Patent ID: 7548244
Filing Date: 2009-06-16
Classification: G06F,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of accessing state information of a graphics processing subsystem within a first computer system, wherein the graphics processing subsystem includes a plurality of programmable execution units operable to execute instances of a shader program in parallel, and wherein the first computer system includes at least one central processing unit, the method comprising: providing a first shader program to the graphics processing subsystem, wherein the first shader program includes at least one state output instruction; executing multiple concurrent instances of the first shader program including the state output instruction by the plurality of programmable execution units of the graphics processing subsystem; and in response to the state output instruction in a determined instance of one of the multiple concurrent instances of the first shader program, transferring the state information of the graphics processing subsystem stored in a portion of the graphics processing subsystem that is inaccessible to the central processing unit of the first computer system to a portion of the first computer system that is accessible to the central processing unit, wherein the determined instance is able to resume execution after the state information has been transferred without negatively impacting execution of the other multiple concurrent instances.