System and method for user mode applications to register to receive kernel mode device related events

• US 7,124,416 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2004
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Naik, Dilip C, Warwick, Alan M
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Van H.
• Application Number:
  US10/845,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20040216137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 719310-315, 719/318, 719/320, 719/321, 719/327, 713/1, 713/2, 713/300, 713/320, 713/322, 710/68, 345/156
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode

Abstract

A system and method for providing user mode applications operating in user mode with access to events that occur at a system device operating in kernel mode, is presented. A user mode application subscribes to events that occur at a system device by issuing a request to an event subscription management module operating in user mode. In response, the event subscription management module issues a first subscription request to a translation module operating in kernel module, via a user mode/kernel module channel. The translation module translates the first subscription message into a second message, and issues the second message to the system device'"'"'s interface, thereby subscribing to events that occur at the system device. As events occur at the system device, the translation module is notified, and issues corresponding event messages to the event subscription management module.

Claims

1. A method, implemented on a computer system with an operating environment having both a user mode and a kernel mode, for providing a user mode application access to events that occur at a system device, the system device having a software interface, the method comprising:

receiving a first subscription message from an event subscription management module in response to a subscription request to be notified of events that occur at the system device from a user application, wherein the event subscription management module and user application both operate in the user module, and wherein the user application is external to the event subscription management module;

translating information in the first subscription message to create a second subscription message;

issuing the second subscription message to the system device'"'"'s interface thereby subscribing to events occurring at the system device, the system device'"'"'s interface operating in the kernel mode; and

as events occur at the system device;

receiving notification from the system device'"'"'s interface that an event occurred; and

issuing a notification message to the event subscription module for the user application indicating that the event occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein translating information in the first subscription message to create the second subscription message comprises:

obtaining a globally unique identifier from the first subscription message;

identifying a code associated with the globally unique identifier; and

creating the second subscription message according to the code associated with the globally unique identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the system device'"'"'s interface is an advanced configuration and power interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the system device is a hardware system device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the system device is a software system device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification message to the event subscription module for the user application indicating that the event occurred includes event specific data.

7. A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing system with an operating environment having both a user mode and a kernel mode, carry out a method for providing a user mode application access to events that occur at a system device, the method comprising:

receiving a first subscription message from an event subscription management module in response to a subscription request to be notified of events that occur at the system device from a user application, wherein the event subscription management module and user application both operate in the user mode, and wherein the user application is external to the event subscription management module;

translating the first subscription message to create a second subscription message;

issuing the second subscription message to the system device'"'"'s interface thereby subscribing to events occurring at the system device, the system device'"'"'s interface operating in the kernel mode; and

as events occur at the system device;

receiving notification from the system device'"'"'s interface that an event occurred; and

issuing a notification message to the event subscription module for the user application indicating that the event occurred.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein translating information in the first subscription message to create the second subscription message comprises:

obtaining a globally unique identifier from the first subscription message;

identifying a code associated with the globally unique identifier; and

creating the second subscription message according to the code associated with the globally unique identifier.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the system device'"'"'s interface is an advanced configuration and power interface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the system device is a hardware system device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the system device is a software system device.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification message to the event subscription module for the user application indicating that the event occurred includes event specific data.

13. A computer:

implemented system with an operating environment having both a user mode and a kernel mode for providing a user mode application access to device related events, the system comprising;

a system device upon which events occur;

a device interface corresponding to the system device, the device interface operating in the kernel mode and through which the system accesses the events that occur at the system device;

an event subscription management module operating in the user mode that, in response to receiving a request from a user mode application to subscribe to events that occur at the system device, issues a first subscription message to the corresponding device interface to subscribe to events that occur at the system device, and that provides event messages to the user mode application corresponding to events that occur at the system device; and

a translation module operating in kernel mode, communicatively coupled to the corresponding device interface and also communicatively coupled to the event subscription management module, that receives the first subscription message from the event subscription management module, and upon receiving the first subscription message;

translates information in the first subscription message to create a second subscription message;

issues the second subscription message to the corresponding device interface, thereby subscribing to events occurring at the system device; and

as the translation module receives notification from the corresponding device interface that an event occurred at the system device, issues an event message to the event subscription management module that the event occurred.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a communication channel delivering messages between the event subscription management module operating in the user mode and the translation module operating in the kernel mode.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communication channel comprises:

a first communication module operating in the user mode; and

a second communication module operating in the kernel module;

wherein the first and second communication modules are communicatively coupled to deliver messages between the event subscription management module operating in the user mode and the translation module operating in the kernel mode.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the translation module translates information in the first subscription message to create a second subscription message by:

obtaining a globally unique identifier from the first subscription message;

identifying a code associated with the globally unique identifier; and

creating the second subscription message according to the code associated with the globally unique identifier.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the device interface is an advanced configuration and power interface.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the system device is a hardware system device.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the system device is a software system device.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the event message issued to the event subscription management module includes event specific data.