Abstract: A system and method for dynamically changing encode quality at a block level based on runtime pre-encoding analysis of content in a video stream. A video encoder continuously analyzes the content during runtime, and collects statistics and/or characteristics of the content before encoding it. This classifies the block among pre-defined categories of content, where every category has its own compression parameters.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for controlling power consumption in video encoding obtain, before motion estimation is performed on an image frame to be encoded, information regarding an amount of the image frame to be encoded that is static with respect to a previously encoded image frame. The apparatus and methods adjust power consumption of the video encoder based on the obtained information regarding the amount of the image frame to be encoded that is static.

Abstract: A processing system detects excessive requests sent on behalf of a virtual machine executing at the processing system within a predetermined period of time and denies subsequent requests sent on behalf of that virtual machine until after the predetermined period of time has elapsed in order to grant access to resources of the processing system for servicing requests from other virtual machines and to prevent a virtual machine that has been compromised by an attack from overwhelming the processing system with malicious requests. The processing system sets a threshold number of event requests for each type of event request that can occur within a predetermined period of time. If the number of event requests of a certain type exceeds the threshold for that event type, the processing system ignores subsequent event requests of that type until the predetermined period of time has expired.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for removing control of a display from an operating system. The disclosed techniques decouple operation of the physical display device from control of the operating system so that the display device may be powered down while not needed during streaming. The device driver for the graphics card, into which a display device cable is plugged, simulates operation of the display but allows the display to be powered down. Simulating the display involves properly responding to queries or commands from the operating system, and generating the signals that would be expected from the display device by the operating system. While simulated in this manner, whether the display device is actually powered down does not matter to the operation of an application being streamed, because the operating system still “believes” the display device is powered on. Thus application streaming is not interrupted by powering down the display device.

Abstract: A graphics processing unit (GPU) adjusts a frequency of clock based on identifying a program thread executing at the processing unit, wherein the program thread is detected based on a workload to be executed. By adjusting the clock frequency based on the identified program thread, the processing unit adapts to different processing demands of different program threads. Further, by identifying the program thread based on workload, the processing unit adapts the clock frequency based on processing demands, thereby conserving processing resources.

Abstract: A technique for varying firmware for different virtual functions in a virtualized device is provided. The virtualized device includes a hardware accelerator and a microcontroller that executes firmware. The virtualized device is virtualized in that the virtualized device performs work for different virtual functions (with different virtual functions associated with different virtual machines), each function getting a “time-slice” during which work is performed for that function. To vary the firmware, each time the virtualized device switches from performing work for a current virtual function to work for a subsequent virtual function, one or more microcontrollers of the virtualized device examines memory storing addresses for firmware for the subsequent virtual function and begins executing the firmware for that subsequent virtual function. The addresses for the firmware are provided by a corresponding virtual machine at configuration time.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein for processing video data. The techniques include generating predicted macroblock coding modes for a set of macroblocks of a frame, assigning quantization parameters to the macroblocks based on the predicted macroblock coding modes, and encoding the set of macroblocks based on the quantization parameters.

Abstract: A processing system identifies a subset of pages of memory allocated to a source guest virtual machine (VM) running at a first graphics processing unit (GPU) that were modified by the source guest VM and transferring only the subset to a destination guest VM running at a second GPU when performing a live migration from the source guest VM to the destination guest VM. The first GPU maintains a page table of system memory addresses or frame buffer addresses allocated to and accessed by the source guest VM during a session, including an indication of whether the data was modified. Based on the page table information, the processing system identifies and transfers only the modified pages from the source guest VM to the destination guest VM, thereby reducing the time and bandwidth used for migration.

Abstract: A texture decompression method is described. The method comprises receiving a compressed texture block, determining a partition of pixels used for the compressed texture block, wherein the partition includes one or more disjoint subsets into which data in the compressed texture block is to be unpacked, unpacking data for each subset based on the determined partition, and decompressing each of the one or more disjoint subsets to form an approximation of an original texture block.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for reducing latency when consuming an encoded video bitstream in real-time are disclosed. A video encoder encodes a video bitstream and writes chunks of the encoded bitstream to a bitstream buffer. Prior to the encoder completing the encoding of an entire frame, or an entire slice of a frame, a consumer module consumes encoded chunks of the bitstream. In one implementation, to enable pipelining of the consumption with the encoding, the encoder updates a buffer write pointer with an indication of the amount of data that has been written to the bitstream buffer. The consumer module retrieves encoded data from the bitstream buffer up to the location indicated by the buffer write pointer. In this way, the consumer module is able to access and consume encoded video data prior to the encoder finishing encoding an entire frame or an entire slice of the frame.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed a system and method for exploiting camera and depth information associated with rendered video frames, such as those rendered by a server operating as part of a cloud gaming service, to more efficiently encode the rendered video frames for transmission over a network. The method and system of the present disclosure can be used in a server operating in a cloud gaming service to improve, for example, the amount of latency, downstream bandwidth, and/or computational processing power associated with playing a video game over its service. The method and system of the present disclosure can be further used in other applications where camera and depth information of a rendered or captured video frame is available.

