Method of and apparatus for capturing and processing continuous media-based data streams transmitted over an ieee 1394 serial bus

A method of receiving and processing captured data comprising the steps of:

• a. storing captured data within a receive buffer, thereby forming a filled receive buffer;
• b. adding the filled receive buffer to a cached list of receive buffers if there are previously filled buffers on the cached list of receive buffers;
• c. adding the filled receive buffer to the cached list of receive buffers if no process buffer is available;
• and
• d. processing the captured data within the filled receive buffer if the process buffer is available and there are no previously filled buffers on the cached list of receive buffers.

An apparatus for receiving and processing captured data comprising:

• a. a receiving circuit for receiving captured data;
• b. a plurality of receive buffers for storing captured data;
• c. a plurality of process buffers for storing processed data and providing the processed data to an application;
• d. a processing apparatus for processing captured data thereby forming the processed data and storing the processed data within the process buffers;
• and
• e. a cached list of receive buffers, wherein a filled receive buffer is added to the cached list of receive buffers if no process buffers are available when the filled receive buffer is filled and further wherein a filled received buffer is added to the cached list of receive buffers if there are previously filled receive buffers on the cached list of receive buffers when the filled receive buffer is filled.

A method of transmitting a continuous stream of data, including a plurality of packets of data, from a transmitting node to a receiving node over an IEEE 1394 serial bus structure, comprising the steps of:

• a. receiving the packets of data at the receiving node, thereby forming captured data;
• b. storing the captured data within a receive buffer, thereby forming a filled receive buffer;
• c. adding the filled receive buffer to a cached list of receive buffers if there are previously filled buffers on the cached list of receive buffers;
• d. adding the filled receive buffer to the cached list of receive buffers if no process buffer is available;
• e. processing the captured data within the filled receive buffer if the process buffer is available and there are no previously filled buffers on the cached list of receive buffers;
• and
• f. emptying an earliest filled buffer on the cached list of receive buffers if the cached list of receive buffers includes a predetermined number of buffers.

A network of devices comprising:

• a. a transmitting device for transmitting packets of data;
• b. a bus structure coupled to the transmitting device, wherein the packets of data are transmitted over the bus structure;
• and
• c. a receiving device coupled to the bus structure to receive the packets of data, the receiving device including:
• i. a receiving circuit for receiving the packets of data;
• ii. a plurality of receive buffers for storing captured data;
• iii. a plurality of process buffers for storing processed data and providing the processed data to an application;
• iv. a processing apparatus for processing captured data thereby forming the processed data and storing the processed data within the processed buffers;
• and
• v. a cached list of receive buffers, wherein a filled receive buffer is added to the cached list of receive buffers if no process buffers are available when the filled receive buffer is filled and further wherein a filled receive buffer is added to the cached list of receive buffers if there are previously filled receive buffers on the cached list of receive buffers when the filled receive buffer is filled.