Utilizing overhead in fixed length memory block pools

• US 6,718,451 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd. (Xiaomi Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Chien-I, Lawton, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hiep T.
• Application Number:
  US10/059,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 711/170, 711/171, 711/172, 711/173, 711/202
• US Class Current: 711/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/023 Free address space management

Abstract

A method of managing a fixed length memory block pool having a plurality of memory blocks includes receiving a memory block address from a memory management module, in which the memory block address corresponds to an available memory block. The method further includes decrementing the memory block address by an amount substantially equal to a size of the overhead area of the available memory block.

Claims

1. A method of managing a fixed length memory block pool having a plurality of memory blocks, said method comprising:

receiving a memory block address from a memory management module, said memory block address corresponding to an available memory block; and

decrementing the memory block address by an amount substantially equal to a size of an overhead area of the available memory block.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the decremented memory block address to an application that has requested a first memory block.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

writing a pool pointer in the overhead area of the available memory block; and

incrementing the decremented memory block address by the amount.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory blocks comprise a plurality of overhead areas, the overhead areas used to track which of the plurality of memory blocks have been allocated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of overhead areas comprise a memory portion of the plurality of memory blocks.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory management module is part of an operating system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the operating system is ThreadX.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of memory blocks is comprised of random access memory.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the pool pointer identifies the memory block pool.

10. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a bus coupled to said processor; and

a memory coupled to said bus;

wherein said memory comprises instructions, which when executed by said processor, cause said processor to implement;

a memory management module;

an interface to said memory management module; and

an application;

wherein said memory management module manages a fixed length memory block pool having a plurality of memory blocks formed in said memory, and said interface comprises instructions that;

receive a memory block address from a memory management module, said memory block address corresponding to an available memory block; and

decrement the memory block address by an amount substantially equal to a size of an overhead area of the available memory block.

11. The system of claim 10, said interface further comprising instructions that:

send the decremented memory block address to said application.

12. The system of claim 11, said interface further comprising instructions that:

write a pool pointer in the overhead area of the available memory block; and

increment the decremented memory block address by the amount.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of memory blocks comprise a plurality of overhead areas, the overhead areas used to track which of said plurality of memory blocks have been allocated.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the memory management module is part of an operating system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said operating system is ThreadX.

16. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manage a fixed length memory block pool having a plurality of memory blocks by:

receiving a memory block address from a memory management module, the memory block address corresponding to an available memory block; and

changing the memory block address so that a storage area of the available memory block includes an overhead area.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, said instructions further comprising:

sending the changed memory block address to an application that has requested a first memory block.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, said instructions further comprising:

changing the changed memory block address to a value that was received from the memory management module; and

writing a pool pointer in the overhead area of the available memory block.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of memory blocks comprise a plurality of overhead areas, the overhead areas used to track which of the plurality of memory blocks have been allocated.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the plurality of overhead areas comprise a memory portion of the plurality of memory blocks.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the memory management module is part of an operating system.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the operating system is ThreadX.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of memory blocks is comprised of random access memory.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the pool pointer identifies the memory block pool.