Patent ID: 8095782
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method for switching contexts in a multiple context processing system, comprising: processing a first context using one or more multithreaded processing cores; receiving a context change from the first context to a second context responsive to a context changing event, wherein each of the first context and the second context comprises a rendering state of a graphics pipeline; rebalancing the first context, which is to be executed using a first portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores, to make available a second portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores to execute the second context; accepting methods for the second context, wherein the first context and the second context are each active contexts; determining that the second context is an active context for the second portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores, wherein the second portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores is configured to process data for the second context by loading state for the second context from a context storage that is configured to store state for multiple active contexts, but without unloading state for the first context; and after the step of rebalancing, processing the first context using the first portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores while processing the second context using the second portion of the one or more multithreaded processing cores.