Method, system, and computer program product for determining a structure of a graphics compositor tree

• US 7,034,837 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2003
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Silicon Graphics Incorporated (Graphics Properties Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sadowski, Greg, Kunze, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung, Kee M.
• Application Number:
  US10/429,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20040222994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 345/629, 345/634, 345/503, 345/505, 345/506, 709/201, 709/220, 709/222, 713/153, 713/168, 370/254, 370/255, 370/256, 370/257
• US Class Current: 345/506
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/20 Processor architectures; Processor configuration, e.g. pipelining

Abstract

Compositors are identified in a manner that defines the position of the compositor in the compositor tree. Each compositor has its own “unique compositor identifier”. Starting at the most downstream compositor, it transmits its unique compositor identifier to all upstream compositors directly coupled to it. The upstream compositors receive the unique compositor identifier from the most downstream compositor. Each of the upstream compositors appends its unique compositor identifier to the unique compositor identifier received from the most downstream compositor to produce a “compositor tree compositor identifier”. The compositor tree compositor identifier identifies both the compositor and its position in the compositor tree. This enables an application to detect the structure of the compositor tree so that the application can determine a desired tiling configuration that exploits the structure of the compositor tree.

Claims

1. A method of determining a structure of a compositor tree, comprising:

(1) locating a downstream compositor of the compositor tree;

(2) counting a number of compositors coupled to said located downstream compositor; and

(3) ascertaining if a compositor of said counted number of compositors is a graphics pipeline.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(4) transmitting a compositor tree compositor identifier of said ascertained graphics pipeline to a graphics controller.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(5) distinguishing a compositor of said counted number of compositors; and

(6) counting, for said distinguished compositor, a new number of compositors coupled to said distinguished compositor.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

(7) detecting, for said distinguished compositor, an upstream compositor.

5. A method of determining a structure of a compositor tree, comprising:

(1) receiving, from graphics pipelines, at least one compositor tree compositor identifier that includes a unique compositor identifier and a unique port identifier; and

(2) deconstructing said received at least one compositor tree compositor identifier.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said deconstructing step comprises:

ascertaining a number of stages in the compositor tree.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

locating a downstream compositor.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a number of compositors coupled to said located downstream compositor.

9. A system to determine a structure of a compositor tree, comprising:

a memory configured to store compositor tree compositor identifiers of compositors in the compositor tree; and

a processor coupled to said memory, and configured to locate a downstream compositor of the compositor tree, to count a number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor, and

to ascertain if a compositor of said number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor is a graphics pipeline.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a transmitter coupled to said processor, and configured to transmit a compositor tree compositor identifier of said graphics pipeline to a graphics controller.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to distinguish a compositor of said number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor, and to count, for said compositor of said number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor, a new number of compositors coupled to said compositor of said number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a detector coupled to said processor, and configured to attempt to detect, for said compositor of said number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor, an upstream compositor.

13. A system to determine a structure of a compositor tree, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive, from graphics pipelines, compositor tree compositor identifiers, wherein a compositor tree compositor identifier of said compositor tree compositor identifiers includes a unique compositor identifier and a unique port identifier;

a memory coupled to said receiver, and configured to store compositor tree compositor identifiers of compositors in the compositor tree; and

a processor coupled to said memory, and configured to deconstruct said compositor tree compositor identifiers.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said processor is further configured to ascertain a number of stages in the compositor tree.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said processor is further configured to locate a downstream compositor of the compositor tree.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said processor is further configured to determine a number of compositors coupled to said downstream compositor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said processor is further configured to identify a port on said downstream compositor to which a compositor of said number of compositors is coupled.