Command scheduler for a display device

Abstract

Systems and methods consistent with the present disclosure may be utilized to negate the distinction between a display device operating in video and command modes in that commands associated with either mode are prioritized and executed according to a command scheduler consistent with the present disclosure. A command scheduler consistent with the present disclosure includes a display driver stack and a scheduler coupled to the display driver stack. The scheduler is configured to receive commands from the driver stack. Further, the scheduler is configured to queue and schedule the commands to be executed during a boot environment and during runtime. A host controller may also be coupled to the scheduler and may receive at least one of the commands from the scheduler. In time, the host controller transfers the commands to a device for execution.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system, comprising:
 a display driver stack;   a scheduler coupled to the display driver stack wherein the scheduler is to receive at least one command from the display driver stack;   wherein the scheduler is to queue the at least one command and is to schedule a plurality of commands to be executed during a boot environment and during runtime; and   a host controller coupled to the scheduler wherein the host controller is to receive the at least one of the commands from the scheduler.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduler includes a timer triggered queue, static queue, and dynamic queue which receive commands from the display driver stack. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising a display device coupled to execute commands received from the host controller. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the host controller includes a MIPI host controller. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of commands includes display commands. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the host controller includes a FIFO buffer to receive commands from the scheduler. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display driver stack may receive a tearing effect signal which in turns forwards to an operating system as an indication that a device coupled to the display driver stack is functional. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduler is further to send queued commands on timer input set by the display driver stack. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduler is further to send queued commands on TE interrupt. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a command scheduler to interface with a display driver and a host controller, the command scheduler to include but not to be limited to:
 a first queue to store commands that are to be executed upon a tearing effect signal event; 
 a second queue to store a fixed set of commands to write data in a fixed set of memory addresses; and 
 a third queue to store commands which are to be delayed before these commands are executed. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a timer unit to send time related triggers to the third queue. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a bus arbiter unit coupled to the first queue, second queue, and third queue to select commands from these queues according to a predetermined priority scheme. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the bus arbiter unit is communicatively coupled to a host controller such that the host controller receives commands from the bus arbiter unit. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the command scheduler further comprises a control register which sets the priority scheme of the bus arbiter unit. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising a NOT gate coupled to the first queue and the second queue. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first queue stores commands to be executed during runtime. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the second queue stores commands to be executed in an unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), EFI, and a basic input/output system (BIOS) environment. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the third queue stores commands for setting the brightness of a display device. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the command scheduler further includes a control register to perform at least one of the following functions: force reset the scheduler, force flush the first, second, or third queues, enable or disable the first, second, or third queues, and provide a status of the first, second, or third queues. 
     
     
         20 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a tearing effect signal at a display driver stack;   in response to receiving the tearing effect signal, forwarding the tearing effect signal to an operating system;   sending a plurality of commands from the display driver stack to a scheduler wherein the plurality of commands includes at least one command to be executed during a boot environment and at least one command to be executed during runtime; and   sending the plurality of commands from the scheduler to the host controller.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein forwarding the tearing effect signal serves as an indication that a display device coupled to the driver stack is functional. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein sending the plurality of commands from the display driver stack to the scheduler includes sending the commands to a plurality of queues in the scheduler. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein sending the plurality of commands from the scheduler to the host controller according to a predetermined priority set by a control register component of the scheduler. 
     
     
         24 . An apparatus comprising:
 a host controller; and   a scheduler for a display interface, the scheduler comprising a first queue to store commands that are to be flushed and provided to the host controller on tearing effect (TE) signal event and a second queue that is to provide its contents to a host controller and not be flushed in response to a TE signal event, wherein the scheduler is to select between the first queue and the second queue to support an emulated video mode.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the scheduler includes a first queue to store commands that are to be executed upon a tearing effect signal event; a second queue to store a fixed set of commands to write data in a fixed set of memory addresses; and a third queue to store commands which are to be delayed before these commands are executed. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the command scheduler further includes a control register to perform at least one of the following functions: force reset the scheduler, force flush the first, second, or third queues, enable or disable the first, second, or third queues, and provide a status of the first, second, or third queues. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the host controller includes a FIFO buffer to receive commands from the scheduler.