Adaptive load balancing in a multi-processor graphics processing system
AssigneeNVIDIA Corporation
InventorFranck Diard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods for balancing a load among multiple graphics processors that render different portions of a frame. A display area is partitioned into portions for each of two (or more) graphics processors. The graphics processors render their respective portions of a frame and return feedback data indicating completion of the rendering. Based on the feedback data, an imbalance can be detected between respective loads of two of the graphics processors. In the event that an imbalance exists, the display area is re-partitioned to increase a size of the portion assigned to the less heavily loaded processor and to decrease a size of the portion assigned to the more heavily loaded processor.
Claims13
1-27. (canceled)
A method for load balancing in a graphics processing system, the method comprising:
- assigning a portion of a rendering process for a frame to be performed by each of a plurality of graphics processors in the graphics processing system;
- instructing the graphics processors to perform the rendering process, wherein each graphics processor performs the portion of the rendering process assigned thereto;
- instructing the graphics processors to provide feedback data reflecting respective rendering times for each graphics processor;
- and
- for at least a first pair of graphics processors selected from the plurality of graphics processors:
- determining, based on the feedback data provided by the first pair of graphics processors, whether an imbalance exists between respective loads of the first pair of graphics processors;
- and
- in the event that an imbalance exists, shifting a subset of the portion of the rendering process assigned to a more heavily loaded one of the first pair of graphics processors to the less heavily loaded one of the first pair of graphics processors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.