Method and apparatus for processing video and graphics data utilizing intensity scaling

A video graphics processing circuit comprises:

• memory that stores video data and graphics data, pixel processing circuit operatively coupled to receive the video data and the graphics data and to respectively produce therefrom video pixel and graphics pixel data, wherein the video pixel data and the graphics pixel data are each n-bits in length;
• and
• intensity adjusting circuit operably coupled to the pixel processing circuit, wherein the intensity adjusting circuit adjusts intensity of the video pixel data by converting the n-bit video pixel data into m-bit video pixel data, wherein m is greater than n, wherein resulting additional bits indicate at least one of:
• a scaling factor to be used by a mixing circuit, and
• an indication of voltage reference adjustment for a digital to analog converter.

A video graphics processing circuit comprises:

• memory that store video data and graphics data;
• pixel processing circuit operably coupled to receive the video data and the graphics data and to respectively produce therefrom video pixel data and graphics pixel data;
• a digital to analog converter operably coupled to receive the video pixel data and the graphics pixel data, wherein the digital to analog converter produces pixel information from the video pixel data and the graphics pixel data based on a voltage reference;
• and
• intensity adjusting circuit operably coupled to the digital to analog converter, wherein the intensity adjusting circuit adjusts the voltage reference to a first value for the video pixel data and a second value for the graphics pixel data, wherein the first value is greater than the second value.

A video graphics processing circuit comprises:

• a processing unit;
• and
• memory that stores programming instructions that, when read by the processing unit, causes the processing unit to (a) determine whether video data is being received or whether graphics data is being received;
• (b) process the video data based on a first intensity scaling range to produce intensity processed video data when the video data is being received;
• (c) process the graphics data based on a second intensity scaling range to produce intensity processed graphics data when the graphics data is being received, wherein the second intensity scaling range is a smaller range than the first intensity scaling range;
• and (d) provide at least one of the intensity processed video data and the intensity processed graphics data to a display.