Integrated Circuit (e.g., Single Chip Semiconductor Device) Patents (Class 345/519)
  • Patent number: 7894791
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a multi-channel multi-media data processing method, comprising the steps of: providing a demodulator circuit and a multi-media processing circuit, the multi-media processing circuit including a DRAM; receiving multi-channel analog signals, and performing analog-to-digital conversion and demodulation on the signals by the demodulator circuit; storing the converted and demodulated multi-channel signals in the DRAM; and reading the signals of at least one channel from the DRAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Alpha Imaging Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Chao-Chung Chang, Ming-Feng Yu, Ming-Jun Hsiao, Wei-Hao Yuan, Wei-Cheng Chang Chien
  • Patent number: 7882384
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a circuit including a data relay stage configurable to receive primary data via a primary data interface, a primary clock having a frequency FP and a secondary clock having a frequency FS?. The primary data is received over a fixed periodic interval TI and at a rate substantially equal to FP. The amount of primary data received over TI is known to be N. The data relay stage is further configurable to provide secondary data via a secondary data interface based on the primary data and the secondary clock. The circuit also includes a phase-locked loop (PLL) circuit configurable to receive an interval reference signal having a frequency FI substantially equal to 1/TI. The PLL circuit is also configurable to provide the secondary clock based on the interval reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Mark D. Kuhns
  • Patent number: 7868890
    Abstract: A display processor includes an interface unit, an instruction processor, a synchronization unit, at least one processing unit, and a device buffer. The interface unit receives input image data (e.g., from a main memory) and provides output image data for a frame buffer. The instruction processor receives instructions (e.g., in a script or list) and directs the operation of the processing unit(s). The synchronization unit determines the location of a read pointer for the frame buffer and controls the writing of output image data to the frame buffer to avoid causing visual artifacts on an LCD screen. The processing unit(s) may perform various post-processing functions such as region flip, region rotation, color conversion between two video formats (e.g., from YCrCb to RGB), up/down image size rescaling, alpha-blending, transparency, text overlay, and so on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Albert Scott Ludwin, Scott Howard King
  • Patent number: 7868892
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to improve efficiency of transfer of control information, graphic data, and the like for drawing and display control in a graphic data processor. A graphic data processor includes: a CPU; a first bus coupled to the CPU; a DMAC for controlling a data transfer using the first bus; a bus bridge circuit for transmitting/receiving data to/from the first bus; a three-dimensional graphics module for receiving a command from the CPU via the first bus and performing a three-dimensional graphic process; a second bus coupled to the bus bridge circuit and a plurality of first circuit modules; a third bus coupled to the bus bridge circuit and second circuit modules; and a memory interface circuit coupled to the first and second buses and the three-dimensional graphic module and connectable to an external memory, wherein the bus bridge circuit can control a direct memory access transfer between an external circuit and the second bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Hara, Hiroyuki Hamasaki, Mitsuhiro Saeki, Kazuhiro Hirade, Makoto Takano
  • Patent number: 7864183
    Abstract: A graphics system includes a graphics memory. The graphics system includes a high performance mode and at least one power savings mode. A termination impedance and switching threshold of the graphics memory are selected based on an operating mode of the graphics system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Bruce Lam, Luc Bisson, Gabriele Gorla, Tom Dewey, Andrew Bell
  • Patent number: 7843458
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that are capable of processing graphics information and wirelessly transmitting processed graphics information to a monitor. In order to achieve a high bandwidth, one embodiment of the present invention provides a graphics processor chip that includes multiple RF transmitters such that processed graphics information can be transmitted using the cumulative bandwidth of multiple wireless channels. These transmitters can use one or more RF standards or proprietary signaling schemes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Pierre-Luc Cantin
  • Patent number: 7843457
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system employing a bridge chip with a routing unit to distribute geometrical data and graphics commands to multiple GPU-driven pipeline cores supported on a plurality of graphics cards and the bridge chip. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU) supported on a motherboard, for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries. The routing unit in the bridge chip interfaces with the CPU and the GPU-driven pipeline cores.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7839396
