Application program interfaces and structures in a resource limited operating system
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsSharad Mathur, Gregory Hullender, Mark Miller, Bruce Johnson, Michael Ginsberg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A set of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for a resource-limited environment are disclosed. The APIs provide a mechanism for a computer application to interface with various components and modules of an operating system for a resource-limited environment. The APIs further provide a mechanism to interface with input/output devices commonly found in embedded systems running in a resource-limited environment.
Claims20
In an embedded system that includes limited memory resources and a number of user modules that may be executed to become active, wherein an active user module consumes a portion of the limited memory resources, and wherein the user modules may potentially consume more memory than is available in the limited memory resources, a method for replacing a default operating system response to available memory resources dropping below a specified threshold, the method comprising the acts of:
- receiving a function call, via a common interface, from a component that monitors system memory, the function call requesting a response to available memory resources dropping below the specified threshold;
- presenting information associated with memory resources at a user interface;
- and
- causing at least one active user module currently consuming a portion of memory resources to release the portion of memory resources.
In an embedded system that includes limited memory resources, a method for customizing embedded system behavior when there is a reduction in available memory resources, the method comprising the acts of:
- receiving an initialization function call, via a common initialization interface, the function call requesting that a memory monitoring component be initialized to perform one or more of a plurality of memory functions;
- detecting a reduction in available memory resources;
- and
- receiving a memory function call, via a common interface, requesting that one of the one or more initialized memory functions be performed.
A computer program product for use in an embedded system that includes limited memory resources and a number of user modules that may be executed to become active, wherein an active user module consumes a portion of the limited memory resources, and wherein the user modules may potentially consume more memory resources than are available in the limited memory resources, the computer program product for implementing a method for replacing a default operating system response when available memory resources drop below a specified threshold the computer program product comprising the following:
- one or more computer-readable media carrying computer-executable instruction, that when executed at the embedded system, cause the embedded system to perform the method, including:
- receiving a function call, via a common interface, from a component that monitors system memory, the function call requesting a response to available memory resources dropping below the specified threshold, presenting memory usage information at a user interface;
- and
- causing at least one active user module currently consuming a portion of memory resources to release the portion of memory resources.
A computer program product for use in an embedded system that includes limited memory resources, the computer program product for implementing a method for customizing embedded system behavior when there is a reduction in available memory resources, the computer program product comprising:
- one or more computer-readable media carrying computer-executable instructions, that when executed at the computer system, cause the computer system to perform the method, including:
- initializing a memory monitoring component to perform one or more of a plurality of memory functions, where each memory function may be called via a common interface;
- detecting a reduction in available memory resources;
- and
- receiving a request, via the common interface for a memory function that is one of the one of more initialized memory functions, to perform the memory function.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.