Abstract: A display controller of a data processing system fetches data for surfaces to be displayed from memory of the data processing system into a local buffer or buffers of the display controller and provides that data from the local buffer or buffers of the display controller to a display for display. If the display controller determines that data to be provided to the display has not been fetched into a local buffer of the display controller, it provides data that has previously been fetched into the local buffer of the display controller to the display in place of the data that has not been fetched into a local buffer of the display controller.

Abstract: A method of operating a data processing system is disclosed for a data processing system that comprises a display and a display controller. The method comprises the display controller providing to the display data for an output surface to be displayed, storing the data in a memory of the display, and the display reading the data from the memory and displaying the output surface. The method further comprises the display controller indicating to the display a particular memory address of the memory, and the display using the indication to control the reading of data from the memory. The display controller may provide to the display image data for one or more sub-regions of the output surface that were not present in a previous version of the output surface.

Abstract: A method of operating a data processing system is disclosed for a data processing system that comprises a display and a display controller operable to provide to the display data in respect of output surfaces to be displayed. The method comprises, when an output surface is to be displayed, the display controller providing to the display data in respect of the output surface in the form of image data and image modification data, and the display using the image data and the image modification data when producing an output surface for display.

Abstract: A display controller of a data processing system fetches data for surfaces to be displayed from memory of the data processing system into a local buffer or buffers of the display controller and provides that data from the local buffer or buffers of the display controller to a display for display. If the display controller determines that data to be provided to the display has not been fetched into a local buffer of the display controller, it provides data that has previously been fetched into the local buffer of the display controller to the display in place of the data that has not been fetched into a local buffer of the display controller.

Abstract: A graphics processing system generates output frames for display on a display. Comparison and control hardware of a display controller of the graphics processing system operates to compare successive output frames that are being generated for display, and then controls one or more aspects of the way in which the display of the output frames is carried out. In one embodiment, the display device or a frame buffer is partially updated (refreshed) by the display controller on the basis of comparisons of composited output frames.