Generating and implementing a communication protocol and interface for high data rate signal transfer

A method of transferring digital data at a high rate between a host device and a client device over a communication path for presentation to a user, comprising:

• generating one or more of a plurality of pre-defined packet structures and linking them together to form a pre-defined communication protocol;
• communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data between said host and said client devices over said communication path using said communication protocol;
• coupling at least one host link controller residing in said host device to said client device through said communications path, the host link controller being configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming said communications protocol, and to form digital presentation data into one or more types of data packets;
• and
• transferring data in the form of packets over said communications path using said link controllers.

Apparatus for transferring digital data at a high rate between a host device and a client device over a communication path for presentation,to a user, comprising:

• at least one host link controller disposed in said host device for generating one or more of a plurality of pre-defined packet structures and linking them together to form a pre-defined communication protocol, and for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data between said host and said client devices over said communication path using said communication protocol;
• at least one client controller disposed in said client device and coupled to said host link controller through said communications path;
• and
• each link controller being configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming said communications protocol, and to form digital presentation data into one or more types of data packets.

Apparatus for transferring digital data at a high rate between a host device and a client device over a communication path for presentation to a user, comprising:

• means for generating one or more of a plurality of pre-defined packet structures and linking them together to form a pre-defined communication protocol;
• means for communicating a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data between said host and said client devices over said communication path using said communication protocol;
• means for coupling at least two link controllers together through said communications path, one in each of said host and client and each being configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming said communications protocol, and to form digital presentation data into one or more types of data packets;
• and
• means for transferring data in the form of packets over said communications path using said link controllers.

For use in an electronic system for transferring digital data at a high rate between a host device and a client device over a communication path for presentation to a user, a computer program product comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing an application program to execute on the computer system, said computer readable program code means comprising:
• a computer readable first program code means for causing the computer system to generate one or more of a plurality of pre-defined packet structures and link them together to form a pre-defined communication protocol;
• a computer readable second program code means for causing the computer system to communicate a pre-selected set of digital control and presentation data between said host and said client devices over said communication path using said communication protocol;
• a computer readable third program code means for causing the computer system to couple at least one host link controller disposed in said host device to at least one client controller disposed in said client device through said communications path, the link controllers being configured to generate, transmit, and receive packets forming said communications protocol, and to form digital presentation data into one or more types of data packets;
• and
• a computer readable fourth program code means for causing the computer system to transfer data in the form of packets over said communications path using said link controllers.