Patent ID: 7898545
Filing Date: 2011-03-01
Classification: G06F,Y02D

Abstract:
1. An integrated circuit, comprising: a graphics processor having dedicated graphics hardware, the graphics processor configured to receive commands in a graphics language; and a video processor configured to receive commands in a non-graphics language; wherein said integrated circuit is operable to perform a full range of graphics processing operations on the graphics processor and a limited range of graphics processing operations on either of said graphics processor and said video processor; wherein said graphics processor performs calculations with a higher precision than said video processor and said graphics processor has a higher power consumption than said video processor; the limited range of graphics processing operations commonly supported by both processors being schedulable on either of said graphics processor and said video processor with the precision and power consumption associated with the limited range of graphics processing operations being dependent on which processor is scheduled to perform at least one graphics processing operation within the limited range of graphics processing operations; the graphics processor and the video processor being disposed on the integrated circuit; the graphics processor receiving said commands in a graphics language from a separate host; and the video processor receiving said commands in a non-graphics language from the separate host; the integrated circuit having a first mode of operation in which the video processor performs all of the video processing operations supported by the video processor and the graphics processor performs all of the graphics processing operations supported by the graphics processor; the integrated circuit having a second mode of operation in which a graphics processing operation within the limited range of graphics processing operations commonly supported by both types of processors is assigned to a processor different than that in the first mode of operation; the integrated circuit being configured to: (a) compare an overall power consumption of the integrated circuit with a threshold value; and (b) switch from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation if the overall power consumption of the integrated circuit is at least the threshold value.