Graphics Server Partial Frame Encoding

Solution Overview

Problem

In remote graphics processing, the continuous updating of multiple graphics windows leads to inefficiencies as the entire composite image is regenerated and re-encoded whenever any single window changes, resulting in high bandwidth and power consumption.

Innovation Solution

A graphics server and method that identifies and composites only the changed portions of the composite image into a partial frame, which is then encoded and transmitted, reducing bandwidth and power consumption by leveraging a display processing unit to determine changed areas and an encoder to form a full frame based on the partial frame and previously encoded data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the entire composite image is regenerated and re-encoded whenever any single window changes, then the graphics rendering is complete and accurate, but bandwidth consumption and power usage increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegraphics rendering completenessVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the composite image into individual graphics windows and further identifies changed portions within those windows. Instead of processing the entire composite image, the system segments and transmits only the changed portions (partial frames) to the client, which then reconstructs the full frame. This segmentation approach maintains rendering completeness while reducing the amount of data transmitted and processed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the changed portions from the composite image using a display processing unit that compares current and previous window states. By taking out and transmitting only the necessary changes rather than the entire image, the system reduces bandwidth consumption and power usage while maintaining complete graphics rendering at the client side through frame composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If the entire composite image is regenerated and re-encoded whenever any single window changes, then the graphics rendering is complete and accurate, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegraphics rendering completenessVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the composite image into individual graphics windows and further identifies changed portions within those windows. Instead of processing the entire composite image, the system segments and transmits only the changed portions (partial frames) to the client, which then reconstructs the full frame. This segmentation approach maintains rendering completeness while reducing the amount of data transmitted and processed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the changed portions from the composite image using a display processing unit that compares current and previous window states. By taking out and transmitting only the necessary changes rather than the entire image, the system reduces bandwidth consumption and power usage while maintaining complete graphics rendering at the client side through frame composition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Loss of energy

If only changed portions are identified and transmitted, then bandwidth and power consumption are reduced, but the system complexity increases due to additional processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidprocessing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a display processing unit as an intermediary component that sits between the graphics renderer and the encoder. This intermediary handles the complex task of identifying changed portions by comparing current and previous window states, and prepares partial frames for transmission. By localizing this complexity to a dedicated intermediary component, the overall system architecture becomes more manageable despite the added processing requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9335964B2Graphics server for remotely rendering a composite image and method of use thereof

Publication Date: 2016.05.10 NVIDIA CORP

AI summary

A graphics server for remotely rendering a composite image and a method of use thereof. One embodiment of the graphics server includes: (1) a graphics renderer configured to render updates for a plurality of graphics windows within the composite image and (2) a display processing unit (DPU) configured to identify changed portions of the composite image and provide the changed portions to an encoder for encoding and subsequent transmission.