Non-busy waiting resource control
US5263161A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 11, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 11, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/52
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A data structure has a value field for storing values and a lock field for indicating a lock state of the resource associated with the data structure. This data structure is used to implement a locking protocol amongst multiple processes competing for shared resources. If the lock field is a locked state, the process that locked the lock field has exclusive access to the resource. If, however, the lock field is in an unlocked state, any process may gain access to the resource. The lock field also has deferred states corresponding to the locked and unlocked states wherein multiple requests to lock or unlock the resource may be stored until serviced. The locking protocol is useful in a data processing system having multiple processing elements and utilizes a locking means that includes a local memory controller.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.