T5 Labs Limited

Other

Graham Clemie

Dedrick Duckett

A system for processing a plurality of graphical programs on a centralized computer system whereby the images produced by the programs are compressed and transmitted to a plurality of remote processing devices where they are decompressed. Compression assistance data (CAD) is produced by intercepting instructions outputted by the programs and the CAD is then used in the compression step.

Centralised interactive graphical application server

This invention relates to a method of processing a plurality of graphical programs on a centralized computer system whereby the images produced by the programs are compressed and transmitted to remote processing devices where they are decompressed. Compression assistance data (CAD) is produced by inspecting instructions outputted by the programs and the CAD is then used in the compression step.

A centralised server in a bank () of servers runs a program for use by a user at a remote terminal (). In the server, a plurality of programs share a GPU and instructions are used to cause the GPU to store the frames representing graphics of different programs at different memory locations. The frames are compressed and transmitted to remote terminals. Optionally the invention also allows for GPU time slice allocation, such that the GPU completes rendering the frame of one program before it renders the frame of another program. Optionally the invention also allows delivering false information about the capabilities of the GPU to the programs.

Sharing a graphical processing unit between a plurality of programs

A centralised game server in a bank () of game servers runs a game program for use by a user at a remote terminal (). In the game server, the game program sends a first set of graphics instructions to a first graphics processing unit () which is intercepted by an instruction interception module (). The first set of instructions, including vertex data, transformation data and texture data are passed to the first graphics processing unit () while a specially manipulated version of the instructions is generated and passed to a second graphics processing unit (). The first graphics processing unit () renders the image data as the game intended while the second graphics processing unit () is used to render specially adapted graphics data from which to extract compression assistance data used for compression, e.g. motion vectors. In alternative embodiments, a first set of instructions include a program for a programmable pipeline module, such as a vertex shader or a pixel shader, and the second set of instructions include a modified program for the programmable pipeline module.

A centralised game server in a bank () of game servers runs a game program for use by a user at a remote terminal (). In the game server, the game program sends a first set of graphics instructions to a first graphics processing unit () which is intercepted by an instruction interception module (). The first set of instructions, including vertex data, transformation data and texture data are passed to the first graphics processing unit () whilst a specially manipulated version of the instructions is generated and passed to a second graphics processing unit (). The first graphics processing unit () renders the image data as the game intended whilst the second graphics processing unit () is used to render specially adapted graphics data from which to extract compression assistance data used for compression, e.g. motion vectors. In alternative embodiments, a first set of instructions include a program for a programmable pipeline module, such as a vertex shader or a pixel shader, and the second set of instructions include a modified program for the programmable pipeline module.

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London, United Kingdom

Graham Clemie