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Dynamic bus-based virtual channel multiplexing device driver architecture

  • US 8,284,768 B2
  • Filed: 10/05/2006
  • Issued: 10/09/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for dynamic bus-based virtual channel multiplexing, comprising:

  • a bus;

    a bus driver coupled to the bus;

    a multifunction device coupled to the bus and configured with a plurality of functions; and

    a Multiplex Device Function Driver (MDFD) coupled to the bus driver and configured to;

    establish one or more virtual channels with the device using a peer-to-peer multiplexing protocol between the MDFD and the device via the bus driver, wherein the bus driver and the device have equal responsibility for initiating, maintaining, and terminating the one or more virtual channels;

    determine one or more of the plurality of functions to be activated on the device, each activated function associated with one or more established virtual channels; and

    for each activated function, launch a second-tier function driver to handle operation of the activated function, the second-tier function driver having a function driver type.

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