Methods and systems for displaying animated graphics on a computing device

• US 7,439,981 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• 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): AMINI, JAVID A
• Application Number:
  US10/970,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20050083339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,461 Days
• Field of Search: 345/589, 345/539, 345/545, 345/530
• US Class Current: 345/539
• 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;

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 and for gathering display information from a ready buffer in a display flipping chain, the graphics arbiter being configured to transfer the display information to a presentation back buffer in a presentation flipping chain of the presentation surface set wherein the graphics arbiter is operative to;

gather characteristics of the display device comprising the synchronization timing of the display device;

provide the gathered characteristics of the display device to the first display source and to the second display source;

calculate an estimated time for display of a next frame on the display device based on the gathered characteristics of the display device; and

provide the calculated estimated time for display of the next frame on the display device to the first display source and to the second display source.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation surface set comprises a primary presentation surface and wherein the graphics arbiter transfers display information to the primary presentation surface.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein transferring comprises transferring display information to portions of the presentation back buffer that are changed relative to a buffer immediately preceding the presentation back buffer in the presentation flipping chain.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first display memory surface set comprises the display flipping chain.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter comprises components in the set:

software executable, hardware, and firmware executable.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter notifies the first display source of a time when a frame was displayed on the display device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter notifies the first display source of a time when a scan line was displayed on the display device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter enables processing by the first display source.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter transforms display information from the first display memory surface set.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein transforming comprises performing an operation in the set:

stretching, texture mapping, lighting, highlighting, translating from a first display format into a second display format, and applying a multi-dimensional transformation.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphics arbiter receives per-pixel alpha information from the first display source and wherein the graphics arbiter uses the per-pixel alpha information received from the first display source to merge the display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set for transfer to the presentation surface set.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third display source distinct from the graphics arbiter, wherein the graphics arbiter reads a drawing instruction from the third display source and performs the drawing instruction to write to the presentation surface set.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the drawing instruction instructs the graphics arbiter to perform an operation in the set:

deinterlacing video, interpolating video.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for providing 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;

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 and for gathering the display information from a ready buffer in a display flipping chain of the first display memory surface set, the graphics arbiter being configured to transfer the display information to a presentation back buffer in a presentation flipping chain of the presentation surface wherein the graphics arbiter is operative to;

gather characteristics of the display device comprising the synchronization timing of the display device;

provide the gathered characteristics of the display device to the first display source and to the second display source;

calculate an estimated time for display of a next frame on the display device based on the gathered characteristics of the display device; and

provide the calculated estimated time for display of the next frame on the display device to the first display source and to the second display source.

15. 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 wherein gathering display information from the first display memory surface set comprises gathering display information from a ready buffer in a display flipping chain of the first display memory surface set;

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 back buffer in a presentation flipping chain of a presentation surface set associated with the display device;

gathering characteristics of the display device comprising the synchronization timing of the display device by the graphics arbiter;

providing the gathered characteristics of the display device by the graphics arbiter to the first display source and to the second display source;

calculating an estimated time for display of a next frame on the display device based on the gathered characteristics of the display device by the graphics arbiter; and

providing the calculated estimated time for display of the next frame on the display device to the first display source and to the second display source.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein transferring display information comprises transferring display information to a primary presentation surface of the presentation surface set.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein transferring display information comprises transferring display information to portions of the presentation back buffer that are changed relative to a buffer immediately preceding the presentation back buffer in the presentation flipping chain.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transferring display information to the first display memory surface set.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

notifying the first display source of a time when a frame was displayed on the display device.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

notifying the first display source of a time when a scan line was displayed on the display device.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

enabling processing by the first display source.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

transforming display information from the first display memory surface set.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein transforming comprises performing an operation in the set:

stretching, texture mapping, lighting, highlighting, translating from a first display format into a second display format, and applying a multi-dimensional transformation.

24. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving per-pixel alpha information from the first display source; and

using the per-pixel alpha information received from the first display source to merge the display information from the first display memory surface set and from the second display memory surface set for transfer to the presentation surface set.

25. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

reading a drawing instruction from a third display source distinct from the graphics arbiter; and

performing the drawing instruction to write to the presentation surface set.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein performing the drawing instruction comprises performing an operation in the set:

deinterlacing video, interpolating video.

27. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for performing 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 wherein gathering display information from the first display memory surface set comprises gathering display information from a ready buffer in a display flipping chain of the first display memory surface set;

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 back buffer in a presentation flipping chain of a presentation surface set associated with the display device;

gathering characteristics of the display device comprising the synchronization timing of the display device by the graphics arbiter;

providing the gathered characteristics of the display device by the graphics arbiter to the first display source and to the second display source;

calculating an estimated time for display of a next frame on the display device based on the gathered characteristics of the display device by the graphics arbiter; and

providing the calculated estimated time for display of the next frame on the display device to the first display source and to the second display source.