The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 02, 2003
Filed:
Jan. 25, 2000
Mark A. Larson, Austin, TX (US);
Benjamen G. Tyner, Austin, TX (US);
Dell USA, L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
A method, computer program product and computer system that features intermittently entering the system management mode of a processor to commence and terminate I/O activity between external devices and computer system resources. To that end, a system management interrupt handler is included that monitors bus transactions between a bus controller and an external device that is the subject of I/O activity. Upon sensing the completion of a bus transaction, the system management interrupt handler transmits a system management interrupt to the processor. In response thereto, the processor reads a buffer in the bus controller and provides the requisite resources with the I/O information contained therein.