Stuffs me how somebody can patent an 'invention' but not show it working. The abstract for the patent is worryingly vauge as well-

Abstract A video encoding system uses both a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) to perform video encoding. The system implements a technique that enables the GPU to perform motion estimation for video encoding. The technique allows the GPU to perform a motion estimation process in parallel with the video encoding process performed by the CPU. The performance of video encoding using such a system is greatly accelerated as compared to encoding using just the CPU. Also, data related to motion estimation is arranged and provided to the GPU in a way that utilizes the capabilities of the GPU. Data about video frames may be collocated to enable multiple channels of the GPU to process tasks in parallel. The depth buffer of the GPU may be used to consolidate repeated calculations and searching tasks during the motion estimation process.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/7,813,570


The last line is complete *waving fist* *skull* storm cloud* *waving fist*-

Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as preferred forms of implementing the claimed invention.
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-P...S=PN/7,813,570

I'd be a lot less cynical if microsoft actually made GPUs. As it stands, it looks like intel guesed which way the wind was blowing, and somehow got it patented.

Seems pretty close in some ways to the old ATI "Rage Theater" chips. While not actually a GPU (its seperate chip) it shows that as early as 1999 ATI (and possibly nvidia + others) were already thinking about getting video hardware to encode and decode video.

ATI and nVidia should dispute this patent...but they probably wont. They cant afford to annoy the elephant in the room........