Graphics Processor Clear Color Substitution for Memory Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current graphics processing hardware optimizes memory operations during framebuffer clearing but fails to effectively manage and optimize subsequent operations when pixels retain the clear color value, leading to unnecessary memory transactions and increased power consumption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing end-to-end clear color optimizations that track the state of framebuffer pixels, allowing the graphics processor to suppress clear writes and substitute clear color values for pixels that have not been overwritten, reducing memory bandwidth and power usage by marking control bits as 'CLEAR' instead of 'DATA', thereby avoiding unnecessary memory fetches and writes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the framebuffer is explicitly cleared by the application, then the clear operation can be optimized by tracking pixel states, but subsequent operations still perform unnecessary memory transactions when pixels retain clear color value
Solution Approach 1:
The display hardware performs preliminary substitution of clear color values before memory fetch operations occur. When the framebuffer indicates a clear state, the display hardware proactively replaces clear pixels with the actual clear color value from memory, preventing subsequent unnecessary memory transactions and reducing overall power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism between the framebuffer and display output - a clear color substitution system that acts as a mediator. This intermediary tracks clear pixel states and substitutes clear color values at the display hardware level, eliminating the need for full memory transactions while maintaining visual accuracy
2Reliability
If clear pixels are displayed by fetching data from the framebuffer, then complete visual accuracy is maintained, but unnecessary memory operations increase power consumption and reduce performance
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of fetching actual pixel data from the framebuffer for clear regions, the system creates and uses a copy of the clear color value. The display hardware substitutes clear pixels with copied clear color data from a dedicated storage location, maintaining visual accuracy while avoiding unnecessary memory bandwidth consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality optimization by treating clear pixels differently from non-clear pixels. The display hardware identifies clear pixel regions and applies a specialized substitution mechanism only to those regions, while leaving other regions to use normal framebuffer data fetching, thus optimizing memory usage where applicable without compromising overall visual accuracy
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments provide for a graphics processing apparatus comprising render logic to detect rendering operations that will result in framebuffer having the same data as the initial clear color value and morphing such rendering operations to optimizations that are typically done for initial clearing of the framebuffer.