Patents Examined by Hau Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8941676
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention includes a graphics subsystem for processing multi-sample anti-aliasing work. The graphics subsystem includes a cache unit, a tiling unit, and a screen-space pipeline coupled to the cache unit and to the tiling unit. The tiling unit is configured to organize multi-sample anti-aliasing commands into cache tile batches. The screen-space pipeline includes a pixel shader and a raster operations unit, and receives cache tile batches from the tiling unit. The pixel shader is configured to generate sample data based on a set of primitives and to generate resolved data based on the sample data. The raster operations unit is configured to store the sample data in the cache unit and to invalidate the sample data after the pixel shader generates the resolved data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Ziyad S. Hakura, Emmett M. Kilgariff
  • Patent number: 8937627
    Abstract: Rendering map tiles with style data for zoom levels other than the style data intended for that tile at its nominal zoom level can be used to avoid abrupt changes between map tiles. Particularly when changing zoom levels, use of styles from more than one level may create an uneven look. To address this, either the new data may be displayed with the style for the previous zoom level or the old data may be presented with the style for the new zoom level style until all tiles for the new zoom level are received. At that time, all the map tiles may be displayed using the style for the new zoom level along with the map data intended for that zoom level. Displaying map tiles at a first zoom level using a progression of styles from other zoom levels may also be used when creating a perspective view map.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Otero, James Darpinian, Jennifer Maurer, Brian Cornell
  • Patent number: 8933952
    Abstract: This document describes techniques for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to select to view application-selectable tiles of the interface and, on selection, quickly see new content through the tiles in the selected portion. In some embodiments, the techniques pre-render content for a portion of a non-visible region of the interface rather than all of the non-visible region to reduce resource costs, such as processor and memory usage on a device and communication bandwidth usage on a communication network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Nazia Zaman, Tyler J. Donahue, Ethan Nelson Ray, Maverick J. Velasco
  • Patent number: 8933944
    Abstract: An improved external controller with dual microcontrollers useable with an implantable medical device is disclosed. The external controller comprises a low speed (low frequency) microcontroller and a high speed (high frequency) microcontroller. The low speed microcontroller receives telemetry data from the medical device, converts data into graphical commands, and transmits commands to the high speed microcontroller. The high speed microcontroller interprets the graphical commands, retrieves images indicative of the commands from a storage device, and renders the images onto a display screen. The high speed microcontroller may also process more complicated data sent from the low speed microcontroller, and return the results to the low speed microcontroller to allow it to form the graphics command for the high speed microcontroller to execute.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Aghassian, Thomas Stouffer, Vuong Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8922564
    Abstract: A runtime management system is described herein that allows a hosting layer to dynamically control an underlying runtime to selectively turn on and off various subsystems of the runtime to save power and extend battery life of devices on which the system operates. The hosting layer has information about usage of the runtime that is not available within the runtime, and can do a more effective job of disabling parts of the runtime that will not be needed without negatively affecting application performance or device responsiveness. The runtime management system includes a protocol of communication between arbitrary hosts and underlying platforms to expose a set of options to allow the host to selectively turn parts of a runtime on and off depending on varying environmental pressures. Thus, the runtime management system provides more effective use of potentially scarce power resources available on mobile platforms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Akhilesh Kaza, Gunjan A. Shah, Shawn T. Oster, Jonathan D. Sheller, Alan C.T. Liu, Nimesh I. Amin, Randal J. Ramig
  • Patent number: 8913068
    Abstract: A system, method and computer-readable medium for a rendering a video on a browser. The system comprises a layout engine, a video decoder, a compositor, a GPU processing module, and a GPU. The layout engine identifies a video layer. The video decoder generates a plurality of bitmaps for updating a plurality of textures included in the layer. The compositor generates a set of rendering instructions for updating the plurality of textures that make up a quad. A shared memory stores plurality of bitmaps in the plurality of textures and the set of rendering instructions outside of the sandbox environment. The GPU processing module retrieves the plurality of textures and the rendering instructions and causes the GPU to render the video on a webpage using the rendering instructions and the plurality of the textures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Evangelos Kokkevis, Victoria Kirst
  • Patent number: 8913071
