Patent ID: 7114022

Claim:
A method for generating an interrupt signal for a media access controller (MAC) in communication with a computer host and an external network, comprising steps of: asserting a first interrupt signal to said computer host under a first logic state of an interrupt mask when a first group of data packets is to be transferred from a memory; performing a first interrupt service of said computer host in response to said first interrupt signal for freeing a space of said memory occupied by said first group of data packets having been transferred from said memory; switching said interrupt mask from said first logic state to a second logic state in response to the assertion of said first interrupt signal for temporarily prohibiting further transmitting interrupt but permitting receiving interrupt when said first interrupt signal is essentially a transmitting interrupt; switching said interrupt mask from said first logic state to said second logic state in response to the assertion of said first interrupt signal for temporarily prohibiting further receiving interrupt but permitting transmitting interrupt when said first interrupt signal is essentially a receiving interrupt; switching said interrupt mask from said first logic state to said second logic state in response to the assertion of said first interrupt signal for temporarily prohibiting further receiving interrupt and transmitting interrupt when said first interrupt signal includes both receiving interrupt and transmitting interrupt; asserting a second interrupt signal under said second logic state of said interrupt mask after said first interrupt service has been finished for a predetermined delay period; and performing a second interrupt service of said computer host in response to said second interrupt signal.