Graphics Processor UI Scaler for Cloud Rendering Display Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

In cloud rendering systems, user interface (UI) elements become too small and lose utility on smaller client device displays, such as those found on mobile devices, as they are not scaled independently of the rendered scene, leading to a diminished user experience.

Innovation Solution

A graphics processor with a UI scaler that intercepts rendered UI elements and uses client data, such as display size and user settings, to scale them appropriately, ensuring they remain usable and visible on various client devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If UI elements are rendered at fixed size without scaling, then rendering complexity is reduced, but UI usability deteriorates on smaller displays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverendering complexityVSAvoidUI usability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The rendering system is segmented into separate components: a scene renderer for the main content and a UI renderer for interface elements. This allows independent processing and scaling of UI elements without affecting the overall rendering complexity, resolving the contradiction by dividing the rendering task into manageable segments that can be optimized separately.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The UI rendering system implements dynamic scaling based on client display properties. The UI scaler adjusts UI element sizes in real-time according to the client device's screen dimensions, making the UI adaptable to different display sizes while maintaining consistent rendering processes. This dynamic adjustment improves usability without significantly increasing rendering complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Adaptability or versatility

If UI elements are scaled independently on the client side, then UI adaptability improves, but client device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUI adaptabilityVSAvoidclient device complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The UI scaling functionality is extracted from the client device and relocated to the server-side graphics processor. The server performs all UI scaling operations before transmitting the final composite image to the client. This extraction reduces client device complexity while maintaining full UI adaptability across different display sizes, as the scaling intelligence resides on the server.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The server acts as an intermediary between the UI rendering process and the client device. It receives UI elements, scales them appropriately based on client display properties, and delivers the scaled UI to the client. This intermediary approach allows the client to remain simple while still receiving adaptively scaled UI elements, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and client complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Manufacturing precision

If UI elements are rendered at high resolution, then UI quality improves, but network bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveUI qualityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The rendering system applies local quality optimization by rendering UI elements at their native high resolution and then scaling them down for display. Rather than rendering everything at low resolution and scaling up (which would degrade quality), the system maintains high resolution for UI elements locally on the server before transmission. This approach preserves UI quality while the scaling operation reduces the final transmitted size, balancing quality and bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS10249018B2Graphics processor and method of scaling user interface elements for smaller displays
Publication Date: 2019.04.02 NVIDIA CORP
  • US10249018B2 patent drawing
  • US10249018B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A graphics processor and a method of scaling user interface (UI) elements for smaller displays. One embodiment of the graphics processor includes: (1) a scene renderer configured to render a scene from scene data generated by a graphics application, (2) a user interface (UI) renderer configured to render a UI from UI data generated by the graphics application, (3) a UI scaler configured to scale the UI based on properties of a remote display, and (4) a compositor operable to combine the scene and the UI into a composite image.