    Abstract: An image signal modifying device includes a pixel, a memory which stores compressed information in which a three-dimensional (ā€œ3-Dā€) lookup table is coded, an image signal modifying unit which decodes the compressed information to generate a restored 3-D lookup table and generates a modified signal based on a first image signal of a first frame, a second image signal of a second frame, a third image signal of a third frame and the restored 3-D lookup table, and a data driver which converts the modified signal into the data voltage and supplies the data voltage to the pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung Gon Jung, Sang Su Han, Seok Hwan Roh
  • Patent number: 8913067
    Abstract: A method for an accelerated rendering of graphics on a webpage. The method comprises providing a layer tree, wherein the layer tree includes a plurality of layers and is in a sandbox environment. The method further comprises identifying a dirty layer within the layer tree, and generating rendering data and the plurality of rendering instructions for processing the dirty layer. The method further comprises storing the rendering data and the plurality of rendering instructions in a storage region outside of the sandbox environment for processing using a graphics processing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Evangelos Kokkevis
  • Patent number: 8902239
    Abstract: A video-processing chip capable of saving power is disclosed. The video-processing chip includes a microprocessor, a scalar, a first memory, and a second memory. The microprocessor is used for executing program codes. The scalar is used for adjusting a size of a received image. The first memory is coupled to the microprocessor and to the scalar for providing memory space to the scalar for image processing. The second memory is coupled to the microprocessor for storing the program codes of the microprocessor for controlling a power switch. Wherein a size of the first memory is greater than a size of the second memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Princeton Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Meng-Fu Lin, Ying-Yuan Tang, Wei-Chih Huang
  • Patent number: 8902237
    Abstract: Disclosed are an image generating apparatus and an image generating method with which the size of a storage region required to display animated images can be suppressed. In the image generating apparatus (1), processing blocks (12, 16, 17) configuring an image generation unit obtain object data segment (130p) and a display operation pattern to be applied to the object data segment (130p) from data storage units (13, 14), in accordance with a specified picture-plane configuration information item (150i) , and generate animated images of the object data segment (130p) in accordance with the object data segment (130p) and the display operation pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yamada, Tomoaki Ryu
  • Patent number: 8902242
    Abstract: Remote desktop servers include a display encoder that maintains a secondary framebuffer that contains display data to be encoded and transmitted to a remote client display and a list of display primitives effectuating updated display data in the secondary framebuffer. The display encoder submits requests to receive the list of drawing primitives to a video adapter driver that receives and tracks drawing primitives that, when executed, update a primary framebuffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: VMware, Inc.
    Inventors: Dustin Byford, Anthony Cannon, Ramesh Dharan
  • Patent number: 8896596
    Abstract: An image signal processing apparatus includes a receiving unit that receives a display signal including an image signal containing both two-dimensional and three-dimensional images and a region information in each predetermined unit in the image signal and separates the image signal and the region information from the display signal, a display control unit that generates a first display control information for controlling rendering positions of the first and second regions in the image signal according to the region information and a second display control information for selectively displaying a three-dimensional image in a region corresponding to the rendering position of the second region based on the region information, and a processing unit that generates a display image signal indicating an image where the first and second region are arranged according to the first display control information based on the image signal and the first display control information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Ikuo Tsukagoshi
  • Patent number: 8896615
    Abstract: An image processing device includes: a horizontal resolution converting unit that converts a horizontal resolution of input image data to output horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory for the left eye and a line memory for the right eye that store the horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory specifying unit that specifies the line memory to store the horizontal resolution-converted image data; a line memory reading unit that reads the horizontal resolution-converted image data from either of the line memory for the left eye and the line memory for the right eye; and a vertical resolution converting unit that converts a vertical resolution of the horizontal resolution-converted image data read by the line memory reading unit to generate output image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 8890879
    Abstract: A system may include a processor and memory that stores instructions to cause the processor to create a first set of objects in a first structure based on first data, where the first set of objects describes a graphical scene specified by the first data. The processor may add a command for at least one object, of the first set of objects, to a composite command that includes commands for the graphical scene and create a second set of objects in a second structure based on the first set of objects in the first structure and the composite command. The processor may receive second data, change one or more objects of the first set of objects based on the second data, and change one or more objects of the second set of objects based on the changes to the one or more objects of the first set of objects. The processor may further provide the changed second set of objects to a browser for rendering a new graphical scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: The MathWorks, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Patrick Garrity
