Dynamic off-screen display memory manager
US5742797A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 11, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 21, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 11, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T1/60
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A display memory manager allocates and deallocates off-screen video memory by dividing the memory space into a plurality of lapping and non-overlapping regions each capable of storing a different amount of digitized display data, and creating a linked list data structure indicative of the allocated and unallocated regions and various combinations of the unallocated regions. Upon receiving a request for off-screen display memory the display memory manager traverses the linked list data structure searching for a region, or combination of regions, large enough to store the requested amount of digitized display data. Once a region or combination of regions has been found and allocated, the linked list data structure is updated to indicate that the new regions are now allocated and hence unavailable to a subsequent requested allocation unless deallocated.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.