Abstract: A serial interrupt bus protocol is implemented in which any number of peripherals in a computer system may signal any predetermined interrupt signals to the system's interrupt controller without requiring a dedicated pin for each possible interrupt. Each peripheral implemented on the serial interrupt bus incorporates state machine logic for cycling through possible interrupt states. The peripherals are daisy chained beginning and ending with a serial interrupt controller which follows the same state machine logic as the system peripherals. When the serial interrupt controller receives an active interrupt signal, it determines which interrupt signal to provide to the system's interrupt controller based on the interrupt state of the interrupt controller state machine logic.

Abstract: A circuit for selectively invoking a particular interrupt service routine to handle a particular interrupt request. The present invention includes a programmable register with one or more bits per interrupt request input. The present invention also includes interrupt selection logic which outputs a particular interrupt in response to an interrupt request input and data stored in the programmable register. The interrupt then invokes the associated interrupt service routine to handle the interrupt request. The present invention is used to choose the interrupt service routine to handle a particular interrupt request from any source within the computer system in any computer system operating mode.

Abstract: A serial interrupt bus protocol is implemented in which any number of peripherals in a computer system may signal any predetermined interrupt signals to the system's interrupt controller without requiring a dedicated pin for each possible interrupt. Each peripheral implemented on the serial interrupt bus incorporates state machine logic for cycling through possible interrupt states. The peripherals are daisy chained beginning and ending with a serial interrupt controller which follows the same state machine logic as the system peripherals. When the serial interrupt controller receives an active interrupt signal, it determines which interrupt signal to provide to the system's interrupt controller based on the interrupt state of the interrupt controller state machine logic.

Abstract: A method and mechanism for suspending and resuming a keyboard controller. The present invention includes a method and mechanism for saving the state of an input device, such as a keyboard and/or mouse, such that the power to those devices may be removed. The keyboard controller of the present invention is capable of performing a password security function. The present invention allows the keyboard controller to be suspended and resumed without jeopardizing the password security function.