Window Compositing Layout for Smooth Focus Display Under Heavy Load

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image display technologies in heavy-load scenarios, such as those encountered in PCs and tablet computers, result in lagging and freezing of focus windows despite optimizations like partial refreshing and occlusion culling.

Innovation Solution

The method involves drawing focus windows in a separate frame buffer from non-focus windows and using different frame rates for compositing, ensuring the focus window is prioritized and less affected by the load of non-focus windows.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If partial refreshing and occlusion culling are applied to reduce rendering load, then rendering efficiency is improved, but focus window responsiveness deteriorates due to lagging and freezing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering efficiencyVSAvoidfocus window responsiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frame buffer into multiple independent buffer zones, each dedicated to specific window types (focus windows, non-focus windows, system windows). This segmentation allows independent rendering and compositing of different window types, enabling focus windows to be rendered and displayed without being blocked by rendering operations of other windows, thus resolving the contradiction between overall rendering efficiency and focus window responsiveness

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a hardware compositing layer as an intermediary between the rendering process and display output. This hardware compositing layer independently composites different buffer zones and merges them into the final display frame, allowing focus window content to be composited and displayed prioritized without waiting for complete rendering of all windows, thereby maintaining focus window responsiveness while improving overall rendering efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If multiple windows are drawn in the same frame buffer, then device complexity is reduced, but focus window visibility deteriorates due to rendering blockage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveframe buffer structureVSAvoidfocus window visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The frame buffer is segmented into multiple independent buffer zones with different priorities. Focus window content is rendered in dedicated buffer zones that are independently composited and displayed. This segmentation ensures that rendering and compositing of focus windows are not blocked by non-focus windows, maintaining focus window visibility while using a unified frame buffer structure that does not significantly increase device complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the frame buffer are assigned different quality attributes and processing priorities. Focus window buffer zones are marked with high priority attributes, enabling the hardware compositing layer to process and display these regions first. This local quality differentiation ensures focus window visibility without requiring complete structural redesign of the frame buffer system

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4664280A1Image display method, image display apparatus and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.12.17 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4664280A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4664280A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4664280A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide an image display method, an image display apparatus, and an electronic device. The method may be applied to the field of electronic devices. The method includes: obtaining a first window and a second window on a first interface, where the first window is a focus window, and the second window is a non-focus window; drawing the first window in a first frame buffer, and drawing the second window in a second frame buffer, where the first window and the second window are drawn by a process of an operating system; compositing the first frame buffer through a first hardware interface layer to obtain a first composite frame, and compositing the second frame buffer through a second hardware interface layer to obtain a second composite frame; and controlling, based on the first composite frame and the second composite frame, a display apparatus to display a second interface. According to the foregoing method, in a heavy-load scenario, it can be ensured that a focus window is preferentially visible, and occurrence of lagging and freezing of the focus window is reduced.