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a display device is provided that includes a display panel configured to display an image, a plurality of driver integrated circuit packages that include a base film and an integrated circuit chip mounted on the base film and of which one side is attached to an edge of the display panel, and a supporting member that fixedly supports the display panel. The supporting member includes a supporting body that fixedly supports the display panel, and a contact heat dissipating portion that protrudes from the supporting body and comes in contact with the driver integrated circuit packages in an area where the integrated circuit chip is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Seok Yang, Jung-Tae Kang, Jin-Ho Ha, Yoon-Soo Kwon, Joo-Young Kim
  • Patent number: 7834880
    Abstract: A high performance graphics processing and display system architecture supporting a cluster of multiple cores of graphic processing units (GPUs) that cooperate to provide a powerful and highly scalable visualization solution supporting photo-realistic graphics capabilities for diverse applications. The present invention eliminates rendering bottlenecks along the graphics pipeline by dynamically managing various parallel rendering techniques and enabling adaptive handling of diverse graphics applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7821519
    Abstract: A memory architecture includes a memory controller coupled to multiple modules. Each module includes a computing engine coupled to a shared memory. Each computing engine is capable of receiving instructions from the memory controller and processing the received instructions. The shared memory is configured to store main memory data and graphical data. Certain computing engines are capable of processing graphical data. The memory controller may include a graphics controller that provides instructions to the computing engine. An interconnect on each module allows multiple modules to be coupled to the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Richard E. Perego
  • Publication number: 20100265349
    Abstract: Provided is a digital camera module. The digital camera module includes an image sensor generating an electrical signal including a video signal and a clock signal and an optical interconnection unit converting the at least one of the video and clock signals into an optical signal to transmit the converted optical signal. The digital camera module further includes an image signal processor receiving the video signal restored from the optical signal to the electrical signal to convert the received video signal into a signal that is visually displayable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Jin Tae KIM, Jung Jin Ju, Suntak Park, Seung Koo Park, Min-su Kim
  • Publication number: 20100259548
    Abstract: The present invention intends to realize a narrow frame of a system on panel. In addition to this, a system mounted on a panel is intended to make higher and more versatile in the functionality. In the invention, on a panel on which a pixel portion (including a liquid crystal element, a light-emitting element) and a driving circuit are formed, integrated circuits that have so far constituted an external circuit are laminated and formed. Specifically, of the pixel portion and the driving circuit on the panel, on a position that overlaps with the driving circuit, any one kind or a plurality of kinds of the integrated circuits is formed by laminating according to a transcription technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Toru Takayama, Junya Maruyama, Yuugo Goto, Yumiko Ohno, Yasuyuki Arai, Noriko Shibata
  • Patent number: 7812844
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system employing a silicon chip having a routing unit and a control unit for parallelizing multiple GPU-driven pipeline cores according to an object division mode of parallel operation, during the running of a graphics application. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries. The system also includes a CPU/memory interface module, a CPU bus, a silicon chip of monolithic construction interfaced with the CPU/memory interface module by way of the CPU bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7812845
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system employing a silicon chip implementing parallelized GPU-driven pipelines cores supporting multiple modes of parallelization dynamically controlled while running a graphics application. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries. The system also includes a CPU/memory interface module and a CPU bus. The routing unit (i) routes the stream of geometrical data and graphic commands from the graphics application to one or more of the GPU-driven pipeline cores, and (ii) routes pixel data output from one or more of GPU-driven pipeline cores during the composition of frames of pixel data corresponding to final images for display on the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7812846
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system employing a silicon chip having a routing unit, a control unit and profiling unit for parallelizing multiple GPU-driven pipeline cores according to the object division mode of parallelization operation, during a graphics application. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries. The system also includes a CPU/memory interface module and a CPU bus. The routing unit (i) routes the stream of geometrical data and graphic commands from the graphics application to one or more of the GPU-driven pipeline cores, and (ii) routes pixel data output from one or more of GPU-driven pipeline cores during the composition of frames of pixel data corresponding to final images for display on the display surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7808499
