Abstract: Techniques for improving memory utilization for communication between stages of a graphics processing pipeline are disclosed. The techniques include analyzing output instructions of a first shader program to determine whether any such output instructions output some data that is not used by a second shader program. The compiler performs data packing if gaps exist between used output data to reduce memory footprint. The compiler generates optimized output instructions in the first shader program and optimized input instructions in the second shader program to output the used data from the first shader program and input that data in the second shader program in a packed format based on information about usage of output data and data packing. If needed, the compiler inserts instructions to perform runtime checking to identify unused output data of the first shader program based on information not known at compile-time.

Abstract: A compute unit accesses a chunk of bits that represent indices of vertices of a graphics primitive. The compute unit sets values of a first bit to indicate whether the chunk is monotonic or ordinary, second bits to define an offset that is determined based on values of indices in the chunk, and sets of third bits that determine values of the indices in the chunk based on the offset defined by the second bits. The compute unit writes a compressed chunk represented by the first bit, the second bits, and the sets of third bits to a memory. The compressed chunk is decompressed and the decompressed indices are written to an index buffer. In some embodiments, the indices are decompressed based on metadata that includes offsets that are determined based on values of the indices and bitfields that indicate characteristics of the indices.

Abstract: A method for identifying and timing an athlete during a timed sporting event. The athlete is timed using image recognition technology in which one or more images of the athlete taken during the sporting event by a camera (106a, 106b, or 106c) is time-stamped to generate a finish time for the athlete. The athlete is identified by comparing one of the images taken during the sporting event with a profile image of the athlete.

Abstract: Bus bar configurations and fabrication methods for non-rectangular shaped (e.g., triangular, trapezoidal, circular, pentagonal, hexagonal, arched, etc.) optical devices.

Abstract: Improvements to graphics processing pipelines are disclosed. More specifically, the vertex shader stage, which performs vertex transformations, and the hull or geometry shader stages, are combined. If tessellation is disabled and geometry shading is enabled, then the graphics processing pipeline includes a combined vertex and graphics shader stage. If tessellation is enabled, then the graphics processing pipeline includes a combined vertex and hull shader stage. If tessellation and geometry shading are both disabled, then the graphics processing pipeline does not use a combined shader stage. The combined shader stages improve efficiency by reducing the number of executing instances of shader programs and associated resources reserved.

Abstract: Techniques for improving memory utilization for communication between stages of a graphics processing pipeline are disclosed. The techniques include analyzing output instructions of a first shader program to determine whether any such output instructions output some data that is not used by a second shader program. The compiler performs data packing if gaps exist between used output data to reduce memory footprint. The compiler generates optimized output instructions in the first shader program and optimized input instructions in the second shader program to output the used data from the first shader program and input that data in the second shader program in a packed format based on information about usage of output data and data packing. If needed, the compiler inserts instructions to perform runtime checking to identify unused output data of the first shader program based on information not known at compile-time.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying and timing an athlete during a timed sporting event. The athlete is timed using image recognition technology in which one or more images of the athlete taken during the sporting event by a camera (106a, 106b, or 106c) is time-stamped to generate a finish time for the athlete. The athlete is identified by comparing one of the images taken during the sporting event with a profile image of the athlete.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for a centralized management system operating within a virtual machine which configures, monitors, analyzes, and manages an adaptive private network (APN) to provide a discovery process that learns about changes to the APN through a network control node (NCN) that is a single point of control of the APN. The discovery process automatically learns a new topology of the network without relying on configuration information of nodes in the APN. Network statistics are based on a timeline of network operations that a user selected to review. Such discovery and timeline review is separate from stored configuration information. If there was a network change, the changes either show up or not show up in the discovery process based on the selected time line. Configuration changes can be made from the APN VM system by loading the latest configuration on the APN under control of the NCN.

Abstract: This present invention relates to bus bar configurations and fabrication methods of non-rectangular shaped (e.g., triangular, trapezoidal, circular, pentagonal, hexagonal, arched, etc.) optical devices. The optical device comprises a first side, a second side, and a third side adjacent to the second side and two bus bars spanning a portion of the optical device.

