Apple patent involves transforming display data using multiple frame buffers
Posted by Dennis Sellers 
Dec 11, 2007 at 2:08pm
Apple has been granted a patent (number 7307641) for a method and apparatus for transforming display data using multiple frame buffers in a display device by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The invention relates to device formats in a computer system, and, more particularly, to maintaining compatible device formats in device lists for computer systems with expanded device formats.
According to Apple, Methods and systems for transforming data in a system are provided. In one implementation, the method includes providing a first frame buffer, and providing a second frame buffer that is separate from the first frame buffer. The first frame buffer is configured to support a first format compatible with a format associated with an application program interacting with the system, and the second frame buffer is configured to support a second format compatible with a format associated with an output device coupled to the system. The method further includes transforming data provided by the application program from the first format supported by the first frame buffer to the second format supported by the second frame buffer for output on the output device to provide compatibility between the application program and the output device.
The inventor is Thomas E. Dowdy. The graphic below illustrates a partial block diagram of a typical computer system.
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Dennis Sellers
Dennis has been a newspaper editor/reporter (seven years) and teacher (seven years). He has over 4,000 magazine, newspaper and online articles to his credit. He has also covered the Mac and tech industries for over a decade for such online publications as MacCentral, MacMinute and now MacsimumNews.
