Patent ID: 7986326

Claim:
An interactive set-top box comprising: a memory; a graphics processor, coupled to the memory, that includes a memory controller comprising: a first arbiter that is operative to receive a plurality of competing memory transaction requests of a plurality of memory transaction request types; a first memory buffer coupled to the first arbiter that is further operative to control storage of the plurality of competing memory transaction requests in the first memory buffer based at least on a first priority scheme; a second arbiter coupled to the first memory buffer, that is operative to select between the plurality of competing memory transaction requests stored in the first memory buffer based at least on a second priority scheme; and a second memory buffer coupled to the second arbiter to enable the second arbiter to store at least one of the selected competing memory transaction requests in the second memory buffer; and a central processing unit (CPU), coupled to the graphics processor, to share access to the memory with the graphics processor by accessing the memory through the graphics processor.