Method, system, and computer program product for overlapping graphics data collection and transmission using a single processor

A system for sending scene data, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• a first memory module and a second memory module;
• a geometry engine;
• and
• means for rendering first scene data and second scene data;
• wherein said at least one processor further comprises:
• means for generating said first scene data and said second scene data;
• means for writing said first scene data to said first memory module;
• means for providing instructions to the geometry engine to read from a specified set of memory addresses;
• means for writing second scene data to said second memory module;
• and
• means for providing instructions to the geometry engine to read from a second set of memory addresses;
• and
• wherein the geometry engine further comprises:
• means for receiving said instructions from said at least one processor;
• means for reading said first scene data from said memory module;
• and
• means for reading said second scene data from said second memory module.

A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on a computer that writes scene data to one of a plurality of intermediate buffers in system memory and instructs a geometry engine to read the scene data from the intermediate buffer, said computer readable program code means comprising:

• a) first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to write first scene data for a frame to a first intermediate buffer in system memory;
• b) second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to instruct the geometry engine to read the first scene data for said frame from said first intermediate buffer;
• c) third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to render the first scene data;
• d) fourth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to write second scene data for a frame to a second intermediate buffer in system memory;
• e) fifth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to instruct the geometry engine to read the second scene data for said frame from said second intermediate buffer;
• and
• f) sixth computer readable program code means for causing the computer to render the second scene data.

A method of sending computer graphics scene data to a geometry engine via a processor in a computer system, comprising the steps of:

• generating first scene data using the processor;
• writing the first scene data to a first intermediate buffer in a system memory;
• reading the first scene data from the first intermediate buffer using the geometry engine;
• rendering the first scene data using the geometry engine and simultaneously generating second scene data using the processor;
• writting the second scene data to a second intermediate buffer in the system memory;
• reading the second scene data from the second intermediate buffer using the geometry engine;
• and
• rendering the second scene data using the geometry engine.

A system for sending computer graphics scene data to a geometry engine via a processor, comprising:

• a system memory comprising a first intermediate buffer and second intermediate buffer;
• a processor in communication with the system memory, which is adapted to generate first scene data and to transmit the first scene data to the first intermediate buffer, and to generate second scene data and to transmit the second scene data to the second intermediate buffer;
• and
• a geometry engine comprising a first module in a graphics hardware suite and in communication with the processor and the system memory, which is adapted to read and render the first scene data from the first intermediate buffer independent of, and simultaneous with, the processor generating second scene data, and is further adapted to read and render the second scene data from the second intermediate buffer.

A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method of sending computer graphics scene data to a geometry engine via a processor in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating first scene data using the prosessor;
• writting the first scene data to a first intermediate buffer in a system memory;
• reading the first scene data from the first intermediate buffer using the geometry engine;
• rendering the first scene data using the geometry engine and simultaneously generating second scene data using the processor;
• writting the second scene data to a second intermediate buffer in the system memory;
• reading the second scene data from the second intermediate buffer using the geometry engine;
• and
• rendering the second scene data using the geomety engine.