Method and apparatus for displaying graphics in a computer system

Abstract

A method for displaying graphics in a computer system is described. In one embodiment, the method includes a step of receiving a stream of data into the main memory of the computer system. This stream of data comprises a series of descriptions of digital video frames and a series of indicators, each of which corresponds to a set, or a group of one or more, of the video frame descriptions. Each indicator indicates a basis for selecting a subset of the set of video frame descriptions. For example, in one embodiment thirty video frame descriptions are in each set, and a given indicator indicates that half of those thirty descriptions should be included in the corresponding subset. Then, only the fifteen video frame descriptions selected for inclusion in the subset are decompressed, and only the fifteen resulting video frames are displayed, while the other fifteen frames are dropped. By reducing the total number of frame descriptions to be decompressed and displayed, system activity can be reduced, thereby reducing the possibility that power management utilities will be invoked. By using the indicator as the basis for determining when to drop frames and/or which frames are to be dropped instead of allowing power management utilites to make the determination, the video as displayed can be improved according to some predetermined policy.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.