Manipulating interior pointers on a stack during garbage collection
US6598141B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 8, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 22, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 18, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S707/99957
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and method is provided for executing both managed and unmanaged code in a managed environment and managing memory employing a garbage collection system or service. The code may be precompiled, compiled in real-time or interpreted. The system and method identify roots including object references and interior references on a stack. The object references and interior references are then reported to the garbage collection system or service. The garbage collection system or service employs both the object references and interior references when tracing the heap for objects and data members within the objects. Memory segments that are inaccessible are then reclaimed for assignment to other objects. The garbage collection system or service may be invoked periodically by an operating system, a memory manager or some other service. Alternatively, the garbage collection system can be invoked in response to a request for memory by an executing program. The garbage collections system can also be invoked when the heap becomes full.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.