Method and apparatus for managing access to a computer system memory shared by a graphics controller and a memory controller
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorJay J. Sturges
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer system having a shared memory accessible by a memory controller and a graphics controller is described. A portion of the shared memory is selectively defined as a frame buffer. Graphics operations provided by a client device are routed through the memory controller if a frame buffer is created. If no frame buffer is created, the graphics commands are routed through the graphics controller.
Claims17
A memory control system comprising:
- a shared memory divided into a first portion and a second portion;
- an element for selectively defining a part of the second portion of the memory as a frame buffer;
- a graphics controller for accessing the second portion of the shared memory;
- a memory controller for processing graphics operations;
- and
- an element for intercepting graphics operations and routing the graphics operations through the memory controller if the frame buffer is defined, and routing the graphics operations through the graphics controller if the frame buffer is not defined.
In a computer system having a shared memory divided into a first and second portion, a memory controller, and a graphics controller, a method comprising the steps of:
- selectively defining a part of the second portion of the shared memory as a frame buffer;
- routing the graphics operations to the second portion of the shared memory through the graphics controller if the frame buffer is not defined;
- and
- routing graphics operations to the second portion of the shared memory through the memory controller, if the frame buffer is defined.
A memory control system comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory controller;
- a graphics controller;
- a shared memory, accessible by the memory controller and the graphics controller;
- the processor for selectively defining a portion of the shared memory as a frame buffer;
- and
- a virtual frame buffer device (VFBD) for intercepting graphics operations and routing the graphics operations through the memory controller if the frame buffer is defined and through the graphics controller if the frame buffer is not defined.
In a memory control system having a shared memory accessible by a memory controller and a graphics controller, an improvement comprising configuring the computer system to:
- selectively define a portion of the shared memory as a frame buffer;
- route graphics operations provided by a client device through the memory controller if a frame buffer is defined;
- and
- route the graphics operations through the graphics controller if no frame buffer is defined.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.