Method of providing a PC-based computing system with parallel graphics processing capabilities
First Claim
1. A method of providing a PC-based computing system with parallel graphics processing capabilities, wherein said PC-based computing system includes (i) system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, (ii) an operating system (OS), stored in said system memory, (iii) one or more graphics applications, stored in said system memory, for generating a stream of geometrical data and graphics commands supporting the representation of one or more 3D objects in a scene having 3D geometrical characteristics and the viewing of images of said one or more 3D objects in said scene during an interactive process carried out between said PC-based computing system and a user of said PC-based computing system, (iv) one or more graphic libraries, stored in said system memory, for storing data used to implement said stream of geometrical data and graphics commands, (v) a central processing unit (CPU) for executing said OS, said one or more graphics applications, said drivers and said graphics libraries, (vi) an CPU interface module for interfacing with said CPU, (vii) a PC bus, and (viii) a display surface for displaying images of said 3D objects, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) interfacing a hardware hub having a hub router, with said CPU interface module using said PC bus;
(b) interfacing said hardware hub with a plurality of graphic processing units (GPUs), using said PC bus, wherein said GPUs are arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that said GPUs support multiple graphics pipelines and process data in a parallel manner, and wherein each said GPU has a corresponding frame buffer for storing a fragment or frame of pixel data generated by said GPU;
(c) installing one or more GPU drivers, in said system memory, for allowing said GPUs to interact with said graphic libraries, (d) installing one or more software hub drivers within the system memory of said PC-based computing system, for performing the following functions;
(i) controlling said hardware hub, (ii) interacting with said OS and said graphic libraries, and (iii) forwarding said graphic commands and said geometrical data stream or a portion thereof to one or more said GPUs; and
(e) for each image of said 3D object to be generated and displayed, (i) said hub router routing said graphic commands and said stream of geometrical data or a portion thereof, to said GPUs, (ii) one or more of said GPUs processing the stream of geometrical data and graphical commands, or portion thereof, during the generation of pixel data results, while operating in said parallelization mode, and (iii) said hub router routing the pixel data results from said GPUs during the composition of a frame of pixel data, for display as an image of said 3D object(s) on said display surface.
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Abstract
A method of providing a PC-based computing system with parallel graphics processing capabilities, wherein the PC-based computing system includes (i) system memory (ii) an operating system (OS, (iii) one or more graphics applications, stored in said system memory, (iv) one or more graphic libraries, (v) a central processing unit (CPU) for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries, (vi) an CPU interface module for interfacing with the CPU, (vii) a PC bus, and (viii) a display surface for displaying images of 3D objects. The method involves interfacing a hardware hub having a hub router, with the CPU interface module using the PC bus. The hardware hub is interfaced with a plurality of graphic processing units (GPUs), using the PC bus, so that the GPUs are arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that the GPUs support multiple graphics pipelines and process data in a parallel manner. GPU drivers are stored in the system memory, for allowing the GPUs to interact with the graphic libraries. Software hub drivers are installed within the system memory for performing the following functions: (i) controlling the hardware hub, (ii) interacting with the OS and graphic libraries, and (iii) forwarding graphic commands and geometrical data stream or a portion thereof to one or more GPUs during the generation of frames of pixel data.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of providing a PC-based computing system with parallel graphics processing capabilities, wherein said PC-based computing system includes (i) system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, (ii) an operating system (OS), stored in said system memory, (iii) one or more graphics applications, stored in said system memory, for generating a stream of geometrical data and graphics commands supporting the representation of one or more 3D objects in a scene having 3D geometrical characteristics and the viewing of images of said one or more 3D objects in said scene during an interactive process carried out between said PC-based computing system and a user of said PC-based computing system, (iv) one or more graphic libraries, stored in said system memory, for storing data used to implement said stream of geometrical data and graphics commands, (v) a central processing unit (CPU) for executing said OS, said one or more graphics applications, said drivers and said graphics libraries, (vi) an CPU interface module for interfacing with said CPU, (vii) a PC bus, and (viii) a display surface for displaying images of said 3D objects, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) interfacing a hardware hub having a hub router, with said CPU interface module using said PC bus; (b) interfacing said hardware hub with a plurality of graphic processing units (GPUs), using said PC bus, wherein said GPUs are arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that said GPUs support multiple graphics pipelines and process data in a parallel manner, and wherein each said GPU has a corresponding frame buffer for storing a fragment or frame of pixel data generated by said GPU; (c) installing one or more GPU drivers, in said system memory, for allowing said GPUs to interact with said graphic libraries, (d) installing one or more software hub drivers within the system memory of said PC-based computing system, for performing the following functions;
(i) controlling said hardware hub, (ii) interacting with said OS and said graphic libraries, and (iii) forwarding said graphic commands and said geometrical data stream or a portion thereof to one or more said GPUs; and(e) for each image of said 3D object to be generated and displayed, (i) said hub router routing said graphic commands and said stream of geometrical data or a portion thereof, to said GPUs, (ii) one or more of said GPUs processing the stream of geometrical data and graphical commands, or portion thereof, during the generation of pixel data results, while operating in said parallelization mode, and (iii) said hub router routing the pixel data results from said GPUs during the composition of a frame of pixel data, for display as an image of said 3D object(s) on said display surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification