Patent ID: 7545381

Claim:
A method for saving and restoring a state context in a graphics processing unit (“GPU”), comprising the steps of: receiving an interrupt command or event when a first state context is being executed by the GPU; saving the first state context in a memory including a precise processing position for the first state context corresponding to receipt of the interrupt command; establishing a context save buffer containing an offset value corresponding to a logical location where processing in the first state context is interrupted upon receipt of the interrupt command in each architectural unit of a processing pipeline of the GPU; establishing a primitive identifier, a tile identifier, and an instance identifier in the context save buffer corresponding to a processing status at the moment of receipt of the interrupt command, the primitive identifier defining an interrupted primitive, the tile identifier defining an interrupted tile, and the instance identifier defining a point of interrupt in an interrupted draw command; and loading a second state context for processing in the GPU from a predetermined logical location, wherein the GPU executes one or more instructions associated with the second state context.