Cross-process common system resource data sharing

• US 6,920,633 B1
• Filed: 01/14/2000
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Scott, Phillip Brian, Venkatraman, Suresh, Knudson, Chad N. R.
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoang, Phuong N.
• Application Number:
  US09/483,170
• Time in Patent Office: 2,013 Days
• Field of Search: 718/104, 718/107, 345/24, 345/619, 709/104, 709/107, 709/328
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/544 Buffers; Shared memory; Pipes

Abstract

A system and method is provided for sharing constrained resources between two or more processes running within a common operating environment. The system is implemented by establishing a communications interface to each process sharing the resource data. The method obtains the resource data to be shared from one or more resource sources. In communication with the processes, the communications interface receives resource data requests and processes the requests with the resource data. Finally, the method communicates the processed resource data request, via the communications link, to the requesting process.

Claims

1. A method for sharing graphics device interface (GDI)/font resource data between multiple instances of single document interface (SDI) applications, said method comprising:

obtaining a single shared copy of the GDI/font resource data from a source of system resources;

creating an instance of a central server and a central font cache store and storing the single shared copy in the central font cache store, the single shared copy being configured to allow concurrent accessing and sharing by the multiple instances of SDI applications;

receiving font data process requests from the SDI applications through communications between a separate communications link associated with each of the multiple instances and the central server, wherein receiving font data process requests further includes establishing a separate communications interface for each SDI application;

processing the font data requests through the central server using the shared copy of the GDI/font resource data and transferring the font data requests to a central font cache store having stored thereto the shared copy of the GDI/font resource data; and

communicating the processed font data to the SDI applications by transferring at least a portion of the GDI/font resource data from the central font cache store to the applications utilizing a fast access array, wherein the GDI/font resource data includes a system handle to a system font and at least one attribute of the system font.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising refreshing the shared copy of the GDI/font resource data.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein said refreshing step includes:

receiving communications from a resource source; and

obtaining a new shared copy of the GDI/font resource data.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein said step of receiving communications includes receiving an update GDI/font resource data message from an operating system.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising communicating to the SDI applications commands to acquire the new copy of the GDI/font resource data.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein each instance of the SDI applications is selected from a group consisting of a word processing application, a spreadsheet application, and a database application.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the SDI applications are created from a single software platform.