Methods and apparatuses for facilitating processing of interlaced video images for progressive video displays

A method comprising:

• causing a renderer to identify to a graphics device driver a description of interlaced video data to be processed by a graphics device associated with said graphics device driver;
• causing said graphics device driver to identify to said renderer at least one graphics processing capability associated with said graphics device;
• causing said renderer to select at least one identified graphics processing capability and request input requirements from said graphics device driver for said at least one identified graphics processing capability;
• and
• causing said graphics device driver to identify to said renderer at least one input requirement associated with said at least one identified graphics processing capability.

An apparatus comprising:

• rendering logic;
• graphics device logic;
• and
• interface logic operatively coupled to said rendering logic and said graphics device logic, and wherein using said interface logic:
• said rendering logic provides a description of interlaced video data to be processed by a graphics device associated with said graphics device logic,
• said graphics device logic, identifies at least one graphics processing capability associated with said graphics device,
• said rendering logic requests input requirements from said graphics device logic for at least one selected graphics processing capability, and
• said graphics device logic identifies at least one input requirement associated with said at least one selected graphics processing capability.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• providing an interface capability that allows:
• a renderer to identify to a graphics device driver a description of interlaced video data to be processed by a graphics device associated with said graphics device driver;
• said graphics device driver to identify to said renderer at least one graphics processing capability associated with said graphics device;
• said renderer to select at least one identified graphics processing capability and request input requirements from said graphics device driver for said at least one identified graphics processing capability;
• and
• said graphics device driver to identify to said renderer at least one input requirement associated with said at least one identified graphics processing capability.

A method for interfacing a renderer and a graphics device driver, the method comprising:

• providing at least one application programming interface (API) that is configurable to:
• allow a renderer to query a graphics device driver as to at least one graphics processing capability that can be performed by an associated graphics device in de-interlacing video data,
• allow said graphics device driver to respond to said query by identifying to said renderer said at least one graphics processing capability,
• allow said renderer to further query said graphics device driver as to at least one input requirement associated with said identified at least one graphics processing capability, and
• allow said graphics device driver to respond to said further query by identifying to said renderer said at least one input requirement associated with said graphics processing capability.

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one processing unit operatively configured to provide rendering logic, graphics device driver logic, and at least one application programming interface (API) configured such that:
• said rendering logic queries said graphics device driver logic through said at least one API to determine at least one graphics processing capability that can be performed by an associated graphics device in de-interlacing video data when operatively coupled to said at least one processing unit,
• said graphics device driver logic responds through said at least one API identifying to said rendering logic said at least one graphics processing capability,
• said rendering logic further queries said graphics device driver logic through said at least one API as to at least one input requirement associated with said identified at least one graphics processing capability, and
• said graphics device driver logic responds through said at least one API identifying to said rendering logic said at least one input requirement associated with said graphics processing capability.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• establishing an interface environment wherein:
• rendering logic can query graphics device driver logic as to at least one graphics processing capability that can be performed by an associated graphics device in de-interlacing video data,
• said graphics device driver logic can respond to said query by identifying to said rendering logic said at least one graphics processing capability,
• said rendering logic can further query said graphics device driver logic as to at least one input requirement associated with said identified at least one graphics processing capability, and
• said graphics device driver logic can respond to said further query by identifying to said rendering logic said at least one input requirement associated with said graphics processing capability.

A method comprising:

• receiving from a renderer a query for a graphics device driver as to at least one graphics processing capability that can be performed by an associated graphics device in de-interlacing video data;
• communicating said query to said graphics device driver;
• receiving from said graphics device driver a response to said query that identifies said at least one graphics processing capability to said renderer;
• and
• communicating said response to said renderer.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• receiving from a renderer a query for a graphics device driver as to at feast one graphics processing capability that can be performed by an associated graphics device in de-interlacing video data;
• communicating said query to said graphics device driver;
• receiving from said graphics device driver a response to said query that identifies said at least one graphics processing capability to said renderer;
• and
• communicating said response to said renderer.

An apparatus comprising:

• rendering logic configured to support de-interlacing of video data;
• graphics device driver logic;
• and
• interface logic operatively configured to:
• receive a query from said rendering logic requesting graphics processing capabilities that can be performed by a graphics device associated with said graphics device driver logic, said graphics device being configured to support de-interlacing of said video data,
• communicate said query to said graphics device driver logic,
• receive from said graphics device driver logic a response to said query that identifies said at least one graphics processing capability, and
• communicate said response to said rendering logic.

A method of communicating between a rendering process and a graphics device driver process that is associated with a graphics device, the method comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, a query call having at least one call parameter comprising a description of video data to be processed by said rendering process and a graphics device;
• receiving, by said graphics device driver process, said query call and parsing said query call to retrieve said at least one call parameter;
• and
• issuing, by said graphics device driver process, a query acknowledgment call having at least one acknowledgment parameter comprising an identifier for at least one supportive processing capability that said graphics device can provide based on said description of video data.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, a query call having at least one call parameter comprising a description of video data to be processed by said rendering process and a graphics device;
• receiving, by said graphics device driver process, said query call and parsing said query call to retrieve said at least one call parameter;
• and
• issuing, by said graphics device driver process, a query acknowledgment call having at least one acknowledgment parameter comprising an identifier for at least one supportive processing capability that said graphics device can provide based on said description of video data.

A method of communicating between a rendering process and a graphics device driver process that is associated with a graphics device, the method comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, a query call having at least one call parameter comprising an identifier for a selected supportive processing capability that a graphics device can provide to process selected video data;
• receiving, by a graphics device driver process associated with said graphics device, said query call and parsing said query call to retrieve said at least one call parameter;
• and
• issuing, by said graphics device driver process, a query acknowledgment having at least one acknowledgment parameter comprising at least one input requirement associated with said selected supportive processing capability.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, a query call having at least one call parameter comprising an identifier for a selected supportive processing capability that a graphics device can provide to process selected video data;
• receiving, by a graphics device driver process associated with said graphics device, said query call and parsing said query call to retrieve said at least one call parameter;
• and
• issuing, by said graphics device driver process, a query acknowledgment having at least one acknowledgment parameter comprising at least one input requirement associated with said selected supportive processing capability.

A method for establishing a video stream object between a rendering process and a graphics device having an associated graphics device driver, the method comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, an open stream call having at least two call parameters including an identifier for a selected supportive processing capability that a graphics device is to perform while processing streamed video data and a description of video data to be processed by said rendering process and said graphics device while processing said streamed video data;
• receiving, by a supporting process, said open stream call and parsing said open stream call to retrieve said at least two call parameters;
• and
• issuing, by said supporting process, a stream identifier corresponding to a video stream object provided by said supporting process.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing at least one processing unit to perform acts comprising:

• issuing, by a rendering process, an open stream call having at least two call parameters including an identifier for a selected supportive processing capability that a graphics device is to perform while processing streamed video data and a description of video data to be processed by said rendering process and said graphics device while processing said streamed video data;
• receiving, by a supporting process, said open stream call and parsing said open stream call to retrieve said at least two call parameters;
• and
• issuing, by said supporting process, a stream identifier corresponding to a video stream object provided by said supporting process.

A method for use in manipulating interlaced video data, the method comprising:

• accessing interlaced video data including top field data and bottom field data associated with a video surface having a width, a height and a stride;
• and
• producing a reinterpreted video surface by:
• isolating said top and bottom field data, and
• configuring said isolated top and bottom field data in said reinterpreted video surface such that said reinterpreted video surface has a reinterpreted height that is less than said height and a reinterpreted stride that is greater than said stride.