Intra-frame real-time frequency control

A method of operating a graphics processing unit (GPU) to periodically, at a frame rate, render frame images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device, comprising:

• operating the GPU at a first processing frequency;
• for each frame and occurring at least at the frame rate, while a current frame is being rendered, estimating a time remaining to complete a rendering of the current frame;
• for each frame and occurring at least at the frame rate, receiving an indicator of a time remaining before a deadline for completing the rendering of the current frame;
• and,
• while the current frame is being rendered, and based on the estimated time remaining to complete the rendering of the current frame, operating the GPU at a second operating frequency for at least a portion of the time remaining before the deadline for completing the rendering of the current frame arrives, wherein the GPU is operated at the second operating frequency based on one of:
• 1) the estimated time remaining to complete the rendering of the current frame exceeding the time remaining before the deadline for completing the rendering of the current frame, and 2) the time remaining before the deadline for completing the rendering of the current frame exceeding the estimated time remaining to complete the rendering of the current frame while operating at the first operating frequency.

A method of operating a graphics processing unit (GPU) to periodically, at a frame rate, render frame images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device, comprising, for each frame:

• before receiving a command to begin rendering a current frame, operating the GPU at a first processing frequency;
• before receiving the command to begin rendering the current frame, estimating a first time remaining to completely rendering the current frame;
• receiving an indicator of the first time remaining before a first deadline for completing the rendering of the current frame;
• and,
• before receiving the command to begin rendering the current frame, and based on the estimated time remaining to completely render the current frame, operating the GPU at a second operating frequency for at least a portion of the time remaining before the arrival of the first deadline for completely rendering the current frame.