IP Library Granted Patent US 7,034,837
Granted Patent B2
US 7,034,837 · App. 10/429,328 · Granted Apr 25, 2006

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

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,034,837
App. No.
10/429,328
Granted
Apr 25, 2006
Kind
B2
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 (37)

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.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 4, 2013
From: GRAPHICS PROPERTIES HOLDINGS, INC.
To: RPX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029564/0799 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 18, 2012
From: SILICON GRAPHICS, INC.
To: GRAPHICS PROPERTIES HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 028066/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2007
From: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION
To: MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 019995/0895 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2006
From: SILICON GRAPHICS, INC.
To: GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 018545/0777 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 19, 2005
From: SILICON GRAPHICS, INC. AND SILICON GRAPHICS FEDERAL, INC. (EACH A DELAWARE CORPORATION)
To: WELLS FARGO FOOTHILL CAPITAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 016871/0809 →