Patent ID: 8031197

Claim:
A graphics system, comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) having a CPU format; a graphics processing unit (GPU) having a graphics pipeline, the GPU having a GPU native format internal to the GPU, said GPU native format being different from said CPU format; a graphics memory coupled to said GPU; a graphics preprocessor external to the GPU, the graphics preprocessor having a video input to receive video data in a first format and generate as an output video data formatted in said GPU native format for transit to said GPU, said graphics preprocessor comprising a native data formatter in the graphics preprocessor configured to format said video data as GPU data compatible with said GPU native format of said GPU such that said GPU receives video data formatted as units of data having a data size based on said GPU native format; and a crossbar connected between said graphics preprocessor and said GPU and connected between said graphics preprocessor and said CPU, said crossbar configured to deliver data in said GPU native format for transit to said GPU, said crossbar configured to deliver data in said CPU format for transit to said CPU, wherein said graphics system is configured to provide a first communications path from said graphics preprocessor to said GPU and passing through said crossbar, said output video data in said GPU native format being delivered to said GPU along said first communications path, and wherein said graphics system is configured to provide a second communications path from said graphics preprocessor to said CPU and passing through said crossbar, wherein said graphics preprocessor includes converter logic and said native data formatter is coupled to said converter logic, said converter logic being configured to perform color space conversion of said video data into a color format utilized by said GPU, which said native data formatter uses to form said GPU data.