Method, system, and computer program product for efficient buffer level management of memory-buffered graphics data
US6518973B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 31, 1999 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 31, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T1/60
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method, system, and computer program product is provided for managing the efficient transfer of graphics data to a graphics rendering system. A graphics application program writes graphics data to graphics buffers that are allocated in virtual memory. Each graphics buffer comprises a plurality of memory locations, followed by a sentinel page. While the application is writing graphics data to a graphics buffer, a sentinel page may be reached. If so, the operating system recognizes this condition as a graphics buffer page fault. In responding to this fault, the contents of the graphics buffer are transferred to the graphics rendering subsystem. In addition, the graphics data being output by the application is redirected to another graphics buffer.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.