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system capable of displaying images of 3-D objects during an interactive process between said computing system and a user thereof. The PC-based computing system includes a system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers. and graphics libraries. The system also includes an CPU interface module, a PC bus, a graphics processing subsystem interfaced with the CPU interface module by way of the PC bus, and a display surface for displaying said images by graphically displaying frames of pixel data produced by the graphics processing subsystem. The graphics processing subsystem includes a plurality of GPUs arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that the GPUs support multiple graphics pipelines and process data in a parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Gigy Bar-Or, Efi Fogel, Amir Shaham
  • Patent number: 7808504
    Abstract: PC-based computing system having an integrated graphics subsystem supporting parallel graphics processing operations across a plurality of different graphics processing units (GPUs) supplied from the same or different vendors. The graphics subsystem include a graphics controller hub (GCH) chip located on a CPU bus, and having Multi-Pipeline Core Logic (MP-CL) circuitry including a routing unit and a control unit. The plurality of different GPUs are interfaced with the GCH chip. Each different GPU supports a GPU-driven pipeline core having a frame buffer (FB) for storing a fragment of pixel data. The GPU-driven pipeline cores are arranged in a parallel architecture and operated according to a parallelization mode of operation, so that said GPU-driven pipeline cores process data in a parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Efi Fogel
  • Patent number: 7804504
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit comprises a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising a processor and a switch coupled to neighboring tiles to form a network of tiles. The method includes identifying at least one tile that includes a fault, and forming data paths through one or more tiles to preserve communication in the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Anant Agarwal
  • Patent number: 7800619
    Abstract: A method of providing a PC-based computing system with parallel graphics processing capabilities, wherein the PC-based computing system includes (i) system memory (ii) an operating system (OS, (iii) one or more graphics applications, stored in said system memory, (iv) one or more graphic libraries, (v) a central processing unit (CPU) for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers and graphics libraries, (vi) an CPU interface module for interfacing with the CPU, (vii) a PC bus, and (viii) a display surface for displaying images of 3D objects. The method involves interfacing a hardware hub having a hub router, with the CPU interface module using the PC bus. The hardware hub is interfaced with a plurality of graphic processing units (GPUs), using the PC bus, so that the GPUs are arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that the GPUs support multiple graphics pipelines and process data in a parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Gigy Bar-Or, Efi Fogel, Amir Shaham
  • Patent number: 7800611
    Abstract: A graphics hub subsystem for interfacing parallelized graphics processing units (GPUs) with the CPU of a PC-based computing system having a CPU interface module and a PC bus. The PC-based computing system includes system memory for storing software graphics applications, software drivers and graphics libraries, and an operating system (OS), stored in the system memory, and a central processing unit (CPU), for executing the OS, graphics applications, drivers. and graphics libraries. The graphics hub subsystem includes a hardware hub having a hub router for interfacing with the CPU interface module and the GPUs by way of the PC bus, distributing the stream of geometrical data and graphic commands among the GPUs, and transferring pixel data output from one or more of the GPUs during the composition of frames of pixel data corresponding to final images for display on the display surface. The subsystem also includes one or more software hub drivers, stored in the system memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Gigy Bar-Or, Efi Fogel, Amir Shaham
  • Patent number: 7796129
    Abstract: A multi-GPU graphics processing subsystem for installation in a PC-based computing system having a CPU and a CPU interface module including a PC bus. The graphics processing subsystem interfaced with the CPU interface module by way of the PC bus, and a display surface for displaying said images by graphically displaying frames of pixel data produced by the graphics processing subsystem. The graphics processing subsystem includes a plurality of GPUs arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to a parallelization mode of operation so that each GPU supports a graphics pipeline and is allowed to process data in a parallel manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Gigy Bar-Or, Efi Fogel, Amir Shaham
  • Patent number: 7796130
    Abstract: A PC-based computing system capable of displaying images of 3-D objects during an interactive process between said computing system and a user thereof. The PC-based computing system includes a graphics processing subsystem having a plurality of GPUs arranged in a parallel architecture and operating according to an object division mode of parallel operation so that each GPU supports a graphics pipeline for processing data in a parallel manner according to the object division mode. A hardware hub, interfaces with a CPU interface module and the GPUs, and has a hub router for (i) distributing the stream of geometrical data and graphic commands among the GPUs, and (ii) transferring pixel data output from one or more of GPUs during the composition of frames of pixel data corresponding to final images for display on the display surface. A CPU interface module provides an interface between one or more software hub drivers and the hardware hub.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: Lucid Information Technology, Ltd.
