Method and system using compressed display mode list

• US 7,129,909 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Dong, Yu, Liao, Dongyi, Kwok, Gregory P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shalwala, Bipin
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHENG, TOM V
• Application Number:
  US10/423,387
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 345 11- 34, 710/8, 710/14, 708/203
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0414 Vertical resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0421 Horizontal resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0428 Gradation resolution change
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2360/02 Graphics controller able to handle multiple formats, e.g. input or output formats
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A method and system using a compressed display mode list is disclosed. In particular, the compressed display mode list includes a plurality of data representing the display modes. The data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules. The compression format rules reduce and minimize the size of the compressed display mode list. A driver controls a graphical processing unit that renders an image for displaying on a display device according to a selected display mode from the compressed display mode list. Moreover, a computer-readable medium can store the compressed display mode list.

Claims

1. A graphical processing system comprising:

a first graphical processing unit for rendering an image to display on a display device according to a selected one of a plurality of display modes;

a driver for controlling said first graphical processing unit; and

a display mode list including a plurality of data representing said display modes, wherein said data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on said display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list.

2. The graphical processing system as recited in claim 1 wherein each display mode includes a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

3. The graphical processing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said driver is based on a unified driver architecture.

4. The graphical processing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by said first graphical processing unit.

5. The graphical processing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a plurality of graphical processing units including said first graphical processing unit.

6. The graphical processing system as recited in claim 1 wherein said display mode list is a text file.

7. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored therein that provide:

a driver for controlling a first graphical processing unit that renders an image for displaying on a display device according to a selected one of a plurality of display modes; and

a display mode list including a plurality of data representing said display modes, wherein said data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on said display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list.

8. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7 wherein each display mode includes a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

9. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7 wherein said driver is based on a unified driver architecture.

10. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by said first graphical processing unit.

11. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a plurality of graphical processing units including said first graphical processing unit.

12. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 7 wherein said display mode list is a text file.

13. A system comprising:

a display device;

a first graphical processing system for rendering an image to display on said display device according to a selected one of a plurality of display modes;

a driver for controlling said first graphical processing system; and

a display mode list including a plurality of data representing said display modes, wherein said data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on said display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein each display mode includes a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said driver is based on a unified driver architecture.

16. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by said first graphical processing system.

17. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a plurality of graphical processing systems including said first graphical processing system.

18. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said display mode list is a text file.

19. A method of creating a display mode list, comprising:

determining a plurality of first display modes supported by a first graphical processing unit; and

generating said display mode list using first data representing said first display modes and a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on a display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 further comprising:

determining a plurality of second display modes supported by a second graphical processing unit; and

generating said display mode list using said first data representing said first display modes, second data representing said second display modes, and said compression format rules.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein each first display mode and each second display mode include a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

22. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said first data representing said first display modes supported by said first graphical processing unit.

23. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said first data representing said first display modes supported by said first graphical processing unit and minimize a size of said second data representing said second display modes supported by said second graphical processing unit.

24. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein said display mode list is a text file.

25. A method of providing selectable display options to a user, comprising:

reading a display mode list including a plurality of data representing a plurality of display modes, wherein said data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on a display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list; and

displaying said selectable display options to said user based on said display modes.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein each display mode includes a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

27. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a first graphical processing system.

28. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a plurality of graphical processing systems.

29. The method as recited in claim 25 wherein said display mode list is a text file.

30. An apparatus comprising:

a driver for controlling a first graphical processing unit that renders an image for displaying on a display device according to a selected one of a plurality of display modes; and

a display mode list including a plurality of data representing said display modes, wherein said data is formatted according to a plurality of compression format rules that reduce amount of area on said display device required to display in a user-readable manner said display mode list and that reduce amount of memory required to store said display mode list.

31. The apparatus as recited in claim 30 wherein each display mode includes a mode type, a resolution, a color bit depth, and a refresh rate.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 30 wherein said driver is based on a unified driver architecture.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 30 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by said first graphical processing unit.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 30 wherein said compression format rules minimize a size of said data representing said display modes supported by a plurality of graphical processing units including said first graphical processing unit.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 30 wherein said display mode list is a text file.