Inter-thread communications between different components using double buffer

• US 6,904,597 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2001
• Issued: 06/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Jin, Bin
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/820,756
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 719/312, 719/313, 719/314, 719/318, 719/319, 719/329, 719/330, 709310-340
• US Class Current: 719/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

An arrangement is provided for inter-thread communications. A first group of thread includes at least one thread. A thread from the first group buffers a request in a first buffer. A thread from a second group of thread retrieves the request buffered in the first buffer. The thread from the second group performs an operation based on the request and generates a response. The thread from the second group buffers the response in a second buffer. A thread from the first group of thread retrieves the response from the second buffer.

Claims

1. A system for inter-thread communications, comprising:

at least one thread from a first group of threads;

a first buffer for buffering a request from the at least one thread from the first group;

at least one thread from a second group of threads for performing an operation according to the request retrieved from the first buffer according to a predetermined criterion, the at least one thread from the first group of threads not being informed as to which of the second group of threads performs the operation; and

a second buffer for buffering a response with respect to the request, the response being generated by the at least one thread from the second group, the response being retrieved by a thread from the first group.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first group of threads includes a user interface thread.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second group of threads includes a worker thread.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the response is retrieved by the at least one thread from the first group of threads.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the response is retrieved by a different at least one thread, other than the thread from the first group of threads.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first buffer buffers the request in a buffer cell according to a priority of the request.

7. A method for inter-thread communications, comprising:

sending, by a thread from a first group of at least one thread, a request to a first buffer;

retrieving, by a thread from a second group of threads, the request from the first buffer according to a predetermined criterion;

processing the request by the thread from the second group of threads, the at least one from the first group of threads not being informed as to which of the second group of threads performs the operation;

sending, by the thread from the second group, a response with respect to the request to a second buffer after the processing; and

receiving, by a thread from the first group, the response from the second buffer according to a second predetermined criterion.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first group includes a user interface thread;

and

the second group includes a worker thread.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein retrieving the request by a thread from the second group according to a predetermined criterion includes retrieving according to whether the thread from the second group can perform the operation requested by the request.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the receiving the response by a thread from the first group of thread according to a second predetermined criterion includes receiving according to whether the response is addressed to the thread from the first group of threads.

11. A computer-readable medium having program code stored therein for causing, when executed, inter-thread communications to occur comprising:

sending, by at least one thread from a first group of threads, a request to a first buffer;

retrieving, by a thread from a second group of threads, the request from the first buffer according to a predetermined criterion;

processing the request by the thread from the second group of threads, the at least one thread from the first group of threads not being informed as to which of the second group of threads perform the operation;

sending, by the thread from the second group, a response with respect to the request to a second buffer after the processing; and

receiving, by a thread from the first group of threads, the response from the second buffer according to a second predetermined criterion.

12. The medium according to claim 11, wherein the first group of threads includes a user interface thread;

and

the second group of threads includes a worker thread.

13. The medium according to claim 11, wherein retrieving the request by a thread from the second group of threads according to a predetermined criterion includes retrieving according to whether the thread from the second group can perform the operation requested by the request.

14. The medium according to claim 11, wherein the receiving the response by a thread from the first group of threads according to a second predetermined criterion includes receiving according to whether the response is addressed to the thread from the first group of threads.

15. A system for inter-thread communications, comprising:

at least one thread from a first group of threads;

a first buffer for buffering a request from the at least one thread from the first group;

at least one thread from a second group of threads for performing an operation according to the request retrieved from the first buffer, each of the second group of threads examining the request to determine if said each of said second group of threads can process the request; and

a second buffer for buffering a response with respect to the request, the response being generated by the at least one thread from the second group, the response being retrieved by a thread from the first group.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first group of threads manages storing the request in the first buffer and the second group of threads manages storing the response in the second buffer.

17. A method for inter-thread communications, comprising:

sending, by a thread from a first group of threads, a request to a first buffer;

retrieving, by a thread from a second group of threads, the request from the first buffer according to a predetermined criterion, each of the second group of threads examining the request to determine if said each of said second group of threads can process the request;

processing the request by the thread from the second group of threads;

sending, by the thread from the second group, a response with respect to the request to a second buffer after the processing; and

receiving, by a thread from the first group, the response from the second buffer according to a second predetermined criterion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first group of threads manages storing the request in the first buffer and the second group of threads manages storing the response in the second buffer.

19. A computer-readable medium encoded with a program of a thread for inter-communication, the program, when executed, causing:

sending, by a thread from a first group of threads, a request to a first buffer;

retrieving, by a thread from a second group of threads, the request from the first buffer according to a predetermined criterion, each of the second group of threads examining the request to determine if said each of said second group of threads can process the request;

processing the request by the thread from the second group of threads;

sending, by the thread from the second group, a response with respect to the request to a second buffer after the processing; and

receiving, by a thread from the first group, the response from the second buffer according to a second predetermined criterion.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein the first group of threads manages storing the request in the first buffer and the second group of threads manages storing the response in the second buffer.