Patent · US Expired

Establishing control of lock token for shared objects upon approval messages from all other processes

US6041383A · kind A · utility

25Cited by
28References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 22, 1996
Grant dateMar 21, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/466
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system and method for controlling access to a shared object among a plurality of interconnected processes. A lock token is associated with a shared object. In order for a process to access or modify the associated object, it must possess the lock token. Whenever a process establishes control of the lock token, it transmits a message to each other process indicating that the process controls the lock token. In some instances, in order for a process to establish control of the lock token, the process must receive approval from each other process. Further, when two or more processes request the lock token at the same time, neither process will gain control and each process will then wait for a random time period before again seeking control of the token.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.