Patent · US Expired

Dynamic inheritance of software object services

US6212436A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
12References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 24, 1998
Grant dateApr 3, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 24, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99943
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Object services like methods or properties are provided to or inherited by objects dynamically during run-time. In one method of providing dynamic inheritance, hierarchical relationships are defined between multiple objects such that each object references or is referenced by another object. A call is made for a particular service (e.g., a method or property) at a selected object. The service is provided directly from the object whenever the service is available therefrom. Whenever the selected service is unavailable at the selected object, the call is passed to a hierarchically superior object. Another aspect of dynamic inheritance is that an object, such as the root object, may include one or more methods for adding or otherwise changing the methods or properties available from that object.

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