US 6,857,085 B1 · Method and system for handling an unexpected exception generated by an application

Abstract

A system and method for handling the generation of an unexpected exception by an application. When the application generates an unexpected exception (i.e., crashes), the application's exception filter launches an outside exception handling program (EHP) that is separate and distinct from the application. Through a special protocol, the application and the EHP collaborate in responding to the unexpected exception. In this protocol, the application and the EHP communicate through kernel objects accessible by handles in a shared memory structure that the application creates before launching of the exception handling program and then shares with the EHP. Through this shared memory, the application also provides the EHP with information about the types of recovery options to offer the user. Through a graphical user interface, the EHP is then responsible for notifying the user of the application that an unexpected exception has occurred. Through the graphical user interface, the EHP also provides the user with the ability to specify various courses of action in response to the unexpected exception.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A data structure for coordinating communication, which facilitates processing of an unexpected exception, between an exception handling program and a separate application that generated the unexpected exception, comprising:

a handle to a first kernel event object through which the exception handling program can notify the application that a user has selected an operating mode for processing the unexpected exception;
a handle to a second kernel event object through which:
a) the exception handling program can notify the application that the exception handling program is still performing a first task;
and
b) the application can notify the exception handling program that the application is still performing a second task;
and
a handle to a kernel mutex object, available to only a single program at a time upon request to an operating system, which the application and the exception handling program can use to coordinate accessing of kernel event objects.

4 more elements

A computer-implementable method for handling an unexpected exception generated by an application, comprising:

detecting the unexpected exception;
in response to detecting the unexpected exception, launching an exception handling program that is separate from the application;
generating a shared memory structure accessible by both the exception handling program and the application;
under control of the exception handling program, providing a user of the application with a menu of options for processing the unexpected exception and displaying to the user a progress bar indicating progress of the application in completing a task;
receiving a selected option chosen by the user from the menu of options;
and
processing the unexpected exception in accordance with the selected option, wherein processing the unexpected exception in accordance with the selected option comprises:
determining if the selected option comprises temporarily returning control to the application;
if the selected option comprises temporarily returning control to the application, then temporarily returning control to the application so that the application can complete the task;
and
upon completion of the task, returning control to the exception handling program for termination of the application.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for handling an unexpected exception generated by an application

Life of this patent

Method and system for handling an unexpected exception generated by an application

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19