Patent · US Expired

Computer system and method for executing interrupt instructions in operating modes

US6385718B1 · kind B1 · utility

11Cited by
17References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 29, 1997
Grant dateMay 7, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 29, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/45533
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A computer system including a given microprocessor specifically designed to operate in a virtual operating mode allows a software program previously written for an earlier designed single program microprocessor to execute in a protected, paged, multi-tasking environment under a particularly designed host operating software program. The system also includes means for executing software interrupt (INTn) instructions, using emulation software forming part of the host program in order to emulate the way in which these instructions would have been executed by the earlier microprocessor. As a unique improvement to this overall computer system, certain ones of the INTn instructions are executed by means of emulation software while others are executed by means of the previously written program in cooperation with the given microprocessor and its host operating software program.

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