US 6,105,048 AGranted

Apparatus and method for the real-time processing of a plurality of tasks

AssigneeSiemens Aktiengesellschaft

InventorXiaoyong He

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Abstract

An apparatus and a method for the processing of a plurality of tasks by a processor of a real-time data processing installation, in which each task is dynamically allocated a priority according to its urgency, after which the tasks are processed by a processor. For this purpose, for each task to be processed, the generation of an initiation cell having a number of t- and i-bits is provided, as is the entering of this initiation cell into a free cell of a contention unit. The time sequence information contained in the t-bits of all cells of the contention unit are compared with one another in order to determine the task containing the smallest time sequence information. In case the determined task does not agree with the previously determined task, an interrupt signal is sent to the processor in order to introduce the processing of this newly determined task.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for processing of a plurality of tasks by a processor of a real-time data processing apparatus, in which each task is to be processed individually in a processor according to a dynamically allocated priority and within a predetermined time period, comprising the steps of:

for each task to be processed by the processor, generating an initiation cell having a plurality of t-bits that contain a time sequence information which indicates a time within which a processing of the respective task must be carried out, and a plurality of i-bits that contain an index information referring to a task control block in the data processing apparatus;
in order to log tasks on for processing, entering each initiation cell which has been produced independently from its priority to a free contention cell in a contention unit which is independent of the processor and which has a plurality of contention cells;
for defining a task which has to be executed next, after the entry of the initiation cells comparing the time sequence information in each of the initiation cells entered into the free contention cells in the contention unit in order to determine which task has a lowest time sequence information;
and
sending an interrupt signal to the processor in order to initiate processing of the determined task having the lowest time sequence information, provided that the determined task does not correspond with a previously determined task which is currently being processed by the processor.

2 more elements

An apparatus for processing of a plurality of tasks within a predetermined time period in a processor according to a dynamically allocated priority, comprising:

means for generating for each task to be processed by the processor an initiation cell having a plurality of t-bits that contain a time sequence information which indicates a time within which a processing of the respective task must be carried out, and a plurality of i-bits that contain an index information referring to a task control block in the data processing apparatus;
means for entering each initiation cell which has been produced independently from its priority to a free contention cell in a contention unit independent of the processor and having a plurality of contention cells in order to log on tasks for processing;
means for comparing, after the entry of the initiation cells, the time sequence information in each of the initiation cells entered into the free contention cells in the contention unit in order to determine which task has a lowest time sequence information in order to define a task which has to be executed next;
and
means for sending an interrupt signal to the processor in order to initiate processing of the determined task having the lowest time sequence information, provided that the determined task does not correspond with a previously determined task which is currently being processed by the processor.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.