Selective multithreading for sporadic processor workloads
Systems and methods for processing user-interface animations are disclosed. The method may include processing a first frame of a user-interface animation with a first processing core, monitoring a processing time of the first frame of the user-interface animation relative to a first synchronization pulse, and processing, if the elapsed processing time exceeds a threshold, a first portion of the user-interface animation with the first processing core and a second portion of the user-interface animation with a second processing core. Processing of a next frame of the user-interface animation may be initiated with the first processing core while the second processing core is processing the second portion of the user-interface animation.
1. A method for processing user-interface animations on a computing device, the method comprising:
processing a first frame of a user-interface animation with a first processing core;
monitoring an elapsed processing time of the first frame of the user-interface animation relative to a first synchronization pulse;
processing, if the elapsed processing time exceeds a threshold, a first portion of the first frame with the first processing core and processing a second portion of the first frame with a second processing core; and
initiating, at substantially a same time as a second synchronization pulse, processing of a next frame of the user-interface animation with the first processing core while the second processing core is processing the second portion of the first frame.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-interface animation is an Android-based user-interface animation and the second portion of the user-interface animation is a render-stage.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is one-half of a time period of the synchronization pulse.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is a tunable threshold.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring includes monitoring the elapsed processing time with a workload detection component implemented in connection with a user-level library.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the first portion includes managing user-interface elements, frame-to-frame displacement calculation, and recording graphics library commands.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein processing the second portion includes executing recorded graphics library commands.
8. A non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium, encoded with processor readable instructions to perform a method for processing user-interface animations, the method comprising:
processing a first frame of a user-interface animation with a first processing core;
monitoring an elapsed processing time of the first frame of the user-interface animation relative to a first synchronization pulse;
processing, if the elapsed processing time exceeds a threshold, a first portion of the first frame with the first processing core and processing a second portion of the first frame with a second processing core; and
initiating, at substantially a same time as a second synchronization pulse, processing of a next frame of the user-interface animation with the first processing core while the second processing core is processing the second portion of the first frame.
9. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user-interface animation is an Android-based user-interface animation and the second portion of the user-interface animation is a render-stage.
10. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the threshold is one-half of a time period of the synchronization pulse.
11. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the threshold is a tunable threshold.
12. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the processor readable instructions, when executed, implement a workload detection component that operates in connection with a user-level library.
13. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein processing the first portion includes managing user-interface elements, frame-to-frame displacement calculation, and recording graphics library commands.
14. The non-transitory, tangible processor readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein processing the second portion includes executing recorded graphics library commands.
15. A computing device comprising:
means for processing a first frame of a user-interface animation with a first processing core;
means for monitoring an elapsed processing time of the first frame of the user-interface animation relative to a first synchronization pulse;
means for processing, if the elapsed processing time exceeds a threshold, a first portion of the first frame with the first processing core and a second portion of the first frame with a second processing core; and
means for initiating, at substantially a same time as a second synchronization pulse, processing of a next frame of the user-interface animation with the first processing core while the second processing core is processing the second portion of the first frame.
16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the user-interface animation is an Android-based user-interface animation and the second portion of the user-interface animation is a render-stage.
17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the threshold is one-half of a time period of the synchronization pulse.
18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the threshold is a tunable threshold.
19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the monitoring includes monitoring the processing time with a workload detection component implemented in connection with a user-level library.