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US 7,746,357 B2Granted
Dual-plane graphics
AssigneeSharp Laboratories of America, Inc.
InventorBryan Severt Hallberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Two or more graphics planes are combined according to a scheme that circumvents mixing of certain regions to conserve resources. Although some mixing is circumvented, the outputted display image remains visually adequate.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a computing device comprising a software mixer, wherein the software mixer comprises:
- a control component to determine which graphics planes in a plurality of graphics planes are active, said control component to cause circumventing of mixing when less than two graphics planes are active;
- a region manager component to maintain a list of registered graphics regions of the plurality of graphics planes, wherein each region comprises a plurality of pixels of a respective one of the graphics planes, said region manager component to determine newly painted regions of the registered graphics regions, said region manager component to compare a stacking of the active graphics planes, the comparison identifying any newly painted regions of one active graphics plane overlying any registered graphics regions of another active graphics plane;
- and
- a mixer component to receive data from a first buffer that stores data for a first one of the graphics planes, to receive data from a second buffer that stores data for a second different one of the graphics planes, and to output data to a third composite buffer, the mixer component configured to:
- for only the identified newly painted regions that do overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per pixel basis from the first and second buffers to assemble a pixel-by-pixel composite of a particular identified newly painted region and its corresponding registered graphics region in the third composite buffer;
- and
- for the remaining newly painted regions that do not overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per region basis from one of the first and second buffers to the third composite buffer;
- wherein if the control component causes circumventing of mixing, then processing of the active graphics plane bypasses the mixer component and the third composite buffer.
6 more elements
A method, comprising:
- determining which graphics planes in a plurality of graphics planes are active, and if less than two graphics planes are active, bypassing a mixing routine;
- maintaining a list of registered graphics regions of the plurality of graphics planes, wherein each region comprises a plurality of pixels of a respective one of the graphics planes;
- determining newly painted regions of the registered graphics regions and comparing a stacking of the active graphics planes to identify any newly painted regions of one active graphics plane overlying any registered graphics regions of another active graphics plane;
- receiving at a mixer component data from a first buffer that stores data for a first one of the graphics planes and data from a second buffer that stores data for a second different one of the graphics planes;
- for only the identified newly painted regions that do overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per pixel basis from the first and second buffers to assemble a pixel-by-pixel composite of a particular identified newly painted region and its corresponding registered graphics region in a third composite buffer;
- and
- for the remaining newly painted regions that do not overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per region basis from one of the first and second buffers to the third composite buffer;
- wherein if said active graphics plane determination results in said bypassing, then processing of the active graphics plane bypasses the mixer component and the third composite buffer.
5 more elements
A memory encoded with instructions that, responsive to being executed by a processing device, result in:
- determining which graphics planes in a plurality of graphics planes are active, and if less than two graphics planes are active, bypassing a mixing routine;
- maintaining a list of registered graphics regions of the plurality of graphics planes, wherein each region comprises a plurality of pixels of a respective one of the graphics planes;
- determining newly painted regions of the registered graphics regions and comparing a stacking of the active graphics planes to identify any newly painted regions of one active graphics plane overlying any registered graphics regions of another active graphics plane;
- receiving at a mixer component data from a first buffer that stores data for a first one of the graphics planes and data from a second buffer that stores data for a second different one of the graphics planes;
- for only the identified newly painted regions that do overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per pixel basis from the first and second buffers to assemble a pixel-by-pixel composite of a particular identified newly painted region and its corresponding registered graphics region in a third composite buffer;
- and
- for the remaining newly painted regions that do not overlap according to the comparison, pass pixel data on a per region basis from one of the first and second buffers to the third composite buffer;
- wherein if said active graphics plane determination results in said bypassing, then processing of the active graphics plane bypasses the mixer component and the third composite buffer.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.