Management system for memory resident computer programs

• US 5,274,819 A
• Filed: 03/27/1992
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Central Point Software, Inc. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Central Point Software, Inc. (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Blomfield-Brown, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Heckler, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US07/858,678
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 395/700, 395/157-161
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A management system for memory resident computer programs is disclosed which serves to provide compatibility between memory resident programs, TSR'"'"'s, written for the DOS operating system and the Windows graphical user interface whereby graphical images are generated and displayed to the user running the Windows graphical user interface under the command of a DOS TSR and the user'"'"'s input data may be communicated back to the DOS TSR in response to the image displayed. The present invention is comprised of a DOS TSR and a Windows TSR Manager which allocates memory addressable by both the DOS TSR and the Windows TSR Manager such that a communication channel independent of the DOS and Windows user interfaces is established and where the Windows TSR Manager further includes a Windows TSR Library Handler and one or more Windows TSR Libraries one for each DOS TSR supported by the present management system which serves to generate graphical images compatible with the Windows graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A management system for memory resident computer programs which serves to provide compatibility between one or more "terminate and stay resident" memory resident programs stored in a computer system'"'"'s random access memory, TSR'"'"'s, written for the DOS operating system and the Windows graphical user interface, wherein graphical images in the form of dialog boxes which are otherwise commanded by each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to be displayed to a user on the computer system monitor are generated and displayed to the user running the Windows graphical user interface by the present management system for memory resident computer programs, the present management system for memory resident computer programs comprising:

Windows TSR Manager means, said Windows TSR Manager means being loaded into said computer, system'"'"'s random access memory and serving to accept from each of said one or more DOS TSR programs a request to generate a graphical image upon a computer monitor of a computer system running said Windows graphical user interface;

said Windows TSR Manager means further including one or more Windows TSR Library means, wherein each of said one or more Windows TSR Library means is associated with a unique DOS TSR program supported by the present management system, and wherein each of said one or more Windows TSR Library means contains the image data required to generate said graphical images upon a computer monitor of a computer system running said Windows graphical user interface;

said Windows TSR Manager means further including a Windows TSR Library Handler means, said Windows TSR Library Handler means serving under the control of said Windows TSR Manager means to associate each said request from said one or more DOS TSR programs with their corresponding Windows TSR Library means towards permitting said Windows TSR Manager means to generate a graphical image on said computer monitor which is compatible with and thus viewable within said Windows graphical user interface.

2. A method for managing memory resident computer programs in a manner which serves to provide compatibility between one or more "terminate and stay resident" memory resident programs stored in a computer system'"'"'s random access memory, TSR'"'"'s, written for the DOS operating system and the Windows graphical user interface, wherein graphical images in the form of dialog boxes which are otherwise commanded by each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to be displayed to the user on the computer system monitor are generated and displayed to the user running the Windows graphical user interface using the present method for managing memory resident computer programs, the present method for managing memory resident computer programs comprising the steps of:

initializing a Windows TSR Manager means by identifying which of said one or more DOS TSR programs have been loaded into the random access memory of said computer system and establishing a communication path between said Windows TSR Manager means and each of said one or more DOS TSR programs by allocating a memory buffer means within said random access memory of said computer system which is accessible to both said Windows TSR Manager means and each of said one or more DOS TSR programs;

disabling each of said one or more DOS TSR programs from generating textual images displayable within the DOS operating system while preserving the ability of each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to generate said request to display said graphical images and the data inherent in said images;

receiving a request generated by each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to display said graphical images and communicating said request and image data to said Windows TSR Manager means via said computer memory buffer;

generating a graphic image upon the command of each of said one or more DOS TSR programs which is compatible with and displayable upon said computer monitor viewable by the computer user running the Windows graphical user interface.

3. A method for managing memory resident computer programs which serves to provide compatibility between one or more "terminate and stay resident" memory resident programs, TSR'"'"'s, written for the DOS operating system and the Windows graphical user interface such that graphical images are generated and displayed to the user running the Windows graphical user interface under the command of a DOS TSR, the present method for managing memory resident computer programs comprising the steps of:

identifying each of said one or more DOS TSR program means which have been loaded into the random access memory of a computer system, said identification occurring under the control of a Windows TSR Manager means;

allocating a first computer memory space for each DOS TSR to be supported by said Windows TSR Manager means;

loading data into said first computer memory space wherein said data is representative of the visual image to be displayed upon a computer monitor;

page locking said computer memory space toward insuring that the data stored in said memory is not swapped out to other data storage areas;

allocating a second computer memory space for each of said one or more DOS TSR program means which have been loaded into said random access memory means of said computer system;

designating an address within said second computer memory space which may be accessed by each of said DOS TSR programs and said Windows TSR Manager means;

commanding each of said DOS TSR program means to extract data from said second computer memory space corresponding to said memory address designated for each of said DOS TSR programs and to write data into said second computer memory space where said data serves to identify each of said one or more DOS TSR programs loaded into said random access memory means of said computer system;

determining the identify of which of said one or more DOS TSR programs have been loaded into said random access memory means by extracting said data written into said second memory buffer, said determination occurring under the control of said Windows TSR Manager means;

disabling each of said one or more DOS TSR programs from generating textual images displayable within the DOS operating system while preserving the ability of each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to generate said request to display said graphical images and the data inherent in said images;

receiving a request generated by each of said one or more DOS TSR programs to display said images and communicating said request and image data to said Windows TSR Manager means via said computer memory buffer;

generating a graphic image upon the command of each of said one or more DOS TSR programs which is displayable and viewable by the computer user running the Windows graphical user interface.