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System for ascertaining task off-load capabilities of a device and enabling selected capabilities and when needed selectively and dynamically requesting the device to perform the task

  • US 6,370,599 B1
  • Filed: 09/07/2000
  • Issued: 04/09/2002
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. In a computer system environment having an operating system and at least one peripheral hardware device, a method for dynamically offloading, on a per-packet basis and depending on the then current needs of the computer system, an operating task from the operating system to the peripheral hardware device, thereby freeing up host processor resources and increasing the overall efficiency of the computer system, the method comprising:

  • a step for ascertaining, by the operating system, task offload capabilities of the peripheral hardware device;

    a step for enabling, by the operating system, selected task offload capabilities of the peripheral hardware device that are selected from among the ascertained task offload capabilities, said selected task offload capabilities being enabled to the extent such selected task offload capabilities are needed for one or more data packets; and

    in the event that an operating task to be otherwise performed for a data packet by the operating system corresponds to an enabled task offload capability of the peripheral hardware device, and depending on the then current needs of the computer system, an act of the operating system selectively and dynamically requesting that the peripheral hardware device, rather than the operating system, perform the operating task by sending a data packet to the peripheral hardware device that indicates that the peripheral hardware device is to perform the operating task.

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