Patents by Inventor Adrian T. Sheppard
Adrian T. Sheppard has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10504203Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to enable switching of graphics processing unit (GPU) resources based on different factors. Embodiments include a virtual graphics driver as an interface between GPU drivers and the applications or graphics framework executing on an electronic device. The virtual graphics driver may switch GPU resources from a first GPU to a second GPU by routing function calls to the first GPU or the second GPU. The switching of GPU resources may be based on power management, system events such as hot-plug events, load management, user requests, any other factor, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, a virtual frame buffer driver is provided that interfaces with the frame buffer of the GPU and provides a virtual view of the frame buffer to manage additional system application programming interfaces (APIs) during the switch.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2016Date of Patent: December 10, 2019Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Phillip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield
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Publication number: 20160328818Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to enable switching of graphics processing unit (GPU) resources based on different factors. Embodiments include a virtual graphics driver as an interface between GPU drivers and the applications or graphics framework executing on an electronic device. The virtual graphics driver may switch GPU resources from a first GPU to a second GPU by routing function calls to the first GPU or the second GPU. The switching of GPU resources may be based on power management, system events such as hot-plug events, load management, user requests, any other factor, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, a virtual frame buffer driver is provided that interfaces with the frame buffer of the GPU and provides a virtual view of the frame buffer to manage additional system application programming interfaces (APIs) during the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2016Publication date: November 10, 2016Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Phillip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield
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Patent number: 9477437Abstract: An electronic device selectively couples a head with links in a graphics processing unit to a currently selected display port in a pair of display ports. During operation, control logic in the electronic device monitors a pair of configuration signals from the pair of display ports, where the pair of configuration signals correspond to physical connections to the pair of display ports. Then, the control logic determines a selection control signal based on the monitored pair of configuration signals, a policy setting and a default display port, where the selection control signal specifies the currently selected display port. Moreover, the control logic provides the selection control signal to a multiplexer in the electronic device. Next, the multiplexer selectively couples the head with the links in the graphics processing unit to the currently selected display port based on the selection control signal.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2015Date of Patent: October 25, 2016Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: William O. Ferry, David J. Redman, Adrian T. Sheppard, Sreeraman Anantharaman
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Patent number: 9336028Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to enable switching of graphics processing unit (GPU) resources based on different factors. Embodiments include a virtual graphics driver as an interface between GPU drivers and the applications or graphics framework executing on an electronic device. The virtual graphics driver may switch GPU resources from a first GPU to a second GPU by routing function calls to the first GPU or the second GPU. The switching of GPU resources may be based on power management, system events such as hot-plug events, load management, user requests, any other factor, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, a virtual frame buffer driver is provided that interfaces with the frame buffer of the GPU and provides a virtual view of the frame buffer to manage additional system application programming interfaces (APIs) during the switch.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2009Date of Patent: May 10, 2016Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Philip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield
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Publication number: 20150286455Abstract: An electronic device selectively couples a head with links in a graphics processing unit to a currently selected display port in a pair of display ports. During operation, control logic in the electronic device monitors a pair of configuration signals from the pair of display ports, where the pair of configuration signals correspond to physical connections to the pair of display ports. Then, the control logic determines a selection control signal based on the monitored pair of configuration signals, a policy setting and a default display port, where the selection control signal specifies the currently selected display port. Moreover, the control logic provides the selection control signal to a multiplexer in the electronic device. Next, the multiplexer selectively couples the head with the links in the graphics processing unit to the currently selected display port based on the selection control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 22, 2015Publication date: October 8, 2015Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: William O. Ferry, David J. Redman, Adrian T. Sheppard, Sreeraman Anantharaman
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Patent number: 9070199Abstract: An electronic device selectively couples a head with links in a graphics processing unit to a currently selected display port in a pair of display ports. During operation, control logic in the electronic device monitors a pair of configuration signals from the pair of display ports, where the pair of configuration signals correspond to physical connections to the pair of display ports. Then, the control logic determines a selection control signal based on the monitored pair of configuration signals, a policy setting and a default display port, where the selection control signal specifies the currently selected display port. Moreover, the control logic provides the selection control signal to a multiplexer in the electronic device. Next, the multiplexer selectively couples the head with the links in the graphics processing unit to the currently selected display port based on the selection control signal.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2012Date of Patent: June 30, 2015Assignee: APPLE INC.Inventors: William O. Ferry, David J. Redman, Adrian T. Sheppard, Sreeraman Anantharaman
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Publication number: 20140092107Abstract: An electronic device selectively couples a head with links in a graphics processing unit to a currently selected display port in a pair of display ports. During operation, control logic in the electronic device monitors a pair of configuration signals from the pair of display ports, where the pair of configuration signals correspond to physical connections to the pair of display ports. Then, the control logic determines a selection control signal based on the monitored pair of configuration signals, a policy setting and a default display port, where the selection control signal specifies the currently selected display port. Moreover, the control logic provides the selection control signal to a multiplexer in the electronic device. Next, the multiplexer selectively couples the head with the links in the graphics processing unit to the currently selected display port based on the selection control signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2012Publication date: April 3, 2014Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: William O. Ferry, David J. Redman, Adrian T. Sheppard, Sreeraman Anantharaman
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Publication number: 20100328323Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to enable switching of graphics processing unit (GPU) resources based on different factors. Embodiments include a virtual graphics driver as an interface between GPU drivers and the applications or graphics framework executing on an electronic device. The virtual graphics driver may switch GPU resources from a first GPU to a second GPU by routing function calls to the first GPU or the second GPU. The switching of GPU resources may be based on power management, system events such as hot-plug events, load management, user requests, any other factor, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, a virtual frame buffer driver is provided that interfaces with the frame buffer of the GPU and provides a virtual view of the frame buffer to manage additional system application programming interfaces (APIs) during the switch.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2009Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicant: APPLE INC.Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Philip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield