SELECTIVE ACCESS TO A FRAME BUFFER
A method, system, and computer program display data by selectively providing access to a frame buffer. When a request for a destination location for display data is received, a determination is made as to whether the data will require further processing prior to display. If further processing is needed, a location of an external application buffer is provided. If no further processing is needed, a frame buffer is provided. Thus, improved efficiency is achieved, while still providing functionality for processing occlusions and/or composited sections of the display data.
1 . A method for displaying data, comprising:
receiving a request for a destination location for data to be displayed;
determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display; and
responsive to at least a portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, responding to the request with an indication pointing to an application buffer for further processing prior to display;
receiving the data;
responsive to at least a portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, processing the received data and transferring the processed data to the frame buffer; and
displaying contents of the frame buffer.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display comprises determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed; and
processing the received data comprises clipping the window according to the occlusion.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
determining whether at least a portion of the window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed comprises determining whether at least a portion of the visual element is to be displayed on top of at least a portion of the window.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the visual element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:
a menu;
an icon; and
a window.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display comprises determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed; and
processing the received data comprises compositing at least a portion of the window with at least a portion of the visual element.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein:
determining whether at least a portion of the window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed comprises determining whether:
at least a portion of the window intersects at least a portion of the visual element; and
at least one of the window and the visual element is at least partially translucent.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the visual element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:
a menu;
an icon; and
a window.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the data comprises receiving the data from at least one selected from the group consisting of:
a video display application;
a game application; and
a software application.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to receiving the data:
responsive to no portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, responding to the request with an indication pointing to the frame buffer.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the request for the destination location comprises receiving the request by a windowing system from an application.
11 . A computer program product for displaying video in a window, comprising:
a computer-readable medium; and
computer program code, encoded on the medium, for:
receiving a request for a destination location for a data to be displayed;
determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display; and
responsive to at least a portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, responding to the request with an indication pointing to an application buffer for further processing prior to display;
receiving the data; and
responsive to at least a portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, processing the received data and transferring the processed data to the frame buffer; and
displaying contents of the frame buffer.
12 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein:
the computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display comprises computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed; and
the computer program code for processing the received data comprises computer program code for clipping the window according to the occlusion.
13 . The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein:
the computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of the window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed comprises computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of the visual element is to be displayed on top of at least a portion of the window.
14 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein:
the computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display comprises computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed; and
the computer program code for processing the received data comprises computer program code for compositing at least a portion of the window with at least a portion of the visual element.
15 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein:
the computer program code for determining whether at least a portion of the window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed comprises computer program code for determining whether:
at least a portion of the window intersects at least a portion of the visual element; and
at least one of the window and the visual element is at least partially translucent.
16 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the computer program code for receiving the data comprises computer program code for receiving the data from at least one selected from the group consisting of:
a video application;
a video game application; and
a software application.
17 . The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising computer program code for, prior to receiving the data:
responsive to no portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, responding to the request with an indication pointing to a frame buffer.
18 . The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the computer program code for receiving the request for the destination location comprises computer program code for receiving the request by a windowing system from an application.
19 . A system for displaying data, comprising:
a frame buffer, for receiving a data that is ready for display in the window;
an application buffer, for receiving a data for further processing prior to display; and
a display module, for:
receiving a request for a destination location for data to be displayed; and
responsive to determining that at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display, responding to the request with an indication pointing to the application buffer for further processing prior to display;
a display processing component, for processing data in the application buffer and for transferring the processed data to the frame buffer; and
a display device, for displaying contents of the frame buffer.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the display module determines whether at least a portion of the data requires further processing prior to display by determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed; and
the display processing component processes the received data by clipping the window according to the occlusion.
21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein:
the display module determines whether at least a portion of the window is to be occluded by a visual element to be displayed by determining whether at least a portion of the visual element is to be displayed on top of at least a portion of the window.
22 . The system of claim 19 , wherein:
the display module determines whether at least a portion of the window requires further processing prior to display by determining whether at least a portion of a window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed; and
the display processing component processes the received data by compositing at least a portion of the window with at least a portion of the visual element.
23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein:
the display module determines whether at least a portion of the window is to be composited with a visual element to be displayed by determining whether:
at least a portion of the window intersects at least a portion of the visual element; and
at least one of the window and the visual element is at least partially translucent.
24 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the frame buffer and the application buffer are adapted to receive the data from at least one selected from the group consisting of:
a video application;
a video game application; and
a software application.
25 . The system of claim 19 , wherein responsive to no portion of the data requiring further processing prior to display, the display module responds to the request with an indication pointing to a frame buffer.