Reserving a fixed amount of hardware resources of a multimedia console for system application and controlling the unreserved resources by the multimedia application
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method implemented by an operating system of a multimedia console, the operating system being configured to execute a system application of a plurality of system applications and a multimedia application, the system application being configured to provide system functions to the multimedia application, the multimedia application being configured to provide multimedia functions, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- reserving by the operating system, a predetermined, fixed amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console for the system application, the multimedia console having a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit, and a memory, the predetermined, fixed amount of hardware resources comprising a portion of processing time of the CPU;
executing, by the operating system, the system application using the predetermined fixed amount of reserved hardware resources;
executing, by the operating system, the multimedia application using a remaining unreserved hardware resources, the remaining unreserved hardware resources being inaccessible to the system application;
determining, by the operating system, that a sub-portion of the portion of processing time is unused by the system application;
executing, by the operating system, an idle thread in the sub-portion of the portion of processing time such that the system application and the idle thread consume the portion of processing time, the idle thread being separate from the system application and the multimedia application; and
executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of the plurality of system applications gets executed and causes scheduling each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of video frames generated by the graphics processing unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method provides a high level of system functionality in a multimedia console through the use of system applications, while reducing any corresponding lack of control that multimedia applications will have while running on the console. A predetermined amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console is reserved. The system application is executed substantially using the predetermined amount of reserved hardware resources and the multimedia application is executed substantially within the remaining unreserved hardware resources.
50 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method implemented by an operating system of a multimedia console, the operating system being configured to execute a system application of a plurality of system applications and a multimedia application, the system application being configured to provide system functions to the multimedia application, the multimedia application being configured to provide multimedia functions, the computer-implemented method comprising:
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reserving by the operating system, a predetermined, fixed amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console for the system application, the multimedia console having a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit, and a memory, the predetermined, fixed amount of hardware resources comprising a portion of processing time of the CPU; executing, by the operating system, the system application using the predetermined fixed amount of reserved hardware resources; executing, by the operating system, the multimedia application using a remaining unreserved hardware resources, the remaining unreserved hardware resources being inaccessible to the system application; determining, by the operating system, that a sub-portion of the portion of processing time is unused by the system application; executing, by the operating system, an idle thread in the sub-portion of the portion of processing time such that the system application and the idle thread consume the portion of processing time, the idle thread being separate from the system application and the multimedia application; and executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of the plurality of system applications gets executed and causes scheduling each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of video frames generated by the graphics processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A multimedia console, comprising:
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a central processing unit (CPU); a graphics processing unit; a writable memory in communication with the graphics processing unit; and a second memory in communication with the CPU, the second memory comprising executable code that, when executed on the multimedia console, causes an operating system of the multimedia console to configure hardware resources of the multimedia console for use by a system application, a multimedia application, and an idle thread, the system application being configured to provide a system service to the multimedia application and to run concurrently with the multimedia application, the multimedia application being configured to provide a multimedia service, the idle thread being separate from the system application and the multimedia application, the configuration of the hardware resources of the multimedia console comprising; a reserved, fixed amount of the hardware resources of the multimedia console configured to execute the system application that provides the system service using the reserved, fixed amount of the hardware resources, the reserved, fixed amount of the hardware resources comprising a portion of processing time of the CPU; a sub-portion of the portion of processing time of the CPU allocated to the idle thread, the system application and the idle thread being configured to consume the portion of processing time of the central processing unit; a remaining unreserved amount of the hardware resources being dedicated to the multimedia application and being inaccessible to the system application, the multimedia application being configured to execute within the remaining unreserved amount of the hardware resources; a scheduler for executing the system application and the idle thread in the portion of processing unit of time of the CPU, the scheduling comprising, upon detection of an interrupt command of the graphics processing unit, stopping the multimedia application from executing on the CPU and executing the system application and the idle thread in the portion of processing unit of time of the CPU; and executable code for executing a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed and causes scheduling each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of video frames generated by the graphics processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30)
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28. A computer-readable storage device, excluding signals, comprising instructions that, upon execution on a multimedia console, cause an operating system of the multimedia console at least to:
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reserve a predetermined fixed amount of hardware resources of the multimedia console to a system application, the multimedia console having a central processing unit (CPU), a graphic processing unit, and a memory, the predetermined fixed amount of hardware resources comprising a portion of processing time of the CPU, the operating system being configured to execute the system application and a multimedia application, the system application being configured to provide a system function to the multimedia application, the multimedia application being configured to provide a multimedia function; execute the system application using the predetermined fixed amount of reserved hardware resources; execute the multimedia application using a remaining unreserved hardware resources, the remaining unreserved hardware resources being inaccessible to the system application; determine that a sub-portion of the portion of processing time is unused by the system application; execute an idle thread in the sub-portion of the portion of processing time such that the system application and the idle thread consume the portion of processing time, the idle thread being separate from the system application and the multimedia application; and
execute a system application manager that prioritizes which system application of a plurality of system applications gets executed and causes scheduling each system application of the plurality of system applications to be executed at least once a predetermined number of video frames generated by the graphics processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification