Centralised interactive graphical application server

• US 7,916,147 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2003
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T5 Labs Ltd.
• Original Assignee: T5 Labs Ltd.
• Inventors: Clemie, Graham, Duckett, Dedrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hau H
• Application Number:
  US10/506,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20050104889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,948 Days
• Field of Search: 345/522, 345/505, 345/555, 709/247
• US Class Current: 345/522
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/203 Image generating hardware
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/60 Memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/08 Bandwidth reduction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/00 Image coding bandwidth or redundancy reduction for static pictures H04N1/41; coding or decoding of static colour picture signals H04N1/64; methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/20 using video object coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/463 by compressing encoding parameters before transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/51 Motion estimation or motion compensation

Abstract

A centralised game server in a bank (50) of game servers runs a game program for use by a user at a remote terminal (52, 56, 58). In the game server, the game program sends a first set of graphics instructions to a first graphics processing unit (76) which is intercepted by an instruction interception module (74). The first set of instructions, including vertex data, transformation data and texture data are passed to the first graphics processing unit (76) whilst a specially manipulated version of the instructions is generated and passed to a second graphics processing unit (78). The first graphics processing unit (76) renders the image data as the game intended whilst the second graphics processing unit (78) is used to render specially adapted graphics data from which to extract compression assistance data used for compression, e.g. motion vectors. In alternative embodiments, a first set of instructions include a program for a programmable pipeline module, such as a vertex shader or a pixel shader, and the second set of instructions include a modified program for the programmable pipeline module.

Claims

1. A method of generating a compressed video data signal using a graphics processor module, comprising the steps of:

a) intercepting a first set of instructions for said graphics processor module, said first set of instructions relating to how to render image frames;

b) generating a second set of instructions for said graphics processor module;

c) processing said first set of instructions or said second set of instructions or a combination thereof in said graphics processor module to generate first graphics data, said first graphics data comprising image frames;

d) processing said second set of instructions in said graphics processor module to generate second graphics data;

e) processing said second graphics data to generate compression assistance data; and

f) processing said first graphics data using said compression assistance data to generate a compressed video data signal;

wherein the generation of said second set of instructions comprises analyzing said first set of instructions to determine which instructions of said first set of instructions are useful for the generation of compression assistance data.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second set of instructions is generated such that step d) uses less data processing power than step c).

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises generating instructions in said second set of instructions for defining a first attribute, said first attribute corresponding to a second attribute which is defined in said first set of instructions, said first attribute to be mapped to substantially the same point on substantially the same graphics object, as said second attribute.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said first set of instructions comprises graphics texture instructions and wherein said second set of instructions comprises different graphics texture instructions.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein said step of generating said second set of instructions further comprises the step of generating instructions for processing said first or said second set of instructions from a point in time corresponding to the present image frame and a first or a second set of instructions of a different point of time than the point of time of the present image frame, in order to generate said second graphics data.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first set of instructions comprises graphics texture instructions and wherein said second set of instructions comprises different graphics texture instructions.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said different graphics texture instructions define at least one texture attribute which is arranged to be substantially unique to an area within an image frame in the second graphics data.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of generating different graphics texture mappings for at least one graphics object.

9. A method according to claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of performing a projection texture mapping processing for at least one graphics object.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said method further comprises the step of writing at least part of said second graphics data to a memory cache for at least one graphics object.

11. A method according to claim 6, wherein said method further comprises the step of writing at least part of said second graphics data to a memory cache for at least one graphics object.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method further comprises the step of writing at least part of said second graphics data to a memory cache for at least one graphics object.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of inputting said second set of instructions to a second graphics processor module to generate said second graphics data.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of generating said second set of instructions further comprises the step of generating instructions for processing said first or said second set of instructions from a point in time corresponding to the present image frame and a first or a second set of instructions of a different point of time than the point of time of the present image frame in order to generate said second graphics data.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the method includes generating, as part of second set of instructions, instructions for storing data processed from said first or second set of instructions from a point in time corresponding to the present image frame for processing with data processed from said first or second set of instructions of a different point of time than the point of time of the present image frame in order to generate compression assistance data.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes generating, as part of second set of instructions, instructions for storing data processed from said first or second set of instructions corresponding to a point in time for processing with data processed from said first or second set of instructions corresponding to another point in time in order to generate compression assistance data.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing of at least a part of said first or second set of instructions corresponding to a point of time for processing with instructions corresponding with another point in time in order to generate second graphic s data.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein generation of said second set of instructions comprises the step of creating unique signatures for one or more elements of the first set of instructions so as to facilitate the subsequent recognition of said elements.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said signatures are constructed from information within said second set of instructions.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing of at least a part of said first or second set of instructions from a point in time corresponding to the present image frame, for processing with instructions of a different point of time than the point of time of the present image frame in order to generate second graphics data.

21. Apparatus for generating a compressed video data signal, the apparatus comprising a graphics processor module, the apparatus comprising:

a) an instruction interceptor capable of intercepting a first set of instructions for said graphics processor module, said first set of instructions relating to how to render image frames, and generating an output comprising a second set of instructions for said graphics processor module;

b) a processing function capable of processing said first set of instructions or said second set of instructions or a combination thereof in said graphics processor module, said processing function having an output capable of generating first graphics data, said first graphics data comprising image frames;

c) a processing function capable of processing said second set of instructions in said graphics processor module, said processing function being further capable of producing an output comprising second graphics data;

d) a compression assistance data generator capable of receiving an input comprising said second graphics data and producing an output comprising compression assistance data; and

e) an encoder capable of processing said first graphics data using said compression assistance data, to generate a compressed video data signal;

wherein the apparatus is further capable of generation of said second set of instructions by analyzing said first set of instructions to determine which instructions of said first set of instructions are useful for the generation of compression assistance data.

22. A method of generating a compressed video data signal using a plurality of graphics processor modules, comprising the steps of:

a) intercepting a first set of instructions for at least one of said plurality of graphics processor modules, said first set of instructions relating to how to render image frames;

b) generating a second set of instructions for at least one of said plurality of graphics processor modules;

c) processing said first set of instructions or said second set of instructions or a combination thereof in said first graphics processor module of said plurality of graphics modules to generate first graphics data, said first graphics data comprising image frames;

d) processing said second set of instructions in a second graphics processor module of said plurality of graphics modules to generate second graphics data;

e) processing said second graphics data to generate compression assistance data; and

f) processing said first graphics data using said compression assistance data to generate a compressed video data signal;

wherein the generation of said second set of instructions comprises analyzing said first set of instructions to determine which instructions of said first set of instructions are useful for the generation of compression assistance data.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein said step of generating said second set of instructions further comprises the step of generating instructions for processing said first or said second set of instructions from a point in time corresponding to the present image frame and a first or a second set of instructions of a different point of time than the point of time of the present image frame in order to generate said second graphics data.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the method includes generating, as part of second set of instructions, instructions for storing data processed from said first or second set of instructions corresponding to a point in time for processing with data processed from said first or second set of instructions corresponding to another point in time in order to generate compression assistance data.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein the method further comprises the step of storing of at least a part of said first or second set of instructions corresponding to a point of time for processing with instructions corresponding with another point in time in order to generate second graphic s data.

26. A method according to claim 22, wherein generation of said second set of instructions comprises the step of creating unique signatures for one or more elements of the first set of instructions so as to facilitate the subsequent recognition of said elements.