Patent ID: 6952214
Filing Date: 2005-10-04
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A graphics system comprising: a plurality of parallel rendering pipelines, wherein each of the rendering pipelines includes a media processor, a rendering unit and a memory; a scheduling network coupled to the plurality of rendering pipelines; a communication bus coupled to the scheduling network and the memory of each rendering pipeline; wherein the media processor in each of the rendering pipelines is configured to direct the saving of state information of the corresponding rendering pipeline to the corresponding memory in response to receiving a corresponding context switch indication; wherein a first of the media processors in a first of the rendering pipelines is configured to initiate the transfer of a resume token to the scheduling network through the first rendering pipeline in response to receiving the corresponding context switch indication during an ordered processing mode; wherein the scheduling network is configured to unblock one or more rendering pipelines other than the first rendering pipeline in response to receiving the resume token, wherein said unblocking of said one or more rendering pipelines allows the state information of said one or more rendering pipelines to flow through the scheduling network and communication bus to the corresponding memories.