Method and apparatus for performing overlapping service of multiple IDE peripheral devices

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of determining whether the execution of the request to the second peripheral device is complete and determining whether the first peripheral device has completed its seek operation when execution of the request to the second peripheral device is complete.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the second peripheral device is a hard disk drive.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 wherein the first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive and the second peripheral device is a hard disk drive.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 wherein the timer has a period at least an order of magnitude less than the maximum time required for the first peripheral device to complete a seek operation.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1 wherein the first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive and the timer has a period of approximately 20 milliseconds.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1 wherein the timer is based on the system clock timer of the operating system of the computer.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1 wherein the first peripheral device includes a read head and a disk having data stored thereon in a plurality of sectors, wherein said method is performed only when the request to the first peripheral device specifies a destination sector which is located at least a predetermined distance from the location of the current sector where the read head is located at the time the request is initiated.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 wherein the first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive and the predetermined distance is at least ten sectors.

Claim 12

The method of claim 9 wherein the period of the timer is variable depending on the location of the destination sector relative to the current sector.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1 wherein the peripheral devices are connected to the computer via a controller and the first peripheral device sets a bit in a register in the controller when the first peripheral device has completed its seek operation, and wherein said step of determining whether the first peripheral device has completed its seek operation is determined by monitoring the status of the bit.

Claim 16

A computer system for performing overlapping service of requests from a computer to multiple peripheral devices connected to the computer, wherein each request includes a seek and a data transfer operation, said computer system comprising: a first and second peripheral device connected to said computer; first driver means in said computer for initiating a seek operation for said first peripheral device in response to a request from said computer to said first peripheral device; timer means for timing a predetermined period of time in response to the initiation of said seek operation for said first peripheral device; second driver means in said computer for initiating execution of a request from said computer to said second peripheral device; first determining means in said computer for determining whether the execution of the request to said second peripheral device is complete; second determining means in said computer, responsive to said timer means and said first determining means, for determining whether said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation; third driver means in said computer, responsive to said second determining means, for executing a data transfer operation for said first peripheral device if said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation; and timer reset means, responsive to said second determining means, for resetting the timer means if said first peripheral device has not completed its seek operation.

Claim 17

A computer system for performing overlapping service of requests from a computer to multiple peripheral devices connected to the computer, wherein each request includes a seek and a data transfer operation, said computer system comprising: a first and second peripheral device connected to said computer; first driver means in said computer for initiating a seek operation for said first peripheral device in response to a request from said computer to said first peripheral device; timer means for timing a predetermined period of time in response to the initiation of said seek operation for said first peripheral device; second driver means in said computer for initiating execution of a request from said computer to said second peripheral device; first determining means in said computer for determining whether the execution of the request to said second peripheral device is complete; second determining means in said computer, responsive to said timer means and said first determining means, for determining whether said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation; third driver means in said computer, responsive to said second determining means, for executing a data transfer operation for said first peripheral device if said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation; and timer reset means, responsive to said second determining means, for resetting the timer means if said first peripheral device has not completed its seek operation.

Claim 18

The system of claim 14 wherein said timer means is based on the system clock timer of the operating system of said computer.

Claim 19

The system of claim 14 wherein the predetermined period of the timer means is at least an order of magnitude less than the maximum time required for said first peripheral device to complete a seek operation.

Claim 20

The system of claim 14 wherein said first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive and said timer means has a period of approximately 20 milliseconds.

Claim 21

The system of claim 14 wherein said second determining means determines whether said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation when said timer means has timed out.

Claim 22

The system of claim 14 wherein said second determining means determines whether said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation when the execution of the request to said second peripheral device is complete.

Claim 23

The system of claim 14 wherein the time required for said first peripheral device to complete a seek operation is longer than the time required for said second peripheral device to complete a seek operation.

Claim 24

The system of claim 14 wherein said first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive.

Claim 25

The system of claim 14 wherein said second peripheral device is a hard disk drive.

Claim 26

The system of claim 14 wherein said first peripheral device is a CD-ROM and said second peripheral device is a hard disk drive.

Claim 27

The system of claim 14 wherein said first peripheral device includes a read head and a disk having data stored thereon in a plurality of sectors, wherein said timer means is started only when said first driver means initiates a request for data located in a destination sector located at least a predetermined distance from the location of the current sector where said read head is located at the time the request is initiated by said first driver means.

Claim 28

The system of claim 24 wherein said first peripheral device is a CD-ROM drive and the predetermined distance is at least ten sectors.

Claim 29

The system of claim 24 wherein the period of said timer means is variable depending on the location of the destination sector relative to the current sector.

Claim 30

The system of claim 14 wherein said first peripheral device sets a bit in a register in said computer when said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation, and wherein said second determining means monitors said bit to determine whether said first peripheral device has completed its seek operation.

Claim 31

The system of claim 14 wherein said first and second peripheral devices interface with said computer through a first and second IDE controller, respectively.

Claim 32

The system of claim 28 wherein said first and second peripheral devices communicate with said computer via a bus.

Claim 33

The system of claim 29 wherein said computer communicates with only one of said peripheral devices at a time.

Claim 34

A computer system for performing overlapping service of requests from a computer to multiple peripheral devices connected to the computer, wherein each request includes a seek and a data transfer operation, said computer system comprising: a peripheral hard disk drive connected to said computer via a first IDE controller included within said hard disk drive; a peripheral CD-ROM drive connected to said computer via a second IDE controller included within said CD-ROM drive; first driver means in said computer for initiating a seek operation for said CD-ROM drive in response to a request from said computer to said CD-ROM drive; a timer having a period of approximately 20 milliseconds started upon initiation of said seek operation for said CD-ROM drive; second driver means in said computer for initiating execution of a request from said computer to said hard disk drive; first determining means in said computer for determining whether the execution of the request to said hard disk drive is complete; second determining means in said computer, responsive to said timer timing out, and responsive to said first determining means determining that the execution of the request to said hard disk drive is complete, for determining whether said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; wherein said CD-ROM drive sets a bit in a register in said computer when said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation, and wherein said second determining means monitors said bit to determine whether said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; third driver means in said computer, responsive to said second determining means, for executing a data transfer operation for said CD-ROM drive if said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; and timer reset means, responsive to said second determining means, for resetting the timer if said CD-ROM drive has not completed its seek operation.

Claim 35

A computer system for performing overlapping service of requests from a computer to multiple peripheral devices connected to the computer, wherein each request includes a seek and a data transfer operation, said computer system comprising: a peripheral hard disk drive connected to said computer via a first IDE controller included within said hard disk drive; a peripheral CD-ROM drive connected to said computer via a second IDE controller included within said CD-ROM drive; first driver means in said computer for initiating a seek operation for said CD-ROM drive in response to a request from said computer to said CD-ROM drive; a timer having a period of approximately 20 milliseconds started upon initiation of said seek operation for said CD-ROM drive; second driver means in said computer for initiating execution of a request from said computer to said hard disk drive; first determining means in said computer for determining whether the execution of the request to said hard disk drive is complete; second determining means in said computer, responsive to said timer timing out, and responsive to said first determining means determining that the execution of the request to said hard disk drive is complete, for determining whether said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; wherein said CD-ROM drive sets a bit in a register in said computer when said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation, and wherein said second determining means monitors said bit to determine whether said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; third driver means in said computer, responsive to said second determining means, for executing a data transfer operation for said CD-ROM drive if said CD-ROM drive has completed its seek operation; and timer reset means, responsive to said second determining means, for resetting the timer if said CD-ROM drive has not completed its seek operation.