Apple Inc.

Michal Valient

Michael Imbrogno

Gokhan Avkarogullari

Tyson J Bergland

Anthony P DeLaurier

Alexander K Kan

Michael J Swift

Robert S Hartog

Sean P James

Rohan Sehgal

Karol E Czaradzki

Narayanan Swaminathan

Kyle C Piddington

Matthijs L Van Der Meide

Techniques are disclosed relating to memory allocation for graphics surfaces. In some embodiments, graphics processing circuitry is configured to access a graphics surface based on an address in a surface space assigned to the graphics surface. In some embodiments, first translation circuitry is configured to translate address information for the surface space to address information in the virtual space based on one or more of the translation entries. In some embodiments, the graphics processing circuitry is configured to provide an address for the access to the graphics surface based on translation by the first translation circuitry and second translation circuitry configured to translate the address in the virtual space to an address in a physical space of a memory configured to store the graphics surface. The disclosed techniques may allow sparse allocation of large graphics surfaces, in various embodiments.

Graphics surface addressing

One disclosed embodiment includes a method of graphics processing. The method includes receiving a first function, wherein the first function indicates a desired sampling rate for image content, wherein the desired sampling rate differs in a first location along a first axial direction and a second location along the first axial direction, and wherein the image content is divided into a plurality of tiles, determining a first rasterization rate for each tile of the plurality of tiles based, at least in part, on the desired sampling rate indicated by the first function corresponding to each respective tile, receiving one or more primitives associated with content for display, rasterizing at least a portion of a primitive associated with a respective tile based, at least in part, on the determined first rasterization rate for the respective tile, and displaying an image based on the rasterized portion of the primitive.

Variable rasterization rate

The disclosure pertains to techniques for operation of graphics systems and task execution on a graphics processor. One such technique comprises a computer-implemented method for task execution on a graphics processor, the method comprising creating a data structure for grouping data resources, populating the data structure with two or more data resources for encoding into a graphics processing language by an encoding object, passing the data structure to a first programming interface command, the first programming interface command configured to access the data structure's data resources, triggering execution of a first function on a graphics processer in response to passing the data structure to the first programming interface command, passing the data structure to a second programming interface command, the second programming interface command configured to access the data structure's data resources, and triggering execution of a second function on the graphics processer in response to passing the data structure to the second programming interface command.

Task execution on a graphics processor using indirect argument buffers

This disclosure includes example embodiments of graphics processor memory management systems that support the use of graphical textures that are not fully bound or 'backed' in memory throughout their entire lifespans. Such graphical textures are referred to herein as 'sparse textures.' According to some embodiments, sparse textures may be split into fixed-dimension pages in memory wherein, during execution, a user may indicate a desire to map certain pages to physical memory locations and populate such pages with the underlying data. In other embodiments, statistical information obtained from the graphics processor is used to aid in the determination of whether or not a given texture (or portion of a texture) needs physical memory backing. In yet other embodiments, the graphics processor may also enforce ordering guarantees, e.g., in instances when there are fewer pages in memory available than there is a need for backing of at a given moment in time.

Graphics system and method for use of sparse textures

Techniques are disclosed relating to memory allocation for graphics surfaces. In some embodiments, graphics processing circuitry is configured to access a graphics surface based on an address in a surface space assigned to the graphics surface. In some embodiments, first translation circuitry is configured to access one or more entries in a set of multiple translation entries for pages of the surface space (where the translation entries are stored using addresses in a virtual space and map pages of the surface space to the virtual space) and translate address information for the surface space to address information in the virtual space based on one or more of the translation entries. In some embodiments, the graphics processing circuitry is configured to provide an address for the access to the graphics surface based on translation by the first translation circuitry and second translation circuitry configured to translate the address in the virtual space to an address in a physical space of a memory configured to store the graphics surface. The disclosed techniques may allow sparse allocation of large graphics surfaces, in various embodiments.

Systems, methods, and computer readable media to encode and execute an indirect command buffer are described. A processor creates an indirect command buffer that is configured to be encoded into by a graphics processor at a later point in time. The processor encodes, within a command buffer, a produce command that references the indirect command buffer, where the produce command triggers execution on the graphics processor of a first operation that encodes a set of commands within the data structure. The processor also encodes, within the command buffer, a consume command that triggers execution on the graphics processor of a second operation that executes the set of commands encoded within the data structure. After encoding the command buffer, a processor commits the command buffer for execution on the graphics processor.

Indirect command buffers for graphics processing

The disclosure pertains to techniques for operation of graphics systems and task execution on a graphics processor. One such technique comprises a computer-implemented method for task execution on a graphics processor, the method comprising creating a data structure for grouping data resources, populating the data structure with two or more data resources for encoding into a graphics processing language by an encoding object, passing the data structure to a first programming interface command, the first programming interface command configured to access the data structure's data resources, triggering execution of a first function on a graphics processor in response to passing the data structure to the first programming interface command, passing the data structure to a second programming interface command, the second programming interface command configured to access the data structure's data resources, and triggering execution of a second function on the graphics processor in response to passing the data structure to the second programming interface command.

Systems, methods, and computer readable media to encode and execute an indirect command buffer are described. A processor creates an indirect command buffer that is configured to be encoded into by a graphics processor at a later point in time. The processor encodes, within a command buffer, a produce command that references the indirect command buffer, where the produce command triggers execution on the graphics processor a first operation that encodes a set of commands within the data structure. The processor also encodes, within the command buffer, a consume command that triggers execution on the graphics processor a second operation that executes the set of commands encoded within the data structure. After encoding the command buffer, a processor commits the command buffer for execution on the graphics processor.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michal Valient