Abstract: Techniques are described to automatically activate and deactivate standby backup paths in response to changing bandwidth requirements in an adaptive private network (APN). The APN includes one or more regular active wide area network (WAN) links in an active mode and an on-demand WAN link in a standby mode. The on-demand WAN link is activated to supplement the conduit bandwidth when an available bandwidth of the conduit falls below a pre-specified trigger bandwidth threshold and the conduit bandwidth usage exceeds a usage threshold of a bandwidth of the conduit that is being supplied by the active paths (BWc). The on-demand WAN link is deactivated to standby mode when an available bandwidth of the conduit is above the pre-specified trigger bandwidth threshold and the conduit bandwidth usage drops below the usage threshold of BWc techniques for adaptive and active bandwidth testing of WAN links in an APN are also described.

Abstract: Systems and techniques are described for a centralized management system operating within a virtual machine which configures, monitors, analyzes, and manages an adaptive private network (APN) to provide a discovery process that learns about changes to the APN through a network control node (NCN) that is a single point of control of the APN. The discovery process automatically learns a new topology of the network without relying on configuration information of nodes in the APN. Network statistics are based on a timeline of network operations that a user selected to review. Such discovery and timeline review is separate from stored configuration information. If there was a network change, the changes either show up or not show up in the discovery process based on the selected time line. Configuration changes can be made from the APN VM system by loading the latest configuration on the APN under control of the NCN.

Abstract: Improvements to graphics processing pipelines are disclosed. More specifically, the vertex shader stage, which performs vertex transformations, and the hull or geometry shader stages, are combined. If tessellation is disabled and geometry shading is enabled, then the graphics processing pipeline includes a combined vertex and graphics shader stage. If tessellation is enabled, then the graphics processing pipeline includes a combined vertex and hull shader stage. If tessellation and geometry shading are both disabled, then the graphics processing pipeline does not use a combined shader stage. The combined shader stages improve efficiency by reducing the number of executing instances of shader programs and associated resources reserved.

Abstract: Processing of non-real-time and real-time workloads is performed using discrete pipelines. A first pipeline includes a first shader and one or more fixed function hardware blocks. A second pipeline includes a second shader that is configured to emulate the at least one fixed function hardware block. First and second memory elements store first state information for the first pipeline and second state information for the second pipeline, respectively. A non-real-time workload executing in the first pipeline is preempted at a primitive boundary in response to a real-time workload being dispatched for execution in the second pipeline. The first memory element retains the first state information in response to preemption of the non-real-time workload. The first pipeline is configured to resume processing the subsequent primitive on the basis of the first state information stored in the first memory element.

Abstract: Improvements in the graphics processing pipeline that allow multiple pipelines to cooperate to render a single frame are disclosed. Two approaches are provided. In a first approach, world-space pipelines for the different graphics processing pipelines process all work for draw calls received from a central processing unit (CPU). In a second approach, the world-space pipelines divide up the work. Work that is divided is synchronized and redistributed at various points in the world-space pipeline. In either approach, the triangles output by the world-space pipelines are distributed to the screen-space pipelines based on the portions of the render surface overlapped by the triangles. Triangles are rendered by screen-space pipelines associated with the render surface portions overlapped by those triangles.

Abstract: Techniques are described to automatically activate and deactivate standby backup paths in response to changing bandwidth requirements in an adaptive private network (APN). The APN is configured with one or more regular active wide area network (WAN) links in an active mode and an on-demand WAN link in a standby mode. The on-demand WAN link is activated to supplement the conduit bandwidth when an available bandwidth of the conduit falls below a pre-specified trigger bandwidth threshold and the conduit bandwidth usage exceeds a usage threshold of a bandwidth of the conduit that is being supplied by the active paths (BWC). The on-demand WAN link is deactivated to standby mode when an available bandwidth of the conduit is above the pre-specified trigger bandwidth threshold and the conduit bandwidth usage drops below the usage threshold of BWC. Techniques for adaptive and active bandwidth testing of WAN links in an APN are also described.

Abstract: System and techniques are described for time correlated playback of traffic patters between nodes in a network. Node statistics of data transfers between nodes are received in a control point, wherein the node statistics include a time stamp (tn) according to time at the control point of when a request statistics message was sent to each node, a node timestamp (ta) according to time at each node of when the message was received in the node, and a first delta between tn and ta that is used to determine a second delta which adjusts the node statistics. The node statistics adjusted according to the second delta are stored in a statistics database at the control point. A time stepping mechanism is used to repeatedly access the node statistics from the statistics database at a predetermined rate for playback presentation beginning from a specified start time to a specified end time.

Abstract: An athlete tracking system and method for tracking an athlete during training sessions. The system includes a mobile tracking device wearable around a portion of the athlete's head, and a training log server for maintaining an athlete profile that includes a training record updatable by the athlete and a training plan supplied by a coach.