    Inventors: Reuven Bakalash, Offir Remez, Gigy Bar-Or, Efi Fogel, Amir Shaham
  • Patent number: 7777752
    Abstract: An architecture for storing, addressing and retrieving graphics data from one of multiple memory controllers. In a first embodiment of the invention, one of the memory controllers having an accelerated graphics port (AGP) includes a set of registers defining a range of addresses handled by the memory controller that are preferably to be used for all AGP transactions. The AGP uses a graphics address remapping table (GART) for mapping memory. The GART includes page table entries having translation information to remap virtual addresses falling within the GART range to their corresponding physical addresses. In a second embodiment of the invention, a plurality of the memory controllers have an AGP, wherein each of the plurality of the memory controllers supplies a set of registers defining a range of addresses that is preferably used for AGP transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Round Rock Research, LLC
    Inventor: Joseph Jeddeloh
  • Patent number: 7764278
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device including first to Nth circuit blocks CB1 to CBN disposed along a first direction D1, when the first direction D1 is a direction from a first side of the integrated circuit device toward a third side which is opposite to the first side, the first side being a short side, and when a second direction D2 is a direction from a second side of the integrated circuit device toward a fourth side which is opposite to the second side, the second side being a long side. The circuit blocks CB1 to CBN include at least one memory block MB which stores image data, and at least one data driver block DB which drives data lines. The memory block MB and the data driver block DB are disposed adjacent to each other along the first direction D1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Kumagai, Hisanobu Ishiyama, Kazuhiro Maekawa, Satoru Ito, Takashi Fujise, Junichi Karasawa, Satoru Kodaira, Katsuhiko Maki
  • Patent number: 7764289
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to create and manage volatile graphics objects in a video memory are disclosed. An object is created and marked as volatile. The volatile object is stored in a video memory of a graphics subsystem. A volatile marking indicates that data for an object is not to be paged out from the video memory to make room for other data. The video memory space occupied by the volatile object is indicated as a volatile storage, in a data structure. Another object is written into at least a portion of the video memory space, which is occupied by the volatile object, without paging out data for the volatile object. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the volatile object is referenced or used while another object is formed. The volatile object may be discarded after being referenced or used to form another object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: John Stauffer, Michael K. Larson, Charlie Lao
  • Publication number: 20100182330
    Abstract: An imaging solution that uses a small, adaptable, real-time, scalable, image-processing (SMARTS IP) chip configured to function like any one of a wide range of specialized FPA imaging devices, and a method for configuring and implementing same is provided. Configuration for a wide range of applications and implementations, including ones with or without IDCA assemblies or other types of dewar/cooler structures, is disclosed. A wide range of output data formats, including all SDI-compatible image data formats, may be accomplished. Frame stacking and variable effective resolution and charge well depth levels may be accomplished in output image data based on on-chip image processing techniques. On-chip image processing algorithms may include XR™, DRC, NUC, and other similar or related techniques. Image data output compression through on-chip processing is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Inventors: Gene D. Tener, Mark A. Goodnough, Jennifer K. Park, David W. Borowski
  • Patent number: 7755633
    Abstract: A system includes internal memory and external memory. A display controller reads a frame from the external memory. At least one of a processor and a graphics chip copies the frame from the external memory to the internal memory while the frame is read from the external memory by the display controller. After the frame is copied to the internal memory, the frame is stored in both the internal memory and the external memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Marvell International Ltd.
    Inventor: Lawrence A. Booth, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7714871
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a display unit of a mobile terminal which allows for enhanced display capabilities. A controller of the mobile terminal includes an output buffer region allocated within an external memory of the controller to receive and store screen data, and a display interface to transmit the screen data directly to the display unit. Screen data is stored and transmitted based on a clock cycle associated with an internal bus of the controller, thereby increasing display speed and maximizing the capabilities of a high performance, high speed display unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Ki Lim
  • Publication number: 20100110085
    Abstract: A microcontroller with an integrated special instruction processing unit and a programmable cycle state machine. The special instruction processing unit allows offloading of intensive processing of output data and the programmable cycle state machine minimizes the amount of customized, off chip circuitry necessary to connect the microcontroller to an external display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2008
    Publication date: May 6, 2010
    Inventors: Roshan Samuel, Joseph Julicher
  • Publication number: 20100079470
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a data acquisition unit which acquires first graphic data including a first drawing position in a drawing region, and acquires second graphic data including a second drawing position different from the first drawing position in the drawing region located later than the first graphic data, a detector which detects positions in a first direction in the drawing region of the first drawing position and the second drawing position, and a controller which causes drawing information at the first drawing position and drawing information at the second drawing position to be continuously stored in a memory when the positions of the first drawing position and the second drawing position in the first direction are similar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
    Inventor: Hidefumi NISHI
  • Publication number: 20100079471
    Abstract: A floating point rasterization and frame buffer in a computer system graphics program. The rasterization, fog, lighting, texturing, blending, and antialiasing processes operate on floating point values. In one embodiment, a 16-bit floating point format consisting of one sign bit, ten mantissa bits, and five exponent bits (s10e5), is used to optimize the range and precision afforded by the 16 available bits of information. In other embodiments, the floating point format can be defined in the manner preferred in order to achieve a desired range and precision of the data stored in the frame buffer. The final floating point values corresponding to pixel attributes are stored in a frame buffer and eventually read and drawn for display. The graphics program can operate directly on the data in the frame buffer without losing any of the desired range and precision of the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2009
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Applicant: GRAPHICS PROPERTIES HOLDINGS, INC.
