Inter-task communications method, program, recording medium, and electronic device

• US 20040163089A1
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nishimura, Tadaharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,461,380 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/546 Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues

Abstract

Within a processing of a sender task, a transmission request occurs that a data item be sent to a processing of a recipient task. The data item is then once stored in a queue from which the recipient task can retrieve the data item when the recipient task is thereafter activated. When the data item is stored, it is determined whether the queue already stores another data item. When no another data item is being stored, an activation request for activating the recipient task is outputted to the operating system. When another data item is being stored, no activation request is outputted. Within the processing of the recipient task, all the data items are retrieved from the queue. This decreases the activation/termination of the recipient task, reducing the processing load.

Claims

1. An inter-task communications method achieved by execution of a computer, the inter-task communications method where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the inter-task communications method comprising steps of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, within the processing of the second task, a frequency of the activation request is provided for being less than a frequency of the data queuing, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, more than one data item is retrieved from the queue.

4. The inter-task communications method of claim 1,

wherein the second task is one of a plurality of tasks that individually have different priority levels,

wherein the queue is provided for each of the priority levels,

wherein the operating system includes task specifying information that specifies a task, wherein an activation request for activating the task specified by the specifying information is already outputted to the operating system and activating the task specified by the specifying information is yet to be executed, and

wherein the operating system activates, in a descending order of the priority levels, the tasks specified by the task specifying information.

2. An inter-task communications method achieved by execution of a computer, the inter-task communications method where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the inter-task communications method comprising steps of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, when a transmission request that a given data item be sent occurs, it is determined whether the queue stores a certain data item that is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored,

wherein, when the certain data item is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored, no activation request is then outputted,

wherein, when no certain data item is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored, an activation request is then outputted, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, all data items that can be retrieved from the queue is retrieved from the queue.

3. An inter-task communications method achieved by execution of a computer, the inter-task communications method where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the inter-task communications method comprising steps of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, when a transmission request occurs, it is determined whether a given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is present in the operating system,

wherein, when the given activation request is present in the operating system, no given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is then outputted,

wherein, when no given activation request is present in the operating system, the given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is then outputted, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, all data items that can be retrieved from the queue is retrieved from the queue.

5. A program executed by a computer for achieving an inter-task communications where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the program comprising steps of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, within the processing of the second task, a frequency of the activation request is provided for being less than a frequency of the data queuing, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, more than one data item is retrieved from the queue.

6. An electronic device achieving an inter-task communications where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task, the electronic device comprising:

a computer; and

a program executed by the computer,

wherein the program includes steps of;

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, within the processing of the second task, a frequency of the activation request is provided for being less than a frequency of the data queuing, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, more than one data item is retrieved from the queue.

7. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in an inter-task communications where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the computer program product comprising instructions of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, within the processing of the second task, a frequency of the activation request is provided for being less than a frequency of the data queuing, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, more than one data item is retrieved from the queue.

8. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in an inter-task communications where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the computer program product comprising instructions of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, when a transmission request that a given data item be sent occurs, it is determined whether the queue stores a certain data item that is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored,

wherein, when the certain data item is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored, no activation request is then outputted,

wherein, when no certain data item is being already stored before the given data item is to be stored, an activation request is then outputted, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, all data items that can be retrieved from the queue is retrieved from the queue.

9. A computer program product on a computer readable medium for use in an inter-task communications where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the computer program product comprising instructions of:

executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, when a transmission request occurs, it is determined whether a given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is present in the operating system,

wherein, when the given activation request is present in the operating system, no given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is then outputted,

wherein, when no given activation request is present in the operating system, the given activation request for requesting for activating the second task is then outputted, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, all data items that can be retrieved from the queue is retrieved from the queue.

10. An inter-task communications device including a computer, the inter-task communications device where a transmission request occurs, wherein the transmission request is that a data item be sent from a processing of a first task to a processing of a second task,

the inter-task communications device comprising:

data queuing means for executing, when the transmission request occurs, within the processing of the first task, a data queuing so that the data item is stored in a queue from which the second task can retrieve the data item;

activation requesting means for outputting an activation request to an operating system for requesting for activating the second task; and

data retrieving means for executing, when the second task is activated by a processing of the operating system based on the activation request, a data retrieving within the processing of the second task so that the data item stored in the queue is retrieved from the queue,

wherein, within the processing of the second task, a frequency of the activation request is provided for being less than a frequency of the data queuing, and

wherein, within the data retrieving within the processing of the second task, more than one data item is retrieved from the queue.