Display driving architectures

• US 8,963,797 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 02/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Avkarogullari, Gokhan, Harper, John, Shaffer, Joshua H., Yepez, Roberto G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richer, Joni
• Application Number:
  US12/895,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110164184A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1.1, 345/501, 345/502, 345/505, 345/506, 345/629
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1431 using a single graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/001 Texturing; Colouring; Generation of texture or colour inpainting G06T5/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/92 based on global image properties
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/06 Colour space transformation
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/04 Exchange of auxiliary data, i.e. other than image data, between monitor and graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/10 Use of a protocol of communication by packets in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/12 Use of DVI or HDMI protocol in interfaces along the display data pipeline
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04

Abstract

A display driving architecture that can include two graphics pipelines with an optional connection between them to provide a mirrored mode. In one embodiment, one of the two pipelines can be automatically configured (e.g. routed in one of a plurality of ways, such as routing to do color conversion) based upon the type of cable that is coupled to a connector of the one pipeline. In another embodiment, a connection of a cable can cause display information (e.g. resolutions of an external display) to be provided to an application which can select a display mode while one of the graphics pipelines is kept in a low power state.

Claims

1. A data processing system comprising:

a graphics processor coupled to memory;

a first display pipeline coupled to an internal display device at a first end of the first display pipeline and coupled to the memory at a second end of the first display pipeline;

a second display pipeline coupled to a connector at a first end of the second display pipeline, the connector being configured to drive an external display device, and coupled to the memory at a second end of the second display pipeline; and

a connection from the first display pipeline to the second display pipeline to bypass the second display pipeline, the connection to provide a mirrored mode to display an image on the internal display and on the external display device through the first display pipeline.

2. The data processing system as in claim 1, wherein the first display pipeline comprises a first compositing apparatus to composite decoded video content with other display content, and wherein the second display pipeline comprises a second compositing apparatus to composite decoded video content with other display content, and wherein the first display pipeline and the second display pipeline are configured to provide different display data to the internal display device and the external display device respectively when the data processing system is in a non-mirrored mode.

3. The data processing system as in claim 2, wherein the first display pipeline further comprises a first dither component to perform a dither operation on the decoded video content, a first scaler to perform a scaling operation on the decoded video content, and a first programmable color space converter to convert the decoded video content from a first color space to a second color space, and wherein the second display pipeline comprises a second dither component, a second scaler and a second programmable color space converter.

4. The data processing system as in claim 2, wherein the connection comprises a switch configured to be switched between the mirrored mode and the non-mirrored mode and wherein when the data processing system is in the non-mirrored mode, the first compositing apparatus and the second compositing apparatus are configured to composite video concurrently, and wherein the data processing system is an embedded device having a wireless transceiver and a touch screen input device integrally coupled to the internal display device.

5. The data processing system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a gamma correction component coupled between the first display pipeline and the internal display device, the gamma correction component to perform a gamma correction operation on output of the first display pipeline.

6. The data processing system as in claim 1, further comprising:

a connector driver coupled between the second display pipeline and the connector.

7. A machine implemented method comprising:

displaying, from memory, a first image on an internal display device of a data processing system through a first display pipeline;

when the data processing system is in a non-mirror mode, displaying a second image on an external display device through a second display pipeline, wherein the external display device is coupled to the data processing system through a connector; and

when the data processing system is in a mirror mode, displaying, from the memory, the first image on the internal display device and concurrently on the external display device through a connection between the first display pipeline and the second display pipeline, while bypassing the second display pipeline.

8. The machine implemented method as in claim 7, wherein displaying the first image on the internal display device through the first display pipeline comprises compositing, by the first display pipeline, decoded video content with other display content and wherein displaying the second image on the external display device through the second display pipeline comprises compositing, by the second display pipeline, decoded video content with other display content.

9. The machine implemented method as in claim 8, further comprising:

switching between the mirrored mode and the non-mirrored mode, wherein when the data processing system is in the non-mirrored mode, the first display pipeline and the second display pipeline are configured to composite content concurrently.