    Inventors: John M. Airey, Mark S. Peercy, Robert A. Drebin, John Montrym, David L. Dignam, Christopher J. Migdal, Danny D. Loh
  • Publication number: 20100066747
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide multiple graphics processor systems where specific graphics processors can be instructed to not perform certain rendering operations while continuing to receive state updates, where the state updates are included in the rendering commands for these rendering operations. One embodiment provides commands instructing a graphics processor to start or stop rendering geometries. These commands can be directed to one or more specific processors by use of a set-subsystem device mask.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 18, 2010
    Applicant: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Franck R. Diard
  • Patent number: 7672573
    Abstract: A system includes an integrated encoder comprising an optical storage controller for coupling to an optical storage medium, and a data encoder for coding input data coupled to the optical storage controller, a first external memory coupled to a first memory controller in the integrated encoder, and a second external memory coupled to a second memory controller in the integrated encoder. In one aspect, the integrated encoder further comprises a first memory arbiter for selectively directing access to the first external memory by the optical storage controller and the data encoder, and a second memory arbiter for selectively directing access to the second external memory by the optical storage controller and the data encoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tzu-Hsin Wang
  • Patent number: 7667715
    Abstract: A video, audio and graphics system uses multiple transport processors to receive in-band and out-of-band MPEG Transport streams, to perform PID and section filtering as well as DVB and DES decryption and to de-multiplex them. The system processes the PES into digital audio, MPEG video and message data. The system is capable of decoding multiple MPEG SLICEs concurrently. Graphics windows are blended in parallel, and blended with video using alpha blending. During graphics processing, a single-port SRAM is used equivalently as a dual-port SRAM. The video may include both analog video, e.g., NTSC/PAL/SECAM/S-video, and digital video, e.g., MPEG-2 video in SDTV or HDTV format. The system has a reduced memory mode in which video images are reduced in half in horizontal direction only during decoding. The system is capable of receiving and processing digital audio signals such as MPEG Layer 1 and Layer 2 audio and Dolby AC-3 audio, as well as PCM audio signals. The system includes a memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Alexander G. MacInnis, Chengfuh Jeffrey Tang, Xiaodong Xie, Greg A. Kranawetter, Vivian Hsiun, Francis Cheung, Sandeep Bhatia, Ramanujan Valmiki, Sathish Kumar
  • Patent number: 7667707
    Abstract: A multi-display computer system comprises a host computer system that processes windowed desktop environments for multiple remote displays, multiple users or a combination of the two. For each display and for each frame, the multi-display processor responsively manages each necessary portion of a windowed desktop environment. The necessary portions of the windowed desktop environment are further processed, encoded, and where necessary, transmitted over the network to the remote display for each user. Embodiments integrate the multi-display processor with the graphics processing unit, network controller, main memory controller or a combination of the three. The encoding process is optimized for network traffic and special attention is made to assure that all users have low latency interactive capabilities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Digital Display Innovations, LLC
    Inventor: Neal D. Margulis
  • Patent number: 7663621
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that perform cylindrical wrapping in software without the need for a dedicated hardware circuit. One example performs cylindrical wrapping in software running on shader hardware. In one specific example, the shader hardware is a unified shader that alternately processes geometry, vertex, and fragment information. This unified shader is formed using a number of single-instruction, multiple-data units. Another example provides a method of performing a cylindrical wrap that ensures that a correct texture portion is used for a triangle that is divided by a “seam” of the wrap. To achieve this, primitive vertices are sorted such that results are vertex order invariant. One vertex is selected as a reference. For the other vertices, a difference is found for each coordinate and a corresponding coordinate of the reference vertex. If the coordinates are near, no change is made. If the coordinates are distant, the coordinate is adjusted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Roger L. Allen, Harold Robert Zable, Robert Ohannessian, Jr.
