Video Multiviewer System Bypassing Memory Bottlenecks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multiviewer systems face limitations in displaying multiple video inputs simultaneously due to memory constraints and lack of flexibility in adding graphic content, requiring separate inputs or offline modifications for display templates.
Innovation Solution
A video multiviewer system incorporating a CPU and GPU for generating video data from multiple inputs, allowing direct memory access to GPU memory without system memory, enabling real-time display of multiple video windows and added graphic content, along with user-controlled scrolling among video windows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If system memory is used to store video data for display, then video streams can be displayed, but the number of simultaneously displayable video inputs is limited due to memory constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts video data directly from video inputs to GPU memory, bypassing system memory entirely. This is achieved through direct memory access (DMA) controllers that transfer video data directly between video input devices and GPU memory, eliminating the memory bottleneck that limited the number of simultaneously displayable video streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a DMA controller as an intermediary device that facilitates direct data transfer between video inputs and GPU memory. This mediator enables efficient memory management by handling the complex data transfer operations without burdening the system CPU or consuming system memory resources.
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate inputs are used for graphic content or offline modifications are performed, then graphic content can be added to displays, but system flexibility and real-time rendering capability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the GPU memory serve multiple functions: it stores video data from multiple video inputs, stores graphic content, and enables real-time rendering operations. This multi-functional memory system eliminates the need for separate inputs or offline processing, allowing all graphic content and video data to be managed in a unified real-time system.
Solution Approach 2:
The GPU and its associated memory system perform real-time rendering and graphic content generation autonomously without requiring offline modifications or separate processing systems. The system serves itself by handling all video processing, graphic overlay, and display rendering through the GPU's inherent capabilities and direct memory access.
Data Source
AI summary
A video multiviewer system may include a plurality of video inputs and a multiviewer video processor coupled to the plurality of video inputs for generating video data based upon the plurality of video inputs. The system may further include a display coupled to the multiviewer video processor for displaying multiple video windows based upon the video data, and at least one user input device. The multiviewer video processor may permit scrolling among the multiple video windows displayed on the display at a given instant and at least one other video window not displayed on the display at the given instant based upon the at least one user input device.