Real-time display post-processing using programmable hardware

A graphics processor comprising:

• a programmable execution core configured to be switchable among a plurality of contexts and further configured to execute program instructions associated with a switched-to one of the plurality of contexts,
• an arbitration unit coupled to the execution core and configured to control switching of the execution core between different ones of the plurality of contexts, and
• a scanout engine configured to isochronously transmit frames of generated pixel data to a display port and coupled to transmit a trigger signal to the arbitration unit,
• wherein the plurality of contexts includes:
• a rendering context having associated therewith a first sequence of program instructions for generating image data;
• and
• a post-processing context having associated therewith a second sequence of program instructions for generating a frame of pixel data from the image data;
• and
• wherein the arbitration unit is further configured to switch the execution core to the post-processing context in response to the trigger signal.

A graphics processing system comprising:

• a plurality of image buffers, each configured to store fragment data for an image;
• a plurality of frame buffers, each configured to store pixel data for a frame;
• a multiprocessor including:
• a programmable execution core configured to be switchable among a plurality of contexts such that the execution core executes program instructions associated with a switched-to one of the plurality of contexts;
• and
• an arbitration unit coupled to the execution core and configured to control switching of the execution core between different ones of the plurality of contexts, and
• a scanout engine configured to isochronously transmit frames of pixel data from the frame buffers to a display port and coupled to periodically transmit a trigger signal to the arbitration unit of the multiprocessor,
• wherein the plurality of contexts includes:
• a rendering context having associated therewith a first sequence of program instructions for generating fragment data for a plurality of images and writing the fragment data for each image to one of the image buffers;
• and
• a post-processing context having associated therewith a second sequence of program instructions for generating a frame of pixel data from the fragment data in the image buffers and for writing the pixel data for the frame to one of the frame buffers;
• and
• wherein the arbitration unit is further configured to switch the execution core to the post-processing context in response to the trigger signal.

A method for generating images, the method comprising:

• operating, in a shared execution core of a processor, a rendering object that generates fragment data for images in response to a first sequence of program instructions;
• in parallel with operating the rendering object, operating a scanout engine to isochronously deliver frames of pixel data to a display device, wherein the scanout engine periodically generates a trigger signal;
• and
• in response to the trigger signal, operating, in the shared execution core of the processor, a post-processing object that generates a new frame of pixel data from the fragment data for one or more images in response to a second sequence of program instructions, the new frame of pixel data being made available to the scanout engine.