US 6,195,736 B1 · Method for paging software wavetable synthesis samples

Abstract

Wavetables for a wavetable synthesizer are divided into nonpaged and paged segments. The nonpaged segments are page locked in system memory, so that the wavetable may beginning playing when referenced. The paged segments are paged into memory as needed, and may be paged out of memory when no longer required. The segmentation of the wavetable is determined based on the maximum data rate for the wavetable and a maximum paging delay for the system. Wavetable segmentation is automatically tuned by monitoring actual paging delays and, taking into account a margin for error, updating the value of the maximum paging delay used to determine the required size for a nonpaged wavetable segment. An aggressive margin for error may be employed where an alternative mechanism is provided for handling overruns of the nonpaged wavetable segments.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of synthesizing a wavetable in a data processing system, comprising:

segmenting the wavetable into a beginning portion and a remaining portion;
page locking the beginning portion of the wavetable in a system memory for immediate synthesis on demand;
storing the remaining portion in a memory page which is paged into and out of the system memory from a storage device;
synthesizing the beginning portion of the wavetable;
after beginning synthesis of the beginning portion, paging the memory page containing the remaining portion of the wavetable into system memory;
and
synthesizing the remaining portion of the wavetable.

4 more elements

A computer program product for use with a data processing system, comprising:

a computer usable medium;
a wavetable segmented into a beginning portion and a remaining portion;
first instructions on the computer usable medium for page locking the beginning portion of the wavetable in a system memory for immediate synthesis on demand;
second instructions on the computer usable medium for storing the remaining portion in a memory page which is paged into and out of the system memory from a storage device;
third instructions on the computer usable medium for synthesizing the beginning portion of the wavetable;
fourth instructions on the computer usable medium for paging the memory page containing the remaining portion of the wavetable into the system memory after beginning synthesis of the beginning portion;
and
fifth instructions on the computer usable medium for synthesizing the remaining portion of the wavetable.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method for paging software wavetable synthesis samples

Life of this patent

Method for paging software wavetable synthesis samples

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20