Graphics pipeline token synchronization

Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Computer graphic processing system – Plural graphics processors

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C345S522000, C345S501000, C345S502000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06867781

ABSTRACT:
A graphics system including a custom graphics and audio processor produces exciting 2D and 3D graphics and surround sound. The system includes a graphics and audio processor including a 3D graphics pipeline and an audio digital signal processor. The graphics pipeline processes graphics commands at different rates depending upon the type of operation being performed. This makes it difficult to synchronize pipeline operations with external operations (e.g., a graphics processor with a main processor). To solve this problem, a synchronization token including a programmable data message is inserted into a graphics command stream sent to a graphics pipeline. At a predetermined point near the bottom of the pipeline, the token is captured and a signal is generated indicated the token has arrived. The graphics command producer can look at the captured token to determine which of multiple possible tokens has been captured, and can use the information to synchronize a task with the graphics pipeline. Applications include maintaining memory coherence in memory shared between the 3D graphics pipeline and a graphics command producer.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4275413 (1981-06-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 4357624 (1982-11-01), Greenberg
patent: 4388620 (1983-06-01), Sherman
patent: 4425559 (1984-01-01), Sherman
patent: 4463380 (1984-07-01), Hooks, Jr.
patent: 4491836 (1985-01-01), Collmeyer et al.
patent: 4570233 (1986-02-01), Yan et al.
patent: 4586038 (1986-04-01), Sims et al.
patent: 4600919 (1986-07-01), Stern
patent: 4615013 (1986-09-01), Yan et al.
patent: 4625289 (1986-11-01), Rockwood
patent: 4653012 (1987-03-01), Duffy et al.
patent: 4658247 (1987-04-01), Gharachorloo
patent: 4692880 (1987-09-01), Merz et al.
patent: 4695943 (1987-09-01), Keeley et al.
patent: 4710876 (1987-12-01), Cline et al.
patent: 4725831 (1988-02-01), Coleman
patent: 4768148 (1988-08-01), Keeley et al.
patent: 4785395 (1988-11-01), Keeley
patent: 4790025 (1988-12-01), Inoue et al.
patent: 4808988 (1989-02-01), Burke et al.
patent: 4812988 (1989-03-01), Duthuit et al.
patent: 4817175 (1989-03-01), Tenenbaum et al.
patent: 4829295 (1989-05-01), Hiroyuki
patent: 4829452 (1989-05-01), Kang et al.
patent: 4833601 (1989-05-01), Barlow et al.
patent: 4855934 (1989-08-01), Robinson
patent: 4862392 (1989-08-01), Steiner
patent: 4866637 (1989-09-01), Gonzalez-Lopez et al.
patent: 4888712 (1989-12-01), Barkans et al.
patent: 4897806 (1990-01-01), Cook et al.
patent: 4901064 (1990-02-01), Deering
patent: 4907174 (1990-03-01), Priem
patent: 4914729 (1990-04-01), Omori et al.
patent: 4918625 (1990-04-01), Yan
patent: 4935879 (1990-06-01), Ueda
patent: 4945500 (1990-07-01), Deering
patent: 4965751 (1990-10-01), Thayer et al.
patent: 4974176 (1990-11-01), Buchner et al.
patent: 4974177 (1990-11-01), Nishiguchi
patent: 4975977 (1990-12-01), Kurosu et al.
patent: 4989138 (1991-01-01), Radochonski
patent: 5003496 (1991-03-01), Hunt, Jr. et al.
patent: 5016183 (1991-05-01), Shyong
patent: 5018076 (1991-05-01), Johary et al.
patent: 5043922 (1991-08-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5056044 (1991-10-01), Frederickson et al.
patent: 5062057 (1991-10-01), Blacken et al.
patent: 5086495 (1992-02-01), Gray et al.
patent: 5091967 (1992-02-01), Ohsawa
patent: 5097427 (1992-03-01), Lathrop et al.
patent: 5136664 (1992-08-01), Bersack et al.
patent: 5144291 (1992-09-01), Nishizawa
patent: 5163126 (1992-11-01), Einkauf et al.
patent: 5170468 (1992-12-01), Shah et al.
patent: 5179638 (1993-01-01), Dawson et al.
patent: 5204944 (1993-04-01), Wolberg et al.
patent: 5224208 (1993-06-01), Miller, Jr. et al.
patent: 5239624 (1993-08-01), Cook et al.
patent: 5241658 (1993-08-01), Masterson et al.
patent: 5255353 (1993-10-01), Itoh
patent: 5268995 (1993-12-01), Diefendorff et al.
patent: 5268996 (1993-12-01), Steiner et al.
patent: 5278948 (1994-01-01), Luken, Jr.
patent: 5307450 (1994-04-01), Grossman
patent: 5315692 (1994-05-01), Hansen et al.
patent: 5345541 (1994-09-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 5353424 (1994-10-01), Partovi et al.
patent: 5357579 (1994-10-01), Buchner et al.