  • Patent number: 7659902
    Abstract: A three-dimensional API for communicating with hardware implementations of vertex shaders and pixel shaders having local registers. With respect to vertex shaders, API communications are provided that may make use of an on-chip register index and API communications are also provided for a specialized function, implemented on-chip at a register level, that outputs the fractional portion(s) of input(s). With respect to pixel shaders, API communications are provided for a specialized function, implemented on-chip at a register level, that performs a linear interpolation function and API communications are provided for specialized modifiers, also implemented on-chip at a register level, that perform modification functions including negating, complementing, remapping, stick biasing, scaling and saturating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charles N. Boyd, Michael A. Toelle
  • Publication number: 20090328037
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing graphics acceleration to one or more terminal systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a virtual machine session is created and one or more cores of a graphics accelerator with a plurality of cores is assigned to a virtual machine session in order to render a virtual desktop for display at a terminal system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2009
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Inventor: Gabriele Sartori
  • Publication number: 20090315899
    Abstract: A graphics multi-media integrated circuit (GMIC) is connected to a host processor over two serial links: a half duplex bi-directional serial link which accords to a protocol defined for a display serial interface, and a uni-directional serial link which accords to a compatible protocol defined for a camera serial interface. The GMIC receives packets according to the protocol from the host over the half duplex bi-directional serial link and processes these packets. The GMIC sends packets according to the protocol to the host over the uni-directional serial link. A packet from the host can request a processing operation by the GMIC or can initiate a memory operation at the memory of the GMIC. The GMIC can also send packets to the host to initiate a memory operation at the memory of the host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2008
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Applicant: ATI TECHNOLOGIES ULC
    Inventors: Fariborz Pourbigharaz, Sergiu Goma, Milivoje Aleksic, Andrzej Mamona
  • Publication number: 20090309885
    Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a graphics process frame generation frame rate may be monitored in combination with a utilization or work load metric for the graphics process in order to allocate performance resources to the graphics process and in some cases, between the graphics process and a central processing unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Inventors: Eric Samson, Murali Ramadoss
  • Patent number: 7633506
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a parallel pipeline graphics system. The parallel pipeline graphics system includes a back-end configured to receive primitives and combinations of primitives (i.e., geometry) and process the geometry to produce values to place in a frame buffer for rendering on screen. Unlike prior single pipeline implementation, some embodiments use two or four parallel pipelines, though other configurations having 2^n pipelines may be used. When geometry data is sent to the back-end, it is divided up and provided to one of the parallel pipelines. Each pipeline is a component of a raster back-end, where the display screen is divided into tiles and a defined portion of the screen is sent through a pipeline that owns that portion of the screen's tiles. In one embodiment, each pipeline comprises a scan converter, a hierarchical-Z unit, a z buffer logic, a rasterizer, a shader, and a color buffer logic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: ATI Technologies ULC
    Inventors: Mark M. Leather, Eric Demers
  • Patent number: 7633505
    Abstract: A multi-chip graphics system includes a master chip and a slave chip coupled by an interlink. The slave chip performs pixel processing in parallel with the master chip, improving the performance of the master chip. In one embodiment, an individual graphics processing unit (GPU) chip includes a normal operational mode, a master mode, and a slave mode to permit an individual GPU chip to be used as individual processor or to be utilized as part of a master/slave pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Brian M. Kelleher
  • Patent number: 7629978
    Abstract: Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide multiple graphics processor systems where specific graphics processors can be instructed to not perform certain rendering operations while continuing to receive state updates, where the state updates are included in the rendering commands for these rendering operations. One embodiment provides commands instructing a graphics processor to start or stop rendering geometries. These commands can be directed to one or more specific processors by use of a set-subsystem device mask.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Franck R. Diard
  • Patent number: 7623131
