System for command processing or emulation in a computer system,

Details System for command processing or emulation in a computer system, System for command processing or emulation in a computer system,

1997-07-07

1999-10-26

Lee, Thomas C.

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Input/output data processing

Direct memory accessing

711156, 704201, G06F 1328

Patent

active

059744782

ABSTRACT:
A system and method for providing sound in a computer are disclosed. An audio module for controlling digitized sound I/O is included in a media stream controller. The media stream controller may also coordinate graphics and video which allows multiple media subsystems to be supported from a single bus device. A software application may initiate sound data transfer by sending a conventional DMA mode command to the media stream controller. The media stream controller activates an audio interrupt service routine which processes the request without using a conventional DMA controller. Digital sound data is transferred across a local bus using high speed burst mode block transfer commands and is buffered by the media stream controller in a display memory. Concurrently, the media stream controller may output sound data from the display memory to a sound output device using a double buffering method. Alternatively, the media stream controller may read sound data from a sound input device and store it in the display memory. The audio interrupt service routine may be activated to transfer the sound data in blocks to a software application. After sound data transfer is complete the audio interrupt service routine may reset the count in the DMA controller to provide compatibility with software applications written for DMA mode transfer. Thus high speed burst mode block transfer may be used with sound data to free up bandwidth for video, graphics and other uses, and yet still provide compatibility with conventional DMA mode sound I/O.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4313160 (1982-01-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 4695945 (1987-09-01), Irwin
patent: 4727480 (1988-02-01), Albright et al.
patent: 4755937 (1988-07-01), Glier
patent: 4821180 (1989-04-01), Gerety et al.
patent: 4937861 (1990-06-01), Cummins
patent: 4994912 (1991-02-01), Lumelsky et al.
patent: 5083119 (1992-01-01), Trevett et al.
patent: 5103309 (1992-04-01), Hara
patent: 5129036 (1992-07-01), Dean et al.
patent: 5150456 (1992-09-01), Wu et al.
patent: 5192999 (1993-03-01), Graczyk et al.
patent: 5229855 (1993-07-01), Siann
patent: 5243447 (1993-09-01), Bodenkamp et al.
patent: 5245322 (1993-09-01), Dinwiddie, Jr. et al.
patent: 5274779 (1993-12-01), Stewart et al.
patent: 5276458 (1994-01-01), Sawdon
patent: 5283819 (1994-02-01), Glick et al.
patent: 5289584 (1994-02-01), Thome et al.
patent: 5297231 (1994-03-01), Miller
patent: 5305436 (1994-04-01), Mundkur
patent: 5325489 (1994-06-01), Mitsushira et al.
patent: 5333135 (1994-07-01), Wendorf
patent: 5333299 (1994-07-01), Koval et al.
patent: 5355146 (1994-10-01), Chiu et al.
patent: 5355391 (1994-10-01), Horowitz et al.
patent: 5367301 (1994-11-01), Stiltner et al.
patent: 5369617 (1994-11-01), Munson
patent: 5369729 (1994-11-01), Norris
patent: 5371518 (1994-12-01), Hannah
patent: 5381538 (1995-01-01), Amini et al.
patent: 5386493 (1995-01-01), Degen et al.
patent: 5392407 (1995-02-01), Heil et al.
patent: 5402147 (1995-03-01), Chen et al.
patent: 5406306 (1995-04-01), Siann et al.
patent: 5440336 (1995-08-01), Buhro et al.
patent: 5485624 (1996-01-01), Steinmetz et al.
patent: 5513329 (1996-04-01), Pecone
patent: 5515474 (1996-05-01), Deacon et al.
patent: 5519684 (1996-05-01), Iizuka et al.
patent: 5553220 (1996-09-01), Keene
patent: 5655145 (1997-08-01), Chejlava, Jr. et al.
patent: 5655151 (1997-08-01), Bowes et al.
Developer Kit for Sound Blaster.TM., Hardware Programming Reference, 2nd Edition, Oct. 1993, Creative Labs, pp. 3-1 to 3-29.
Warren Andrews, "PCI promises solution to local-bus bottleneck," Computer Design, vol. 31, No. 8, Aug. 1992, pp. 36, 38 & 40.
"The 8259A Programmable Interrupt Controller", John Uffenbeck, The 8086/8088 Family Design, Programming, and Interfacing, John Uffenbeck, pp. 451-467, 1987.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

System for command processing or emulation in a computer system, does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with System for command processing or emulation in a computer system,, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System for command processing or emulation in a computer system, will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-775995