System and method for transferring data streams simultaneously on multiple buses in a computer system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising: the second multimedia device providing one or more signals on the expansion bus to the first multimedia device indicating said multiple bus transfer can proceed, wherein said providing one or more signals on the expansion bus to the first multimedia device indicating said multiple bus transfer can proceed occurs in response to the second multimedia device receiving the one or more signals on the expansion bus indicating said multiple bus transfer is desired.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, further comprising: wherein the first multimedia device generating one or more signals on the expansion bus indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired includes the first multimedia device transferring information regarding said multiple bus transfer.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, wherein said information regarding said multiple bus transfer includes information indicating respective byte lanes where said multiple bus transfers will occur.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4, further comprising: the second multimedia device determining if the second multimedia device can guarantee availability to receive data on both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus; wherein the second multimedia device providing said one or more signals on the expansion bus to the first multimedia device indicating said multiple bus transfer can proceed is performed in response to the second multimedia device determining that the second multimedia device can guarantee availability to receive data on both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein said expansion bus is the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein said multimedia bus transfers comprise transfers of periodic multimedia data, wherein said periodic multimedia data comprises motion video data at a plurality of frames per second and said periodic multimedia data comprises audio data at a plurality of cycles per second.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7, wherein said multiple bus transfers comprise transferring said motion video data on a first one of either said expansion bus or said multimedia bus, and also transferring said audio data on the other of either said expansion bus or said multimedia bus.

Claim 10

A computer system, comprising: a CPU; main memory coupled to the CPU which stores data accessible by the CPU; bridge logic coupled to the CPU and to the main memory, wherein the bridge logic includes a memory controller coupled to the main memory and also includes expansion bus interface logic; an expansion bus coupled to the bridge logic, wherein said expansion bus includes a plurality of data lines and control lines; a multimedia bus which transfers multimedia data; a plurality of multimedia devices coupled to said expansion bus and to said multimedia bus, wherein each of said multimedia devices perform operations on said expansion bus and said multimedia bus, wherein each of said multimedia devices includes: means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a transfer comprising multimedia data is desired; means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired; means for receiving one or more signals on the expansion bus from a source multimedia device indicating a transfer comprising multimedia data is desired; means for receiving one or more signals on the expansion bus from a source multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired; means for performing a plurality of multiple bus transfers comprising multimedia data to the target multimedia device using both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus, wherein said plurality of multiple bus transfers comprise transfers of first multimedia data on data lines of the expansion bus and transfers of second multimedia data on data lines of the multimedia bus, wherein said first multimedia data is different than said second multimedia data, wherein said plurality of multiple bus transfers using both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus are performed in response to operation of said means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired.

Claim 11

A computer system, comprising: a CPU; main memory coupled to the CPU which stores data accessible by the CPU; bridge logic coupled to the CPU and to the main memory, wherein the bridge logic includes a memory controller coupled to the main memory and also includes expansion bus interface logic; an expansion bus coupled to the bridge logic, wherein said expansion bus includes a plurality of data lines and control lines; a multimedia bus which transfers multimedia data; a plurality of multimedia devices coupled to said expansion bus and to said multimedia bus, wherein each of said multimedia devices perform operations on said expansion bus and said multimedia bus, wherein each of said multimedia devices includes: means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a transfer comprising multimedia data is desired; means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired; means for receiving one or more signals on the expansion bus from a source multimedia device indicating a transfer comprising multimedia data is desired; means for receiving one or more signals on the expansion bus from a source multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired; means for performing a plurality of multiple bus transfers comprising multimedia data to the target multimedia device using both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus, wherein said plurality of multiple bus transfers comprise transfers of first multimedia data on data lines of the expansion bus and transfers of second multimedia data on data lines of the multimedia bus, wherein said first multimedia data is different than said second multimedia data, wherein said plurality of multiple bus transfers using both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus are performed in response to operation of said means for generating one or more signals on the expansion bus to a target multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer is desired.

Claim 12

The computer system of claim 9, wherein said means for receiving includes means for providing one or more signals on the expansion bus to a source multimedia device indicating a multiple bus transfer can proceed, wherein said means for providing operates in response to the target multimedia device receiving the one or more signals on the expansion bus indicating said multiple bus transfer is desired.

Claim 13

The computer system of claim 9, wherein said means for generating transfers information regarding said multiple bus transfer to the target device.

Claim 14

The computer system of claim 11, wherein said information regarding said multiple bus transfer includes information indicating respective byte lanes where said multiple bus transfers will occur.

Claim 15

The computer system of claim 12, wherein said means for receiving determines if the multimedia device can guarantee availability to receive data on both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus; wherein said means for receiving provides one or more signals on the expansion bus to the source multimedia device indicating said multiple bus transfer can proceed in response to the means for receiving determining that the multimedia device can guarantee availability to receive data on both the expansion bus and the multimedia bus.

Claim 16

The computer system of claim 9, wherein said expansion bus is the peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus.

Claim 17

The method of claim 9, wherein said multimedia bus transfers comprise transfers of periodic multimedia data, wherein said periodic multimedia data comprises motion video data at a plurality of frames per second and said periodic multimedia data also comprises audio data at a plurality of cycles per second.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15, wherein said means for performing said multiple bus transfers transfers said motion video data on a first one of either said expansion bus or said multimedia bus, and also transfers said audio data on the other of either said expansion bus or said multimedia bus.