Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphic processing system – Interface
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-25
2001-04-17
Chauhan, Ulka J. (Department: 2671)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Computer graphic processing system
Interface
C345S502000, C712S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06219073
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In general, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method. More particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and an information processing method wherein and whereby optimum control depending on properties of data is executed by embedding a control instruction in the data itself for controlling the order and the priority of transferring the data.
The performance of home entertainment systems and personal computers has been improving due to the increased frequencies of processing LSIs and the increased scales of circuit integration thereof. In order to further enhance the processing performance of the systems, a plurality of processing devices such as a graphics processor and an image thawing processor are integrated into a single LSI for implementing a system which is capable of carrying out processing in parallel. With such a single LSI, however, it is the memory cost that remains to be reduced. Thus, a memory is shared by the processing devices as a way of reducing the memory cost. A configuration in which a memory is shared by the processing devices is referred to as a UMA (Unified Memory Architecture).
In comparison with the increased operating frequencies of processing LSIs and the increased scales of circuit integration thereof, however, the storage capacity of a general memory is not increased so much in comparison with the conventional memory manufactured so far at the same cost, giving rise to a problem that the storage capacity of the memory remains flat, a problem in the performance improvement that remains to be solved.
In addition, also in an architecture wherein a memory is shared by a plurality of processors such as the UMA, there is raised a problem that the speed to make an access to the memory is slowed down, a problem in the performance improvement that remains to be solved.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Addressing the problems described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus and an information processing method that allow data to be processed efficiently without requiring an excessive storage capacity of the memory by embedding a control instruction in the data itself.
An information processing apparatus according to claim
1
is characterized in that the apparatus is provided with a list generating means for generating a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit.
An information processing apparatus according to claim
2
is characterized in that a memory is used for storing a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit.
An information processing apparatus according to claim
3
is characterized in that the apparatus is provided with a data transferring means used for reading out a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit from a memory and used for transferring the data to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction.
An information processing apparatus according to claim
8
is characterized in that the apparatus is provided with a list generating means used for generating a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit and for storing the list in a memory, and provided with a data transferring means used for reading out the list from the memory and used for transferring the data on the list to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction included on the list.
An information processing method according to claim
9
is characterized in that the method comprises the steps of:
generating a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit and storing the list in a memory;
reading out the list from the memory; and
transferring the data on the list to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction included on the list.
In the information processing apparatus according to claim
1
, the list generating means is used for generating a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit.
In the information processing apparatus according to claim
2
, the memory is used for storing a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit.
In the information processing apparatus according to claim
3
, the data transferring means is used for reading out a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit from a memory and used for transferring the data to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction.
In the information processing apparatus according to claim
8
, the list generating means is used for generating a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit and used for storing the list in a memory, and the data transferring means is used for reading out the list from the memory and used for transferring the data on the list to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction included on the list.
In the information processing method according to claim
9
,
a list including data for 3-dimensional graphics processing to be transferred to a processing unit and an instruction for controlling the transfer of the data to the processing unit is generated and stored in a memory;
the list is read out from the memory; and
the data on the list is transferred to the processing unit in accordance with the instruction included on the list.
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Chauhan Ulka J.
Fulwider Patton Lee & Utecht LLP
Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
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