Timing controller capable of switching between graphics processing units
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsKapil V. Sakariya, Michael F. Culbert, Michael Nugent
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Abstract
A display system is disclosed that is capable of switching between graphics processing units (GPUs). Some embodiments may include a display system, including a display, a timing controller (T-CON) coupled to the display, the T-CON including a plurality of receivers, and a plurality of GPUs, where each GPU is coupled to at least one of the plurality of receivers, and where the T-CON selectively couples only one of the plurality of GPUs to the display at a time.
Claims18
A system, comprising:
- a timing controller including a plurality of receivers;
- and
- a plurality of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), wherein each receiver is configured to receive video image and frame data from a corresponding one or more of the GPUs;
- and
- wherein the timing controller is configured to:
- provide to the display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from a first of the GPUs;
- and
- switch, upon an occurrence of a vertical blanking interval, to provide to the display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from a second of the GPUs;
- wherein the timing controller is further configured to switch to provide to the display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from the second GPU upon an occurrence of a vertical blanking interval of the video image and frame data of the second GPU.
A method of switching between Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) in a display system, the method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more receivers of a timing controller, video image and frame data from a corresponding one or more GPUs of the display system;
- updating, by the timing controller, a display based upon the video image and frame data from a first GPU;
- determining, by the timing controller, if the first GPU has entered a vertical blanking interval;
- in the event that the first GPU has entered a vertical blanking interval, determining, by the timing controller, if another component within the display system has requested a GPU switch;
- in the event that the another component within the display system has requested a GPU switch, switching, by the timing controller, to updating the display based upon the video image and frame data from a second GPU;
- wherein switching to updating the display from the video image and frame data from the second GPU occurs while the video image and frame data from the second GPU is in a vertical blanking period.
A timing controller, comprising:
- a plurality of receivers, each receiver configured to receive video image and frame data from a corresponding one or more graphics processing units (GPUs), wherein:
- each receiver comprises a phased locked loop (PLL);
- and
- the timing controller is configured to:
- provide to display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from a first of the GPUs;
- and
- switch, upon an occurrence of a vertical blanking interval, to provide to the display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from a second of the GPUs;
- wherein the timing controller is further configured to switch to provide to the display a video output signal that is dependent upon the video image and frame data from the second of the GPUs upon an occurrence of a vertical blanking interval of the video image and frame data of the second of the GPUs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.