Patent ID: 6397287
Filing Date: 2002-05-28
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
In a communication system, a method for transferring data between a host computer and a network medium coupled to the host computer, wherein the host computer includes an expansion bus and a network adapter device coupled to the expansion bus and to the network medium, the method comprising the steps of:transferring data between a buffer memory in the network adapter and the network medium; generating a first buffer data signal in response to the amount of data present in the buffer memory; generating a second buffer data signal in response to previous transfers of data between the host computer and the network medium, wherein the second buffer data signal represents the amount of data in the buffer at the time when the expansion bus should be requested by the network adapter device to optimize a data transfer between the network adapter and the host computer; asserting a bus request signal to the host computer in response to the first and second buffer data signals; and transferring data between the host computer and the buffer memory over the expansion bus.