Google patents secure way to run third-party graphics drivers in virtual machines
This filing describes a method for running graphics software from outside the main operating system inside a secure, emulated environment. It works by checking available memory space to safely connect the virtual machine with the graphics driver, allowing apps to render images without compromising the host system.
In the filing’s own words
In general, techniques are described by which to enable secure virtualization for third party graphics drivers. A computing device comprising a memory and processing circuitry may be configured to perform the techniques. The memory may store a host operating system. The processing circuitry may execute the host operating system, which is configured to initiate execution of a main process that emulates a guest operating system to support execution of an application native to the guest operating system. The main process may initiate execution of a graphics rendering process. The main process may next, responsive to initiating execution of the graphics rendering process, perform a memory validation to obtain memory mapping information that identifies memory that is available for mapping between the main process and the graphics rendering process. The main process may configure the main process to support the mapping of the memory.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1: A method comprising: initiating, by a host operating system executed by a computing device, execution of a main process that emulates a guest operating system to support execution of an application native to the guest operating system; initiating, by the main process, execution of a graphics rendering process separate from the main process, the graphics rendering process configured to handle graphics rendering on behalf of the main process; responsive to initiating execution of the graphics rendering process, performing, by the main process, a memory validation to obtain memory mapping information that identifies memory within the computing device that is available for mapping between the main process and the graphics rendering process; and configuring, based on the memory mapping information, the main process to support the mapping of the memory between the main process and the graphics rendering process to facilitate execution of a graphical rendering application programming interface used by the application for rendering graphics.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Google LLC)
- Official title
- SECURE VIRTUALIZATION FOR THIRD PARTY GRAPHICS DRIVERS
- Publication number
- US20260259756A1
- Application number
- 19163825
- Filed
- Apr 9, 2024
- Published
- Sep 3, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G06F 9/45545 Physics & computingG06F 9/45558 Physics & computingG06F 2009/45583 Physics & computingG06F 2009/45587 Physics & computingMore from Google in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.