Personal computer with generalized data streaming apparatus for multimedia devices
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsChris A. Dinallo, Michael J. Koval, William W. Lawton, Martin J. Paulat, Jr., John G. Tyler, Scott L. Winters, Gary G. Allran
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A multimedia data processing system includes a memory for storing multimedia application programs and a multitasking operating system. Extensions to the operating system control data streaming from source devices to target devices to provide real-time, continuous streaming. The extensions provide central buffer management with a user buffer option, bi-level priority support for data stream handlers, support for interleaved streams, and data stream event detection and notification.
Claims7
A multimedia data processing system comprising;
- a processor;
- a memory for storing at least one multimedia application program and a multitasking operating system, for execution by said processor, said memory having a plurality of buffers therein;
- a source device operable as an origin for media data;
- a target device operable as a destination for receiving said data from said source device;
- and
- data streaming apparatus operable under said operating system for streaming data from said source device to said target device, said apparatus comprising:
- first means operative, in response to execution of a stream create instruction in said application program, to create a source thread for streaming data from said source device into said buffers and a target thread for streaming data from said buffers to said target device said threads being dispatchable units of execution that are selectively executable under said multitasking operating system;
- second means operative, in response to a start instruction in said application program, to first execute said source thread and fill said buffers with data from said source device, to then execute said target thread and read data from said buffers into said target device, and to thereafter alternately execute both threads to alternately fill and read data from said buffers, until reaching an end of data from said source device;
- wherein said first and second means comprise a plurality of stream handlers, one of said stream handlers being a source handler operative to control data flow from said source device to said buffers and another one of said stream handlers being a target stream handler operative to control data flow from said buffers to said target device;
- and
- a stream manager operative to interact with said stream handlers and control operation thereof by sending stream helper commands (SHCs) to said handlers and by providing stream manager helper (SMH) services to said handlers in response to receiving SMH calls from said handlers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.