SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING DATA TRANSMISSIONS ASSOCIATED WITH ADDRESSABLE BUFFER DEVICES

A method and associated computer program operate to optimize signals being exchanged between a host unit and an addressable-buffer peripheral device. The program optimizes an outgoing signal from the host unit by (1) creating an updated-state map representing the state of the peripheral device buffer expected to exist after processing by the peripheral device of the outgoing signal, (2) performing an exclusive-or (XOR) operation using the updated-state map and a present-state map representing the existing state of the buffer, and (3) constructing and transmitting a substitute outgoing signal which represents changes to the buffer, and in which all premodified field flags are turned off. Position-dependent characters, such as attribute bytes, are translated into nondata characters prior to incorporation into a map, and are retranslated into their original form for use in the substitute signal.