Apparatus and method for providing synchronization between processes and events occurring at different times in a data processing system
US4369494A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 9, 1978 |
| Grant date | Jan 18, 1983 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 9, 1998 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/52
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An information structure, or semaphore, serves as a signalling mechanism in process synchronization to connect a process and a non-simultaneously occurring event or resource. The semaphore is a data structure which stores representations of processes awaiting particular events or alternatively stores representations of events awaiting processes. Semaphore data structures are developed in two storage areas. First and second groups of process links are stored in the first storage area to establish, respectively, a first queue of processes ready to operate and a second queue, associated with the semaphore structure, of processes awaiting occurrences of a first particular event prior to being ready to operate. In the second storage area are stored first and second groups of message links to establish respectively a first queue, associated with a semaphore structure, representing second particular events and a second queue of unused links. A signal is generated in response to operation of a first process to denote the occurrence of a first event. In response to the signal, the first event is associated with a process represented by a process link in the second queue of process links whe…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.