Patent ID: 7159128

Claim:
A method for selectively reducing the depth of and transmitting multiple-bit data words in parallel to a data-receiving device that is separate from a data-transmitting device, comprising: providing a register coupled to a plurality of data-output lines that transmit data stored in the register, the register to store a multiple-bit data word, and each of the data-output lines corresponding, respectively, to a unique one of the bits of the data word; coupling the data-output lines with corresponding data-input lines of the data-receiving device; selecting at least one of the data-input lines as a non-transmitting data-input line and selecting the remaining data-input lines as transmitting data-input lines; causing each of the remaining data-input lines to take the bit value of the corresponding data-output line; and causing the at least one data-input line selected as a non-transmitting data-input line to be non-responsive to changes in the bit value of the corresponding data-output line, wherein, if the at least one data-input line is deselected as a non-transmitting data-input line, the at least one data-input line is caused to be responsive to the bit value of the corresponding data-output line.