    Abstract: Multiple graphics processors in a graphics processing system are interconnected in a unidirectional or bidirectional ring topology, allowing pixels to transferred from any one graphics processor to any other graphics processor. The system can automatically identify one or more “master” graphics processors to which a monitor is connected and configures the links of the ring such that one or more other graphics processors can deliver pixels to the master graphics processor, facilitating distributed rendering operations. The system can also automatically detect the connections or lack thereof between the graphics processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Philip Browning Johnson
  • Publication number: 20090251473
    Abstract: A two-dimensional panel, particularly a liquid crystal display device, has a maximum display area with a width of (T×M) addressable channels. The addressable channels are addressed through a plurality of T source channel integrated circuits (ICs), with each source channel IC having M source channels. The number of addressable channels exceeds the number of channels of data in an image display data array having a width of W pixels, each pixel comprising P subpixels in the width dimension. The excess addressable channels are distributed symmetrically across the width dimension of the displayed image. In other embodiments the number of addressable channels is less than the number of channels of data and excess channels of data are excluded symmetrically across the width dimension of the displayed image. Further embodiments distribute excess addressable channels symmetrically across the height dimension or exclude excess channels of data symmetrically across the height dimension.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Publication date: October 8, 2009
    Applicant: AMERICAN PANEL CORPORATION, INC.
    Inventors: Hanwook Baek, William DUNN
  • Patent number: 7598958
    Abstract: A multi-chip graphics system includes a master chip and a slave chip coupled by an interlink. The slave chip performs a graphics processing operation in parallel with the master chip, improving the performance of the master chip. In one embodiment, an individual graphics processing unit (GPU) chip includes a normal operational mode, a master mode, and a slave mode to permit an individual GPU chip to be used as individual processor or to be packaged as part of a master/slave pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventor: Brian M. Kelleher
  • Patent number: 7576745
    Abstract: A system and method for providing a dedicated interface between two or more graphics adapters installed on a motherboard. Surplus signals within an interface conforming to an interface specification are used to create the dedicated interface. The dedicated interface may connect the two or more graphics adapters using connectors via an interface device. Alternatively the dedicated interface may directly connect the two or more graphics adapters using dedicated connectors or a portion of the connectors coupled through conductive traces integrated onto the motherboard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Abraham B. de Waal, Anthony M. Tamasi, Ross F. Jatou, Ludger Mimberg
  • Patent number: 7561163
    Abstract: Multiple graphics processors in a graphics processing system are interconnected in a unidirectional or bidirectional ring topology, allowing pixels to transferred from any one graphics processor to any other graphics processor. The system can automatically identify one or more “master” graphics processors to which one or more monitors are connected and configures the links of the ring such that one or more other graphics processors can deliver pixels to the master graphics processor, facilitating distributed rendering operations. The system can also automatically detect the connections or lack thereof between the graphics processors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Nvidia Corporation
    Inventor: Philip Browning Johnson
  • Patent number: 7557809
    Abstract: The basic section of the multimedia data-processing system includes a CPU 1100, an image display unit 2100, a unified memory 1200, a system bus 1920, and devices 1300, 1400, and 1500 connected to the system bus. In this configuration, the CPU is formed on an LSI mounted on a single silicon wafer including instruction processing unit 1110 and display control unit 1140. Main storage area 1210 and display area 1220 are stored within the unified memory. Unified memory port 1910 for connecting the corresponding LSI and the unified memory is provided independently of the system bus intended to connect the LSI and the input/output devices. The unified memory port can be driven faster than system bus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Nakatsuka, Tetsuya Shimomura, Manabu Jyou, Yuichiro Morita, Takashi Hotta, Kazushige Yamagishi, Yutaka Okada
  • Patent number: RE41565
    Abstract: A single chip display processor comprised of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for storing at least one of graphics and video pixel data, a pixel data unit (PDU) for processing the pixel data, integrated in the same integrated circuit (IC) chip as the DRAM, the IC chip further comprising a massively parallel bus for transferring blocks of pixel data at the same time from the DRAM to the PDU, whereby the PDU can process the blocks of pixel data for subsequent display of processed pixel data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: Dennis A. Fielder, Philip S. Shaer, James H. Derbyshire, Peter B. Gillingham, Randy R. Torrance, Cormac M. O'Connell