Patent ID: 6845508
Filing Date: 2005-01-18
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of operation for a stream class driver which functions in conjunction with a minidriver that is associated with a particular hardware adapter which generates or receives streaming data, wherein the stream class driver implements one or more system operations that are independent of any particular hardware adapter, and wherein the minidriver implements one or more operations that depend on the particular hardware adapter's design, the method comprising, after said adapter has been initialized and said minidriver has been paged out of active memory to free resources for other uses, the stream class driver: paging said minidriver into active memory upon receipt of a data stream request in preparation for using one or more routines implemented by the minidriver for the particular hardware adapter, providing a command to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver to turn on power to said adapter, providing a data stream open command and stream structure data to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver, providing a stream read or write command to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver, providing properties and control information related to said stream request to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver, providing a stream close command to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver upon receipt of a data stream termination command, and providing an uninitialization command to the one or more routines implemented by said minidriver for uninitializing said adapter.