Patent ID: 7543093

Claim:
A data transfer method, adapted for performing data transfer between master devices and slave devices through a bus, the data transfer involving data transfer in form of stream burst, the method comprising the following steps: a. arbitrating bus usage requests from master devices; b. a first master device authorized after arbitration, starting data transfer in form of stream burst, and at the same time transmitting a bus-mastering signal to the bus, a stream burst including at least one segment burst; c. judging which signal the bus-mastering signal is among CONT signal, LAST signal or intermediate signals, wherein CONT signal denotes a segment burst of a stream burst does not end, LAST signal denotes a stream burst ends, and the intermediate signals denote a segment burst of a stream burst ends but the stream burst does not end; d. when the bus-mastering signal is judged to be a CONT signal, the data transfer of a segment burst of the current stream burst continuing; e. when the bus-mastering signal is judged to be an intermediate signal, checking if there is a new bus request with higher level from a second master device; f. when a new bus request with higher level from the second master device is detected, arbitrating between the new bus request and the request of the next segment burst in the stream burst of the first master device; g. performing data transfer firstly by the first or second master device which is authorized by arbitration in step f; and h. when the bus-mastering signal is judged to be a LAST signal, returning to step a.