10. A machine implemented method comprising:

generating data to be displayed on an internal display device of a data processing system;

providing, through a first display pipeline, the data to the internal display device;

determining that a cable for an external display device has been coupled to a connector on the data processing system, wherein the connector is coupled to a second display pipeline to receive display data, through the second display pipeline, for display on the external display device, wherein the determining is performed while maintaining the second display pipeline in a low power state;

maintaining the second display pipeline in the low power state, after the cable has been coupled;

receiving connector display information from the external display device; and

selecting a resolution and color mode for the external display device while the second display pipeline is maintained in the low power state.

11. The machine implemented method as in claim 10, wherein the connector display information comprises resolution information and color mode information defining one or more resolutions and color modes supported by the external display device.

12. The machine implemented method as in claim 11, further comprising:

filtering the connector display information and providing filtered connector display information to software, wherein filtering the connector display information comprises removing any resolutions and color modes that are supported by the external display device but are not supported by the data processing system.

13. The machine implemented method as in claim 12, further comprising preparing to configure the second display pipeline using the connector display information while the second display pipeline is in the low power state.

14. The machine implemented method as in claim 13 further comprising:

maintaining the second display pipeline in the low power state after the cable has been coupled until software executing on the data processing system begins to generate data to be displayed on the external display device;

providing power to the second display pipeline; and

configuring the second display pipeline with the selected resolution and color mode to display data on the external display device.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

generating data to be displayed on an internal display device of a data processing system;

providing, through a first display pipeline, the data to the internal display device;

determining that a cable for an external display device has been coupled to a connector on the data processing system, wherein the connector is coupled to a second display pipeline to receive display data, through the second display pipeline, for display on the external display device, wherein the determining is performed while maintaining the second display pipeline in a low power state; and

maintaining the second display pipeline in the low power state, after the cable has been coupled;

receiving connector display information from the external display device; and

selecting a resolution and color mode for the external display device while the second display pipeline is maintained in the low power state.

16. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 15, wherein the connector display information comprises resolution information and color mode information defining one or more resolutions and color modes supported by the external display device.

17. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

filtering the connector display information and providing filtered connector display information to software, wherein filtering the connector display information comprises removing any resolutions and color modes that are supported by the external display device but are not supported by the data processing system.

18. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 17, wherein the method further comprises preparing to configure the second display pipeline using the connector display information while the second display pipeline is in the low power state.

19. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

maintaining the second display pipeline in the low power state, after the cable has been coupled, until the executing software application on the data processing system begins to generate data to be displayed on the external display device;

providing power to the second display pipeline; and

configuring the second display pipeline with the selected resolution and color mode to display data on the external display device.

20. A machine implemented method comprising:

generating data to be displayed on an internal display device of a data processing system;

processing, through a first display pipeline, the data to present an image on the internal display device;

generating an interrupt signal in response to a connection of a cable from an external display device to the data processing system;

determining, through a daemon software process, a cable type of the cable in response to the signal; and

configuring, based on the cable type, a second display pipeline to generate data to be displayed on the external display.

21. The machine implemented method as in claim 20, wherein the configuring comprises selecting a route, from a set of routes within the second display pipeline.

22. The machine implemented method as in claim 21, wherein selecting a route comprises selecting one of a color space conversion route and a non-color space conversion route.

23. The machine implemented method as in claim 22, further comprising:

generating data to be displayed on the external display device; and

processing, through the configured second display pipeline, the data to present the image on the external display device.

24. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed cause a data processing system to perform a method comprising:

generating data to be displayed on an internal display device of a data processing system;

processing, through a first display pipeline, the data to present an image on the internal display device;

generating an interrupt signal in response to a connection of a cable from an external display device to the data processing system;

determining, through a daemon software process, a cable type of the cable in response to the signal; and

configuring, based on the cable type, a second display pipeline to generate data to be displayed on the external display.

25. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 24, wherein the configuring comprises selecting a route, from a set of routes within the second display pipeline, the set of routes comprising a color space conversion route and a non-color space conversion route.

26. The machine readable storage medium as in claim 24, wherein the method further comprises:

generating data to be displayed on the external display device; and

processing, through the configured second display pipeline, the data to present the image on the external display device.