Providing output surface data to a display in data processing systems

A method of operating a data processing system that comprises:

• a display comprising a screen and processing circuitry;
• one or more display interfaces;
• and
• a display controller operable to provide data in respect of output surfaces to be displayed to the display via the one or more display interfaces;
• the method comprising:
• when a first output surface is to be displayed:
• the display controller sending data in respect of the first output surface in the form of image data and image modification data through the one or more display interfaces to the display;
• and
• the processing circuitry of the display receiving the image data and image modification data from the one or more interfaces, using the image data and the image modification data to produce a reconstructed output surface for display by applying the image modification data to the image data, and causing the reconstructed output surface to be displayed on the screen;
• wherein the image modification data comprises information indicative of a difference between a region of the first output surface and another region of the first output surface or another region of a second output surface, wherein the difference indicating information is indicative of differences between data values of the region of the first output surface and corresponding data values of the other region, and wherein the difference indicating information comprises an array of difference values.

A data processing system comprising:

• a display comprising a screen and first processing circuitry;
• one or more display interfaces;
• a display controller operable to provide data in respect of output surfaces to be displayed to the display via the one or more display interfaces;
• and
• second processing circuitry configured to:
• when a first output surface is to be displayed, compare a region of the first output surface to another region of the first output surface or another region of a second output surface, and to generate information indicative of differences between data values of the region of the first output surface and corresponding data values of the other region on the basis of the comparison, wherein the difference indicating information comprises an array of difference values;
• wherein the display controller is configured to send the array of difference values through the one or more display interfaces to the display;
• and
• wherein the first processing circuitry of the display is configured to receive the array of difference values from the one or more interfaces, to use the array of difference values to produce a reconstructed output surface for display by applying the difference information to data for the other region, and to cause the reconstructed output surface to be displayed on the screen.

A data processing system comprising:

• a display comprising a screen and processing circuitry;
• one or more display interfaces;
• and
• a display controller operable to provide data in respect of output surfaces to be displayed to the display via the one or more display interfaces;
• wherein the display controller is configured to:
• when a first output surface is to be displayed, send data in respect of the first output surface in the form of image data and image modification data through the one or more display interfaces to the display;
• and
• wherein the processing circuitry of the display is configured to receive the image data and image modification data from the one or more interfaces, to use the image data and the image modification data to produce a reconstructed output surface for display by applying the image modification data to the image data, and to cause the reconstructed output surface to be displayed on the screen;
• wherein the image modification data comprises information indicative of a difference between a region of the first output surface and another region of the first output surface or another region of a second output surface, wherein the difference indicating information is indicative of differences between data values of the region of the first output surface and corresponding data values of the other region, and wherein the difference indicating information comprises an array of difference values.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer software code which when executing on a processor performs a method of operating a data processing system that comprises:

• a display comprising a screen and processing circuitry;
• one or more display interfaces;
• and
• a display controller operable to provide data in respect of output surfaces to be displayed to the display via the one or more display interfaces;
• the method comprising:
• when a first output surface is to be displayed:
• comparing a region of the first output surface to another region of the first output surface or another region of a second output surface;
• generating information indicative of a difference between data values of the region of the first output surface and corresponding data values of the other region on the basis of the comparison, wherein the difference indicating information comprises an array of difference values;
• the display controller sending the array of difference values through the one or more display interfaces to the display;
• and
• the processing circuitry of the display receiving the array of difference values from the one or more interfaces, using the array of difference values to produce a reconstructed output surface for display by applying the difference information to data for the other region, and causing the reconstructed output surface to be displayed on the screen.