Patent · US Expired

Method and system for efficiently reducing the RAM footprint of software executing on an embedded computer system

US6212632A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
13References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 31, 1998
Grant dateApr 3, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/4401
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for efficiently managing the contents of a volatile memory and a non volatile memory used by an embedded computer system in order to reduce the amount of volatile memory required by the embedded computer system for operation. The embedded computer system includes a processor coupled to the volatile and non-volatile memories via a bus. The volatile and non volatile memories store computer readable software for execution by the embedded computer system. When executed, the software causes the embedded computer system to implement the method for efficiently managing the contents of the volatile and non-volatile memories. At power-up, boot code stored in the non-volatile memory is executed and begins instantiating the initial operating environment of the embedded computer system. A function pointer table is instantiated in the volatile memory, wherein the function pointer table includes a plurality of entries for a corresponding plurality of instantiated functions, wherein at least one entry is for operating system code stored in the non-volatile memory. At least one high-use function is decompressed out of the non-volatile memory and instantiated in volatile memory.…

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