Computing system having a hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-type graphics processing pipeline (GPPL) architecture

• US 7,944,450 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
• Inventors: Bakalash, Reuven, Leviathan, Yaniv
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ma, Tize
• Application Number:
  US11/904,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20080100629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 345/505
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/501 Performance criteria
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/005 General purpose rendering architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/52 Parallel processing

Abstract

A computing system capable of parallelizing the operation of multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) supported on a hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip and/or on an external graphics card, and employing a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem having software and hardware implemented components. The computing system includes (i) CPU memory space for storing one or more graphics-based applications, (ii) one or more CPUs for executing the graphics-based applications, (iii) a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem supporting multiple modes of parallel operation, (iv) a plurality of graphic processing pipelines (GPPLs), implemented using the GPUs, and (vi) an automatic mode control module. During the run-time of the graphics-based application, the automatic mode control module automatically controls the mode of parallel operation of the multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem so that the GPUs are driven in a parallelized manner.

Claims

1. A computing system capable of parallelizing the operation of one or more GPUs supported on a hybrid CPU/GPU fusion chip and one or more GPUs supported on one or more external graphics cards, said computing system comprising:

CPU memory space for storing one or more graphics-based applications and a graphics library for generating graphics commands and data (GCAD) during the execution of said one or more graphics-based applications;

a CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip having one or more GPUs, an interconnect network, and a memory controller for controlling access to said CPU memory space;

one or more external graphics cards supporting one or more GPUs, and operably connected to said interconnect network by way of a data communication interface;

wherein said one or more external graphics cards are connected to said CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip by way of a data communication interface;

a multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem supporting multiple modes of parallel operation selected from the group consisting of object division, image division, and time division, and wherein each mode of parallel operation includes at least three stages, namely, decomposition, distribution and recomposition;

wherein said multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem further includes;

(i) a decomposition module for supporting the decomposition stage of parallel operation;

(ii) a distribution module for supporting the distribution stage of parallel operation; and

(iii) a recomposition module for supporting the recomposition stage of parallel operation;

a plurality of graphic processing pipelines (GPPLs), implemented using said GPUs, and supporting a parallel graphics rendering process that employs one or more of said multiple modes of parallel operation in order to execute graphic commands, process graphics data, and render pixel-composited images containing graphics for display on a display device during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications, and said display device being connectable to at least one of said one or more external graphics cards; and

an automatic mode control module for automatically controlling the switching into, out of, and transitioning between said multiple modes of parallel operation during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications so that said GPUs are driven in a parallelized manner during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications;

wherein said decomposition module divides up said stream of graphic commands and data (GCAD) according to the mode of parallel operation controlled by said automatic mode control module;

wherein said distribution module distributes said stream of graphics commands and data to one or more of said GPUs according to the mode of parallel operation controlled by said automatic mode control module;

wherein one or more of said GPUs execute said graphics commands using said graphics data, and generate partial pixel data sets associated with frames of images of said 3D scene to be composited, according to the mode of parallel operation controlled by said automatic mode control module; and

wherein said recomposition module merges together partial pixel data sets produced from one or more of said GPUs, according to said mode of parallel operation and controlled by said automatic mode control module, and producing a final pixel data set for display on said display device.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said automatic mode control module employs said real-time profiling of scenes in said one or more graphics-based applications involving (i) collecting and analyzing performance data associated with said multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem and said computing system, during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications, (ii) constructing scene profiles for the image frames associated with particular scenes in said one or more graphics-based applications, so that and (iii) maintaining said scene profiles in an application/scene profile database that is accessible to said automatic mode control module during said run-time, so that during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications, said automatic mode control module can access and use said scene profiles maintained in said application/scene profile database and determine how to dynamically control the modes of parallel operation of said multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem to optimize system performance.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said automatic mode control module employs real-time detection of scene profile indices programmed within pre-profiled scenes of said one or more graphics-based applications;

wherein said pre-profiled scenes are analyzed prior to run-time, and indexed with said scene profile indices; and

wherein mode control parameters (MCPs) corresponding to said scene profile indices, are stored within an application/scene profile database accessible to said automatic mode control module during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications, so that said automatic mode control module can access and use said MCPs maintained in said application/scene profile database and determine how to dynamically control the modes of parallel operation of said multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem to optimize system performance.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said automatic mode control module employs a user interaction detection (UID) mechanism for real-time detection of the user'"'"'s interaction with said computing system, and said automatic mode control module uses the detected user interaction to determine how to dynamically control the modes of parallel operation of the multi-mode parallel graphics rendering subsystem to optimize system performance, at any instance in time during the run-time of said one or more graphics-based applications.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip has only one GPU.

6. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip has multiple GPUs.

7. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said display device is a device selected from the group consisting of an flat-type display panel, a projection-type display panel, and other image display devices.

8. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said computing system is a machine selected from the group consisting of a PC-level computer, information server, laptop, game console system, portable computing system, and any computational-based machine supporting the real-time generation and display of 3D graphics.

9. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said decomposition module comprises first and second decomposition submodules, and wherein said automatic mode control module and said first decomposition submodule are each implemented as a software package in said CPU memory space;

and wherein said second decomposition submodule, said distribution module and said recomposition module are each implemented within said hybrid CPU/GPU fusion-architecture chip, and are in operable communication with said automatic mode control module in said CPU memory space by way of said interconnect network and a memory controller.

10. The computing system of claim 9, wherein said each said software package is implemented in said CPU memory space.

11. The computing system of claim 9, wherein during operation,

(i) said first decomposition submodule divides the stream of graphic commands and data according to the required parallelization mode, operative at any instant in time;

(ii) said second decomposition submodule receives the stream of graphic commands and data from said first decomposition submodule;

(iii) said distribution module uses said interconnect network to distribute graphic commands and data to said multiple GPUs,

(iv) said recomposition module uses said interconnect network to transfer composited pixel data between said recomposition module and said multiple GPUs during said recomposition stage, and

(v) finally recomposited pixel data sets are displayed as graphical images on said display device.