METHOD OF ALLOCATING STACK IN MULTI-THREADED SENSOR OPERATING SYSTEM ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080140979A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: GU, Bon Cheol, CHO, Yoo Kun, MIN, Hong, HONG, Ji Man, SHIN, Chang Min, CHANG, Jin Ho, KIM, Sang Cheol, HEO, Jun Young, YI, Sang Ho, KIM, Hae Yong, LEE, Seung Woo
• Application Number:
  US11/753,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140979A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4484 Executing subprograms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

Provided is a method of allocating a stack in a multi-threaded sensor operating system environment. The method dynamically allocates as much stack space as is required by a thread, thereby enabling efficient use of stack space. The method includes the steps of: whenever a function is called while a thread is performing an operation, dynamically allocating a stack space to be used by the called function; and when execution of the function is finished, returning the allocated stack space.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically allocating a stack in a multi-threaded sensor operating system environment, the method comprising the steps of:

whenever a function is called while a thread is performing an operation, dynamically allocating a stack space to be used by the function; and

when execution of the function is finished, returning the allocated stack space.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated, on the basis of a size of a local variable to be used by the function and a number of function arguments.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated by analyzing assembly codes corresponding to the function.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

storing information on the estimated size of the stack space,

wherein the stack space is allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

storing information on the estimated size of the stack space,

wherein the stack space is allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

6. A method of dynamically allocating a stack in a multi-threaded sensor operating system environment, the method comprising the steps of:

when a function is called while a thread is performing an operation, allocating stack space to be used by the function;

moving a stack pointer to point at the allocated stack space;

storing arguments and a return address of the function in the stack space;

when execution of the function is finished, returning the function; and

restoring the stack pointer, and returning the allocated stack space.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated, on the basis of a size of a local variable to be used by the function and a number of the function arguments.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated by analyzing assembly codes corresponding to the function.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of:

storing information on the estimated size of the stack space,

wherein the stack space is allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

storing information on the estimated size of the stack space,

wherein the stack space is allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

11. A computer-readable recording medium storing a computer program for carrying out a method of dynamically allocating a stack, the method comprising the steps of:

whenever a function is called while a thread is performing an operation, dynamically allocating a stack space to be used by the function; and

when execution of the function is finished, returning the allocated stack space.

12. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises a step of estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated, on the basis of a size of a local variable to be used by the function and a number of function arguments.

13. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises a step of estimating a size of the stack space to be allocated by analyzing assembly codes corresponding to the function.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises a step of storing information on the estimated size of the stack space, the stack space being allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

15. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises a step of storing information on the estimated size of the stack space, the stack space being allocated on the basis of the stored size information.

16. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 11, wherein the computer program is executed at a sensor node having a limited-capacity memory.