Using non-lossless compression to save power
First Claim
1. A method of reducing power dissipation comprising:
- monitoring user activity;
if a first duration passes without user activity occurring, thenreducing a color fidelity of a plurality of pixels;
storing the plurality of pixels having a reduced color fidelity in a first memory;
storing the plurality of pixels having a reduced color fidelity in a second memory; and
until user activity is detected;
reading the plurality of pixels having the reduced fidelity from the second memory without reading the plurality of pixels having the reduced fidelity from the first memory; and
displaying the plurality of pixels having the reduced color fidelity;
otherwise,not reducing the color fidelity of the plurality of pixels; and
displaying the plurality of pixels.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Circuits, methods, and systems that reduce or eliminate the number of data transfers between a system memory and a graphics processor under certain conditions. After inactivity by a user of an electronic device is detected, the color fidelity of pixels being displayed is reduced. Color fidelity can be reduced by compressing pixel values, and the compression may be non-lossless, for example, pixel data bits may be truncated. The degree of compression can be progressively increased for longer durations of inactivity, and this progression may be limited by a threshold. Inactivity may be detected by a lack of input from devices such as a keyboard, pen, mouse, or other input device. Once activity is resumed, uncompressed pixel data, or pixel data that is compressed in a lossless manner, is displayed.
16 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of reducing power dissipation comprising:
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monitoring user activity; if a first duration passes without user activity occurring, then reducing a color fidelity of a plurality of pixels; storing the plurality of pixels having a reduced color fidelity in a first memory; storing the plurality of pixels having a reduced color fidelity in a second memory; and
until user activity is detected;reading the plurality of pixels having the reduced fidelity from the second memory without reading the plurality of pixels having the reduced fidelity from the first memory; and displaying the plurality of pixels having the reduced color fidelity;
otherwise,not reducing the color fidelity of the plurality of pixels; and displaying the plurality of pixels. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a graphics processing unit comprising; a first circuit configured to detect user activity; a second circuit configured to compress pixel data; a third circuit configured to write compressed pixel data to an external memory and to read compressed pixel data from the external memory; and an internal memory configured to store the compressed pixel data; wherein when the first circuit detects user inactivity for a first duration, the second circuit compresses pixel data using a first algorithm, the third circuit writes the compressed pixel data to the external memory, then the third circuit reads the compressed pixel data from the external memory and the compressed pixel data is stored in the internal memory, and wherein compressed pixel data stored in the internal memory is read multiple times. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of reducing power dissipation by compressing pixel data comprising:
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detecting a user'"'"'s inactivity; receiving a first plurality of pixel values from a first memory; compressing the pixel values; storing the compressed pixel values in the first memory; receiving the compressed pixel values from the first memory; storing the compressed pixel values in a second memory; and displaying the compressed pixel values more than once until user activity is detected. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification