International Business Machines Corporation

Llewellyn B Marshall

Donald E Carmon

Fetchi Chen

Raymond W Weeks

Charles R Knox

Gary G Allran

Jose A Eduartez

Nathan A Mitchell

Malcolm Scott Ware

Yoav Medan

Uzi Shvadron

William W Lawton

Charles Robert Young

William L Lawton

Malcolm C Ware

A data processing system for executing multimedia applications which interface with multimedia devices that consume or produce at least one of real-time and asynchronous streamed data includes a CPU for execution of one or more multimedia applications and a DSP for processing data including streamed data. A plurality of modular multimedia software tasks may be called by the multimedia application for execution in the DSP. A plurality of data communication modules are provided for linking selected ones of the software tasks with selected others of the software tasks, and linking selected multimedia devices with selected ones of the software tasks. Each of the communications modules allows continuous, real-time and unidirectional communication of streamed data. The modularity of the processing system defines an open architecture for real-time processing which allows additional modular multimedia tasks to be added to the software tasks and selectively linked to at least one of (a) selected ones of the software tasks, and (b) selected ones of the multimedia devices. A DSP manager is resident in the CPU which dynamically monitors resource allocation to allow at least one software task to be loaded and executed while at least one other software task is being executed by the DSP without interference with execution.

Method and apparatus for facilitating real-time and asynchronous loading

A data processing system is provided for executing multimedia applications which interface with multimedia end devices that consume or produce at least one of (a) real-time and (b) asynchronous streamed data. The data processing system includes a central processing unit for data processing operations including execution of the multimedia application, a digital signal processor for processing data including the streamed data, and a plurality of modular components which cooperate to provide a substantially open architecture. The plurality of modular components include a plurality of modular multimedia software tasks which are executable by the digital signal processor and which may be called by the multimedia application for execution in the digital signal processor, as well as a plurality of data communication modules for linking selected ones of the plurality of modular multimedia software tasks with selected others of the plurality of modular multimedia software tasks, and for linking selected multimedia end devices with selected ones of the plurality of modular multimedia software tasks. Each of the plurality of data communication modules allows continuous, real-time and unidirectional communication of streamed data. The enhanced connectivity of the modular approach for the multimedia data processing system allows additional modular multimedia software tasks to be added to the plurality of modular multimedia software tasks and selectively linked to selected ones of the plurality of modular multimedia software tasks and selected ones of the multimedia end devices.

System for facilitating continuous, real-time, unidirectional, and

Growing community of inventors

Cary, NC, United States of America

Llewellyn B Marshall