Method of deterministic garbage collection

Details Method of deterministic garbage collection Method of deterministic garbage collection

2011-05-24

2011-05-24

Wong, Leslie (Department: 2164)

Data processing: database and file management or data structures

Garbage collection

C711S170000, C711SE12009, C707S817000

Reissue Patent

active

RE042396

ABSTRACT:
A garbage collection method that distinguishes between local objects and managed objects, and between an ordinary pointer to an object, an owning pointer to an object, and a non-owning pointer to an object is presented. Ordinary pointers point only to local objects, and owning and non-owning pointers point only to managed objects. Managed objects have attributes including a count of the number of owning pointers referring to them, and a linked list of non-owning pointers referring to them. Managed objects only possess non-owning pointers. Only an invocation of a subroutine within a thread can possess an owning pointer. Using this method, when an invocation exits, its exit code gives up ownership of all objects it owned. When an object is no longer reachable from any owning pointer, either directly, or indirectly through non-owning pointers, the object is immediately de-allocated. By implementing data structures and methods to support owning pointers, non-owning pointers, and managed objects, and by enforcing rules regarding the use of ordinary pointers, owning pointers, and non-owning pointers, efficient and deterministic garbage collection is achieved, memory leaks and dangling pointers are eliminated, and objects containing circular references to each other are not a source of memory leaks.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4755939 (1988-07-01), Watson
patent: 4775932 (1988-10-01), Oxley et al.
patent: 5398334 (1995-03-01), Topka et al.
patent: 5652883 (1997-07-01), Adcock
patent: 5799185 (1998-08-01), Watanabe
patent: 5848423 (1998-12-01), Ebrahim et al.
patent: 5900001 (1999-05-01), Wolczko et al.
patent: 5903899 (1999-05-01), Steele, Jr.
patent: 5960087 (1999-09-01), Tribble et al.
patent: 6094664 (2000-07-01), Ungar
patent: 6144965 (2000-11-01), Oliver
patent: 6421690 (2002-07-01), Kirk, III
patent: 6473773 (2002-10-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 6487563 (2002-11-01), Houldsworth
patent: 6799191 (2004-09-01), Agesen et al.
patent: 7469324 (2008-12-01), Tene et al.
patent: 7584232 (2009-09-01), Guo
patent: 2001/0037412 (2001-11-01), Miloushev et al.
patent: 2006/0155791 (2006-07-01), Tene et al.
patent: 2007/0203960 (2007-08-01), Guo
“D Programming Language”—Digital Mars, 1999-2002.
Horstmann, Cay S. “Memory management and smart pointers.” In C++ Report, 5,3 (Mar./Apr. 1993), 28-34. New York: 101 Communications, 1993.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Method of deterministic garbage collection does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method of deterministic garbage collection, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method of deterministic garbage collection will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2674855