Virtual device buffer for embedded device

Abstract

Apparatus are provided, including an embedded display processor on a given chip. The apparatus may be an embedded device, for example, a mobile wireless communications device. More specifically, the apparatus may be a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, a video streaming device, or a GPS map drawing device. The display processor includes, on the same given chip, a rendering memory, from which pixels are rendered to a display device. The display processor further includes an image manipulation mechanism to manipulate pixels of a given image frame from source positions in a pre-manipulation buffer, to target positions in the rendering memory, the target positions corresponding to rendered positions in the given image frame. The display processor further includes a fetch mechanism to fetch, from the pre-manipulation buffer, a predetermined number of neighboring pixels including adjacent cross-row pixels traversing a plurality of rows while in their source positions, the adjacent cross-row pixels being intended for target positions in a common row in accordance with the manipulation to be performed by the manipulation mechanism. The display processor further includes a send mechanism to send, from the rendering memory, a set of the neighboring pixels, including adjacent common row pixels on a common row after having been manipulated, to the display device in accordance with a given dynamic refresh rate and scheme. The display processor further includes a reconfigure mechanism to periodically reconfigure a manner of assignment of addresses and physical locations for data stored in the rendering memory.