Hit Test Region Separation for GPU Performance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing GPU-based techniques for hit testing in complex user interfaces overburden the GPU and its resources, leading to performance issues and visual degradation due to frequent synchronization and resource access, especially in scenarios with overlapping views and transparent portions.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves separating hit testing from the enhanced graphics processing by storing a hit test region separately from the GPU resources, reducing the frequency of accessing these resources, and updating the hit test region based on input device rates or user interactions, rather than the graphics refresh rate, thereby minimizing the burden on GPU resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing GPU-based techniques are used for hit testing in complex user interfaces with overlapping views and transparent portions, then hit testing functionality is provided, but the GPU and its resources become overburdened resulting in visual degradation and poor user interface performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the hit testing function from the GPU and relocates it to the CPU. The GPU renders the user interface with depth information stored in a depth buffer, while the CPU performs hit testing by comparing input coordinates against the depth buffer data. This separation removes the hit testing burden from the GPU, allowing it to focus on rendering operations and maintain high performance and visual quality.
2Measurement precision
If the GPU performs hit testing for multiple overlapping views with transparent portions, then accurate interaction detection is achieved, but the frequency of GPU resource access increases causing interruptions and visual degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces the depth buffer as an intermediary data structure that enables accurate hit testing without requiring frequent GPU involvement. The GPU populates the depth buffer with depth information during rendering, and the CPU uses this buffer to perform hit testing by comparing input coordinates against stored depth values. This intermediary allows precise hit detection while minimizing GPU-CPU synchronization overhead.
3Reliability
If GPU resources are frequently accessed for hit testing synchronization, then hit test information is kept current, but the enhanced graphics components experience performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having the GPU populate the depth buffer with depth information during the rendering phase, before hit testing is needed. This pre-computation of depth data allows the CPU to perform subsequent hit testing operations using already-available information, eliminating the need for frequent GPU resource access during interaction detection and maintaining enhanced graphics performance.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for providing enhanced graphics in a user interface by efficiently using enhanced graphics resources. A computing device displays the enhanced graphics in an upper view of the user interface and the enhanced graphics resources identify a visual region in which the enhanced graphics are positioned. The computing device accesses the enhanced graphics resources to identify and store a hit test region based on the visual region. The hit test region is stored separately from the enhanced graphics resources for hit testing. When a hit is received in the user interface, the computing device determines whether the upper view or lower view will respond to the hit based on the hit test region that is stored separately from the enhanced graphics resources.