Acceleration of graphics for remote display using redirection of rendering and compression

A method comprising:

• executing a graphics application on a first computer;
• executing an X Server on a second computer;
• wherein said executing the graphics application on the first computer comprises:
• calling OpenGL rendering functions which result in an image being rendered into a first buffer associated with the first computer;
• calling a particular OpenGL function to induce display of the image from the first buffer, on a remote display coupled to the second computer, through the X Server executing on the second computer.

A method comprising:

• executing a graphics application on a first computer, wherein said executing the graphics application on the first computer comprises:
• asserting queries, targeted for a remote X Server, executing on a second computer, for graphics information associated with the second computer by calling a first set of glX functions, wherein the first set of glX functions are modified to provide graphics information associated with the first computer instead of the graphics information associated with the second computer;
• asserting a request, targeted for the remote X Server, to create a graphics context by calling the glXCreateContext function, wherein the glXCreateContext function has been modified to create the graphics context for graphics hardware local to the first computer instead of for remote graphics hardware associated with the second computer;
• asserting a request, targeted for the remote X Server, to attach the graphics context to a remote window associated with the second computer by calling a glXMakeCurrent function, wherein the glXMakecurrent function has been modified to attach the graphics context to a pbuffer, associated with the first computer, instead of to the remote window;
• calling OpenGL rendering functions which result in an image being rendered into the pbuffer associated with the first computer;
• calling a particular OpenGL function to induce display of the image from the pbuffer, on a remote display coupled to the second computer.

A memory medium configured to store program instructions, the program instructions define modified OpenGL functions which are executable by a processor to implement:

• providing graphics information associated with a local graphics device coupled to the processor in response to a request for graphics information associated with a remote computer;
• creating a first graphics context for the local graphics device in response to a request for creation of a second graphics context associated with the remote computer;
• attaching the first graphics context to a local pbuffer, associated with the local graphics device, in response to a request to attach the first graphics context to a remote window associated with the remote computer;
• and
• inducing display of an image from the pbuffer, on a remote display coupled to the remote computer.

A communication system for remote display of graphics images, using redirection of rendering, comprising a server system, wherein the server system comprises:

• graphics rendering hardware;
• a server memory that stores:
• a graphics software program;
• an OpenGL Library of software functions, wherein the OpenGL Library includes standard OpenGL functions, a set of modified OpenGL functions, and a modified particular OpenGL function;
• a server processor coupled to the server memory, wherein the server processor is operable to execute the graphics software program to implement:
• calling one or more of said set of modified OpenGL functions to create and attach a graphics window context for a remote window to a pbuffer;
• rendering an image to the pbuffer;
• and
• calling a particular OpenGL function, wherein the program code for the particular OpenGL function is modified to induce transfer of the image from the pbuffer to the remote window.