Patents by Inventor Phillip J. Churchill

Phillip J. Churchill 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).

  • Virtual graphics device driver
    Patent number: 10504203
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Phillip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield
  • VIRTUAL GRAPHICS DEVICE DRIVER
    Publication number: 20160328818
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Publication date: November 10, 2016
    Inventors: David J. Redman, Changki Min, Phillip J. Churchill, Adrian T. Sheppard, David A. Leech, Unmesh Sahasrabuddhe, Ian Hendry, Eve Brasfield