US 12,086,454 B2
Data processing systems including a data encoder that reads in data from and returns data to an external memory system
Olof Henrik Uhrenholt, Lund (SE); and Andreas Due Engh-Halstvedt, Trondheim (NO)
Assigned to Arm Limited, Cambridge (GB)
Filed by Arm Limited, Cambridge (GB)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/455,601.
Claims priority of application No. 2018385 (GB), filed on Nov. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0164128 A1, May 26, 2022
Int. Cl. G06F 3/06 (2006.01)
CPC G06F 3/0655 (2013.01) [G06F 3/0604 (2013.01); G06F 3/0679 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a graphics processing system, the graphics processing system comprising:
a graphics processor; and
an external memory system;
wherein the graphics processor comprises:
one or more execution cores; and
an internal memory system comprising:
an internal memory configured to store data for use by the one or more execution cores of the graphics processor when performing graphics processing operations, and
a data encoder associated with the internal memory and operable to read data from the external memory system and store it in the internal memory, and read data from the internal memory and store it in the external memory system;
wherein the graphics processor further comprises:
a controller operable to control the data encoder;
wherein the controller controls the data encoder directly, independently of the one or more execution cores of the graphics processor;
the method comprising:
the controller, in response to commands in a command stream for performing a data handling operation, issuing one or more control signals to the data encoder; and
the data encoder, in response to the one or more control signals:
reading data from the external memory system to the data encoder;
optionally processing the read in data; and
returning the, optionally processed, data to the external memory system from the data encoder;
wherein the data encoder reads in the data from the external memory system and returns the data to the external memory system from the data encoder, without storing the data in the internal memory.