each including one or more transfer data as objectives of transfer from a first apparatus to a second apparatus, said each transfer data including commands indicating processes against a preliminarily assigned area, said first apparatus including:

means for merging a plurality of drawing commands meeting a certain requirement and for translating said merged drawing commands into a single drawing command, thereby reducing a volume of said transfer data;

means for generating transfer packets each including at least one of one or more said plurality of drawing commands whose amount is within a certain predetermined range and one or more said merged drawing commands; and

means for transferring said generated transfer packets to said second apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for merging comprises a scheduler for judging whether an offset can be performed by merging an increment of data volume caused by a change of drawing commands.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein if said scheduler judges that said offset is possible, then said scheduler changes the drawing commands.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said means for generating comprises a communication controller which generates said transfer packets which contain merged drawing commands which are more than a predetermined data volume in quantity.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first apparatus comprises a computer and said second apparatus comprises a display apparatus.

16. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for merging generates said drawing commands to be transferred from said first apparatus to said second apparatus by combining an effect of said plurality of drawing commands which affect a same area in a predetermined short period of time on a frame buffer.

19. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said means for transferring transfers only updated areas on a frame memory by analyzing graphics commands in a form of drawing commands to said second apparatus.

21. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first apparatus includes a first drawing engine and said second apparatus includes a second drawing engine.

22. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first apparatus and said second apparatus include redundant drawing engines.

23. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said first apparatus comprises a computer including a first drawing engine, and

wherein said second apparatus comprises a display apparatus including a second drawing engine.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first drawing engine and said second drawing engine each include a dedicated frame memory unit.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first drawing engine and said second drawing engine generate identical images including a different timing due to at least one communication error from said first apparatus to said second apparatus.

7. A data transferring method for transferring transfer packets each including one or more transfer data as objectives of transfer from a first apparatus to a second apparatus, said each transfer data including commands indicating processes against a preliminarily assigned area, and said first apparatus being capable of:

merging a plurality of drawing commands meeting a certain requirement and translating said merged drawing commands into a single drawing command, thereby reducing a volume of said transfer data;

generating transfer packets each including at least one of said plurality of drawing commands whose amount is within a certain predetermined range and one or more said merged drawing commands; and

transferring said generated transfer packets to said second apparatus.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said merging comprises judging whether an offset can be performed by merging an increment of data volume caused by a change of drawing commands.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if said judging judges that said offset is possible, then the drawing commands are changed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said first apparatus comprises a computer and said second apparatus comprises a display apparatus.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein said merging further comprises generating a plurality of drawing instructions to be transferred from said first apparatus to said second apparatus by combining an effect of a plurality of drawing instructions which affect a same area in a predetermined short period of time on a frame buffer.

20. The method of claim 7, wherein said transferring comprises transferring only updated areas on a frame memory by analyzing graphics commands in a form of drawing commands to said second apparatus.

11. A medium for mediating a program for transferring transfer packets each including one or more transfer data as objectives of transfer from a first apparatus to a second apparatus, said each transfer data including commands indicating processes against a preliminarily assigned area, and said first apparatus being capable of making a computer execute:

merging a plurality of drawing commands meeting a certain requirement and translating said merged drawing commands into a single drawing command, thereby reducing a volume of said transfer data;

generating transfer packets each including at least one of said plurality of drawing commands whose amount is within a certain predetermined range and one or more said merged drawing commands; and

transferring said generated transfer packets to said second apparatus.

12. The medium of claim 11, wherein said merging comprises judging whether an offset can be performed by merging an increment of data volume caused by a change of drawing commands.

13. The medium of claim 12, wherein if said judging judges that said offset is possible, then the drawing commands are changed.

14. The medium of claim 12, wherein said first apparatus comprises a computer and said second apparatus comprises a display apparatus.