  • Patent number: 8884974
    Abstract: Content is rendered for display using a plurality of rendering contexts. Rendering is performed, at least in part, using a graphics processing unit (GPU). The plurality of rendering contexts can comprise a lower priority rendering context and a higher priority rendering context. One or more components can be associated with each of the lower priority rendering context and the higher priority rendering context. Different restrictions can be imposed on each rendering context. Restrictions can include a restriction on block size, prioritization of requests for each context, and a restriction on the number of requests in a GPU queue at a time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Andrew Dadi, Robert C. Aldinger, Ketan K. Dalal, Jason Matthew Gould, Jeffrey Kay, J. Andrew Goossen, David Ruzyski
  • Patent number: 8878859
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present invention relate to methods, systems and devices of employing a monitor detection module in a computer to automatically detect the presence of a VGA display. Such a system for automatic VGA monitor detection comprises a central processing unit (CPU), a GPU, a VGA connector and the monitor detection module. The CPU provides image information to the GPU which further processed the image information to generate video signals according to a VGA display standard. The video signal comprises analog video signals (i.e., red, green and blue) and synchronization signals (i.e., horizontal and vertical). The video signals are transmitted to the VGA connector at the interface of the computer. A VGA monitor or projector may be connected to the computer at the VGA connector via a VGA data cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2014
    Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Micheal Anthonius van Scherrenburg
  • Patent number: 8872838
    Abstract: Performing primitive composition within a user interface thread, enhancing the ability to scale a user interface framework to computing devices having limited resources. In one or more embodiments, a user interface thread walks a user interface hierarchy that describes elements of a program's user interface and directly generates static Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) data structures representing at least a portion of the user interface hierarchy. The user interface thread passes the static GPU data structures to a composition thread, which uses these static GPU data structures during generation of a plurality of video frames. This includes the composition thread, based on the static GPU data structures, sending GPU data and GPU commands for the plurality of video frames to a GPU for rendering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Gerhard Schneider, Bede Jordan, Ashraf Michail, Brendan J. Clark, Pawel Wiktor Olszta
  • Patent number: 8872839
    Abstract: Performing real-time atlasing of graphics data and creation and maintenance of texture atlases for applications having dynamic graphics content. Embodiments include allocating a texture atlas configured to store textural elements for use in rendering graphical elements, and providing a graphics processing unit (GPU) access to the texture atlas. During subsequent execution of an application, when a graphical element of the application is to be rendered by the GPU, a block of space can be allocated within the texture atlas and a textural element corresponding to the graphical element can be stored within the allocated block. The GPU therefore has access to the textural element when rendering the graphical element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Brendan J. Clark, Ashraf Michail, Bede Jordan, George Xin Gao
  • Patent number: 8872836
    Abstract: An electronic device for detecting static images and reducing resource usage is described. The electronic device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory. The electronic device determines image memory. The electronic device also sets a timer. The electronic device further monitors the image memory. The electronic device also determines whether there is a write access request for the image memory. Furthermore, the electronic device determines whether a time threshold has been reached based on the timer if there is not a write access request for the image memory. The electronic device also reduces display resource usage if the time threshold has been reached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Khosro M. Rabii
  • Patent number: 8866827
    Abstract: Described is a technology in a computing environment comprising a programming language for general purpose computation on a graphics processing unit (GPU), along with an associated compiler. A Bulk-Synchronous GPU Programming (BSGP) program is programmed to include barriers to describe parallel processing on GPUs. A BSGP compiler detects barriers corresponding to supersteps, converts BSGP programs to kernels based on the barriers, and combines them. During compilation, the compiler aligns barriers in the statements and bundles the corresponding supersteps together. A par construct is provided to allow the programmer to control aspects of bundling, e.g., by specifying a block independent statements. Thread manipulation emulation is provided to transparently emulate thread creation and destruction, with operations fork and kill. Also provided is remote variable access intrinsics for efficient communications between threads, and collective primitive operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Kun Zhou, Hou Qiming, Baining Guo