Variable Rate Shading Heuristics for Heavy Mobile Game Draws
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing graphics processing systems fail to realize performance gains and power conservation due to the lack of explicit configuration of shading rate extensions by applications, leading to inefficient use of computing resources.
Innovation Solution
A method to dynamically adjust shading rates based on draw call information, estimating heavy draws and applying reduced shading rates such as half or quarter shading when necessary, using preconditions and rules to maintain visual quality and conserve power.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If full shading rate is applied to all frames, then visual quality is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts shading rates based on frame characteristics and heavy draw detection. The system transitions from static full shading rate to adaptive variable shading rates, selecting between full, half, or quarter shading rates depending on whether heavy draws are detected in the current frame, thereby optimizing power consumption while maintaining visual quality when appropriate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different shading rates to different frames based on their specific characteristics. Instead of uniformly applying full shading rate to all frames, the system identifies frames containing heavy draws and applies reduced shading rates only to those specific frames, leaving other frames at full shading rate, thus achieving localized optimization of power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If reduced shading rate is applied to conserve power, then power consumption decreases, but visual quality may degrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that monitors frame characteristics and heavy draw conditions to dynamically adjust shading rates. The system evaluates whether heavy draws are present in the current frame and adjusts the shading rate accordingly, providing feedback-based control that prevents visual quality degradation by maintaining full shading rate when heavy draws are detected while reducing power consumption when they are not present.
3Productivity
If application explicitly configures shading rate extensions, then performance gain is realized, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the graphics processing system to automatically detect heavy draws and adjust shading rates without requiring explicit application configuration. The system performs self-service by monitoring its own rendering workload and making intelligent decisions about shading rate adjustments, thereby achieving performance gains without increasing application complexity or requiring manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides systems, devices, apparatus, and methods, including computer programs encoded on storage media, for heuristic-based variable rate shading for mobile games. A CPU that includes a GPU driver may obtain draw call information for a first frame of a plurality of frames. The first frame may be shaded based on a default shading rate (e.g., full shading rate). The draw call information may be associated with per shader frame states of the first frame. The CPU may estimate/detect one or more heavy draws for one or more subsequent frames of the plurality of frames based on the per shader states. The CPU may indicate, on a per draw basis, a reduced shading rate (e.g., half-shading rate) to a GPU that generates the one or more subsequent frames of the plurality of frames, when the plurality of frames is estimated to include the one or more heavy draws.