Hardware virtualization for media processing

摘要

Methods and systems for implementing virtual processors are disclosed. For example, in an embodiment a processing apparatus configured to act as a plurality of virtual processors includes a first virtual program space that includes a first program execution memory, the first program execution memory including code to run a non-real-time operating system capable of supporting a one or more non-real-time applications, a second virtual program space that includes a second program execution memory, the second program execution memory including code to run one or more real-time processes, and a central processing unit (CPU) configured to operate in a first operating mode and a second operating mode, the CPU being configured to perform operating system and application activities using the first virtual program space for the first operating mode without using the second virtual program space and without appreciably interfering with the one or more real-time processes that are running in the second operating mode.

主权项

1. A method for processing media packets, comprising:
receiving a stream of media packets at a packet processor having a single CPU; dividing processing operations for processing a received media packet into two or more frames of protected processing operations, wherein an elapsed time for processing the two or more frames of protected processing operations is less than a time interval between the receipt of media packets in the stream and respective frames of protected processing operations are temporally separated; in the time interval between the receipt of media packets in the stream, alternating between (i) performing at the CPU the respective frames of protected processing operations in a protected processing environment that is not affected by other processing operations, and (ii) freeing up the CPU to selectively perform other processing operations in a non-protected processing environment during the temporal separation between the frames of protected processing operations.