Multi-Display Atomic Presentation Using a Shared Frame Buffer

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for presenting display textures over multiple displays often result in temporal misalignments and artifacts due to asynchronous scan-out times, which can be improved by synchronizing the displays using a single buffer.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a single buffer system that synchronizes display textures across multiple displays, allowing for synchronized presentation of images by using a single buffer to bundle textures and ensuring all effects are observed in a single frame or deferred to the following frame.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a single buffer is used to cover multiple displays, then memory usage is optimized and resource sharing is improved, but the complexity of managing atomic presentations across different displays increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvememory buffer quantityVSAvoidbuffer management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides a single shared buffer into multiple independent atomic presentations, where each atomic presentation represents a discrete, manageable unit that can be independently configured and presented on different displays. This segmentation allows the system to optimize memory usage through buffer sharing while maintaining manageable complexity by treating each atomic presentation as a separate entity with its own properties and configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If atomic presentations are used to represent discrete units of content, then flexibility in display configuration is improved, but the complexity of coordinating multiple atomic presentations increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay configuration flexibilityVSAvoidcoordination complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent establishes a framework where atomic presentations are pre-defined and configured with specific properties before being assigned to displays. This preliminary configuration allows the system to maintain flexibility in display arrangements while reducing coordination complexity during runtime, as the atomic units are already prepared and can be systematically managed through established rules and conventions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3776168B1Mechanism to present in an atomic manner a single buffer that covers multiple displays
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3776168B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3776168B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3776168B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and devices for presenting an image in an atomic manner across a plurality of displays of a computer device from a single buffer shared by the plurality of displays may include synchronizing the plurality of displays of the computer device. The methods and devices may initiate an atomic present request to present an image frame on the plurality of displays including a first display and a second display, the atomic present request may identify at least a first display texture and a second display texture from a plurality of display textures stored in the single buffer corresponding to the image frame and that the first display texture corresponds to a first display and the second display texture corresponds to a second display. The devices and methods may transmit a bundled set of first image frame data and second image frame data from the single buffer to a display driver.