patent: 5361386 (1994-11-01), Watkins et al.
patent: 5363475 (1994-11-01), Baker et al.
patent: 5377313 (1994-12-01), Scheibl
patent: 5392385 (1995-02-01), Evangelisti et al.
patent: 5392393 (1995-02-01), Deering
patent: 5394516 (1995-02-01), Winser
patent: 5402532 (1995-03-01), Epstein et al.
patent: 5404445 (1995-04-01), Matsumoto
patent: 5408650 (1995-04-01), Arsenault
patent: 5412796 (1995-05-01), Olive
patent: 5415549 (1995-05-01), Logg
patent: 5416606 (1995-05-01), Katayama et al.
patent: 5421028 (1995-05-01), Swanson
patent: 5422997 (1995-06-01), Nagashima
patent: 5432895 (1995-07-01), Myers
patent: 5432900 (1995-07-01), Rhodes et al.
patent: 5438663 (1995-08-01), Matsumoto et al.
patent: 5448689 (1995-09-01), Matsuo et al.
patent: 5457775 (1995-10-01), Johnson, Jr. et al.
patent: 5461712 (1995-10-01), Chelstowski et al.
patent: 5467438 (1995-11-01), Nishio et al.
patent: 5467459 (1995-11-01), Alexander et al.
patent: 5469535 (1995-11-01), Jarvis et al.
patent: 5473736 (1995-12-01), Young
patent: 5475803 (1995-12-01), Stearns et al.
patent: 5487146 (1996-01-01), Guttag et al.
patent: 5490240 (1996-02-01), Foran et al.
patent: 5495563 (1996-02-01), Winser
patent: 5504499 (1996-04-01), Horie et al.
patent: 5504917 (1996-04-01), Austin
patent: 5506604 (1996-04-01), Nally et al.
patent: 5535374 (1996-07-01), Olive
patent: 5543824 (1996-08-01), Priem et al.
patent: 5544292 (1996-08-01), Winser
patent: 5548709 (1996-08-01), Hannah et al.
patent: 5553228 (1996-09-01), Erb et al.
patent: 5557712 (1996-09-01), Guay
patent: 5559954 (1996-09-01), Sakoda et al.
patent: 5561746 (1996-10-01), Murata et al.
patent: 5561752 (1996-10-01), Jevans
patent: 5563989 (1996-10-01), Billyard
patent: 5566285 (1996-10-01), Okada
patent: 5573402 (1996-11-01), Gray
patent: 5579456 (1996-11-01), Cosman
patent: 5582451 (1996-12-01), Baumann
patent: 5586234 (1996-12-01), Sakuraba et al.
patent: 5593350 (1997-01-01), Bouton et al.
patent: 5594854 (1997-01-01), Baldwin et al.
patent: 5600763 (1997-02-01), Greene et al.
patent: 5606650 (1997-02-01), Kelley et al.
patent: 5607157 (1997-03-01), Nagashima
patent: 5608424 (1997-03-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5608864 (1997-03-01), Bindlish et al.
patent: 5616031 (1997-04-01), Logg
patent: 5621867 (1997-04-01), Murata et al.
patent: 5628686 (1997-05-01), Svancarek et al.
patent: 5638535 (1997-06-01), Rosenthal et al.
patent: 5644364 (1997-07-01), Kurtze et al.
patent: 5649082 (1997-07-01), Burns
patent: 5650955 (1997-07-01), Puar et al.
patent: 5651104 (1997-07-01), Cosman
patent: 5657045 (1997-08-01), Katsura et al.
patent: 5657443 (1997-08-01), Krech, Jr.
patent: 5657478 (1997-08-01), Recker et al.
patent: 5659671 (1997-08-01), Tannenbaum et al.
patent: 5659673 (1997-08-01), Nonoshita
patent: 5659715 (1997-08-01), Wu et al.
patent: 5664162 (1997-09-01), Dye
patent: 5666439 (1997-09-01), Ishida et al.
patent: 5678037 (1997-10-01), Osugi et al.
patent: 5682522 (1997-10-01), Huang et al.
patent: 5684941 (1997-11-01), Dye
patent: 5687304 (1997-11-01), Kiss
patent: 5687357 (1997-11-01), Priem
patent: 5691746 (1997-11-01), Shyu
patent: 5694143 (1997-12-01), Fielder et al.
patent: 5696892 (1997-12-01), Redmann et al.
patent: 5701444 (1997-12-01), Baldwin
patent: 5703806 (1997-12-01), Puar et al.
patent: 5706481 (1998-01-01), Hannah et al.
patent: 5706482 (1998-01-01), Matsushima et al.
patent: 5714981 (1998-02-01), Scott-Jackson et al.
patent: 5721947 (1998-02-01), Priem et al.
patent: 5724561 (1998-03-01), Tarolli et al.
patent: 5726689 (1998-03-01), Negishi et al.
patent: 5726947 (1998-03-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 5727192 (1998-03-01), Baldwin
patent: 5734386 (1998-03-01), Cosman
patent: 5739819 (1998-04-01), Bar-Nahum
patent: 5740343 (1998-04-01), Tarolli et al.
patent: 5740383 (1998-04-01), Nally et al.
patent: 5740406 (1998-04-01), Rosenthal et al.
patent: 5742749 (1998-04-01), Foran et al.
patent: 5742788 (1998-04-01), Priem et al.
patent: 5745118 (1998-04-01), Alcorn et al.
patent: 5745125 (1998-04-01), Deering et al.
patent: 5748199 (1998-05-01), Palm
patent: 57489

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Graphics pipeline token synchronization does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Graphics pipeline token synchronization, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Graphics pipeline token synchronization will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3413689

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.