Prediction and use of processor inactivity for rendering frames

A method comprising performing, by a computing device having commit deadlines with a variable periodicity:

• performing a first operation before a first commit deadline having a first period as measured between a previous commit deadline and the first commit deadline, wherein a first result of the first operations is used for rendering a first frame, wherein the first operation is implemented using one or more processing elements using a first power setting;
• displaying the first frame in a first cycle on a display of the computing device;
• identifying a second operation having a second result to be used for rendering a second frame for a second cycle, the second operation to be completed before a second commit deadline for the second cycle, the second commit deadline having a second period as measured from the first commit deadline to the second commit deadline, the second period different from the first period;
• determining a second power setting of one or more processing elements such that the one or more processing elements complete the second operation before the second commit deadline, wherein the second power setting is lower than the first power setting;
• performing the second operation using the one or more processing elements executing with the second power setting;
• and
• rendering, using the second result of the second operation, the second frame for the second cycle.

An electronic device comprising:

• a memory storing a plurality of instructions;
• and
• one or more processors communicably coupled with the memory, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the plurality of instructions to perform a method comprising:
• performing a first operation before a first commit deadline, wherein a first result of the first operations is used for rendering a first frame;
• displaying the first frame in a first cycle on a display of the electronic device;
• performing a second operation having a second result used for rendering a second frame for a second cycle, the second operation completed before a second commit deadline for the second cycle;
• determining a remaining time to a third commit deadline relative to a current time;
• predicting a third operation to be performed before the third commit deadline for a third cycle;
• predicting an additional operation to be performed for cycles after the third cycle;
• determining that a total processing time of the third operation and the additional operation is less than the remaining time to the third commit deadline;
• responsive to determining that the total processing time is less than the remaining time, performing the third operation and the additional operation to be used in a future cycle;
• rendering, using a third result of the third operation, a third frame for the third cycle;
• and
• rendering, using an additional result of the additional operation, an additional frame for the future cycle before a future render deadline for the future cycle.