Abstract: Methods, devices, and systems for virtual address translation. A memory management unit (MMU) receives a request to translate a virtual memory address to a physical memory address and searching a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) for a translation to the physical memory address based on the virtual memory address. If the translation is not found in the TLB, the MMU searches an external memory translation lookaside buffer (EMTLB) for the physical memory address and performs a page table walk, using a page table walker (PTW), to retrieve the translation. If the translation is found in the EMTLB, the MMU aborts the page table walk and returns the physical memory address. If the translation is not found in the TLB and not found in the EMTLB, the MMU returns the physical memory address based on the page table walk.

Abstract: An interconnect controller for a data processing platform includes a data link layer controller for selectively receiving data packets from and sending data packets to a higher protocol layer, and a physical layer controller coupled to the data link layer controller and adapted to be coupled to a communication link. The physical layer controller operates according to a predetermined protocol selectively at one of a plurality of enhanced speeds that are not specified by any published standard and are separated from each other by the same predetermined amount. In response to performing a link initialization, the interconnect controller performs at least one setup operation to select a speed, and subsequently operates the communication link using a selected speed.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for block type prediction leveraging block-based pixel activities are disclosed. A pre-encoder generates predictions of block types for the blocks of a video frame based on associated pixel activities. For each block, the pre-encoder calculates the difference between the pixel activities of the block of a current frame and the pixel activities of a corresponding block of a previous video frame. If the difference is less than a first threshold, the pre-encoder predicts that the block will be a skip block. If the difference is in between the first threshold and a second threshold, the pre-encoder predicts that the block will be a P-block. Otherwise, if the difference is greater than the second threshold, then the pre-encoder predicts that the block will be an I-block. The pre-encoder uses the predictions to select quantization parameter (QP) ranges for encoding the blocks of the video frame.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing memory bandwidth reduction techniques for low power convolutional neural network inference applications are disclosed. A system includes at least a processing unit and an external memory coupled to the processing unit. The system detects a request to perform a convolution operation on input data from a plurality of channels. Responsive to detecting the request, the system partitions the input data from the plurality of channels into 3D blocks so as to minimize the external memory bandwidth utilization for the convolution operation being performed. Next, the system loads a selected 3D block from external memory into internal memory and then generates convolution output data for the selected 3D block for one or more features. Then, for each feature, the system adds convolution output data together across channels prior to writing the convolution output data to the external memory.

Abstract: Power management in a computing device. A driver is registered with an operating system (OS) executing on the computing device to receive information about a position of a user interface control. If the user interface control is moved, the driver receives a notification of the user interface control position and determines a power management intervention based on the position The driver transmits the power management intervention to power control circuitry which sets a power setting of the computing device based on the intervention.

Abstract: In a stack of chips which each include active circuit regions, a plurality of through-silicon via (TSV) structures are formed for thermally conducting heat from the multi-chip stack by patterning, etching and filling with thermally conductive material a plurality of TSV openings in the multi-chip stack, including a first larger TSV opening that extends through substantially the entirety of the multi-chip stack without penetrating any active circuit region, and a second smaller TSV opening that extends down to but not through an active circuit region.

Abstract: Techniques for performing ray tracing operations are provided. The techniques include receiving a request to determine whether a ray intersects any primitive of a set of primitives, evaluating the ray against non-leaf nodes of a bounding volume hierarchy to determine whether to eliminate portions of the bounding volume hierarchy from consideration, evaluating the ray against at least one early-termination node not eliminated from consideration, and determining whether to terminate traversal of the bounding volume hierarchy early and to identify that the ray hits a primitive, based on the result of the evaluation of the ray against the at least one early-termination node.

Abstract: A method and system for allocating memory to a memory operation executed by a processor in a computer arrangement having a plurality of processors. The method includes receiving a memory operation from a processor that references an address in a shared memory, mapping the received memory operation to at least one virtual memory pool to produce a mapping result, and providing the mapping result to the processor.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing a safety monitor framework for a safety-critical computer vision (CV) application are disclosed. A system includes a safety-critical CV application, a safety monitor, and a CV accelerator engine. The safety monitor receives an input image, test data, and a CV graph from the safety-critical CV application. The safety monitor generates a modified image by adding additional objects outside of the input image. The safety monitor provides the modified image and CV graph to the CV accelerator which processes the modified image and provides outputs to the safety monitor. The safety monitor determines the likelihood of erroneous processing of the original input image by comparing the outputs for the additional objects with a known good result. The safety monitor complements the overall fault coverage of the CV accelerator engine and covers faults only observable at the level of the CV graph.