Systems and methods for downloading algorithmic elements to a coprocessor and corresponding techniques

A computer readable tangible storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following:

• the processor transmitting a shader program to a procedural shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem;
• the processor parsing and compiling said shader program to prepare the shader program for reception by the procedural shader computational subunit;
• the processor specifying, via an API, at least one instruction of the shader program that is executed by the procedural shader computational subunit to compute a rate of change of at least one pixel value in image space relative to a screen display processed by the procedural shader computational subunit;
• and
• programming, via the API, the procedural shader computational subunit to perform according to said at least one instruction of said shader program.

A computing device including:

• a processor programmed to implement an application programming interface (API);
• means for specifying, via the API, a shader program and for transmitting the shader program to a procedural shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem, the procedural shader computational subunit comprising a pixel shader that becomes programmed to perform according to said shader program;
• and
• means for specifying, via the API, at least one instruction of said shader program that is executed by the procedural shader computational subunit to compute a rate of change of at least one pixel value in image space relative to a screen display processed by the procedural shader computational subunit.

A computer-implemented method that specifies a vertex shader program via an application programming interface (API) of a computing system and programs a vertex shader of a vertex shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computing system to perform according to said vertex shader program, the method including:

• the computing system specifying, via the API, at least one instruction of said vertex shader program that samples a texture in video memory when the vertex shader program is executed by the vertex shader computational subunit;
• transmitting, via the API, the specified vertex shader program to the vertex shader computational subunit;
• and
• programming, via the API, the vertex shader of the vertex shader computational subunit to perform according to said at least one instruction of said vertex shader program.

A computer-implemented method for specifying a shader program via an application programming interface (API) of a computing system and for programming a shader of a procedural shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computing system to perform according to said shader program, the method including:

• the computing system specifying, via the API, at least one instruction of said shader program that loads a texture and at least one texture coordinate gradient corresponding to the texture as input for processing by the procedural shader computational subunit when the shader program is executed by the procedural shader computational subunit;
• transmitting, via the API, the specified shader program to the procedural shader computational subunit;
• and
• programming, via the API, the shader of the procedural shader computational subunit to perform according to said at least one instruction of said specified shader program.

A computer readable tangible storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the following:

• transmitting a pixel shader program to a pixel shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computer whereby said pixel shader computational subunit becomes programmed to perform according to said pixel shader program;
• specifying at least one instruction of said pixel shader program that computes a gradient in image space of at least one value stored in memory of the pixel shader computational subunit when the pixel shader program is executed by the pixel shader computational subunit;
• and
• specifying, via an API, at least one instruction of the pixel shader program that loads a texture and at least one texture coordinate gradient corresponding to the texture as input for processing by the pixel shader computational subunit when the pixel shader program is executed by the pixel shader computational subunit.

A computing device comprising:

• a processor programmed to implement an application programming interface (API);
• means for specifying, via the API, a shader program and for transmitting the shader program to a procedural shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computing device, said procedural shader computational subunit comprising a shader that becomes programmed to perform according to said shader program;
• and
• means for specifying, via the API, at least one instruction of said shader program that loads a texture and at least one texture coordinate gradient corresponding to the texture as input for processing by the procedural shader computational subunit when the shader program is executed by the procedural shader computational subunit.

A computing device including:

• a processor programmed to implement an application programming interface (API);
• means for specifying, via the API, a vertex shader program and for transmitting the vertex shader program to a vertex shader computational subunit of a graphics subsystem of the computing system, said vertex shader computational subunit comprising a vertex shader that becomes programmed to perform according to said vertex shader program;
• and
• means for specifying, via the API, at least one instruction of said vertex shader program that samples a texture in video memory when the vertex shader program is executed by the vertex shader computational subunit.