Method and system for implementing an interrupt handler

• US 7,743,384 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2005
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Cabillic, Gilbert, Chauvel, Gerard, Lesot, Jean-Philippe
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Adam
• Application Number:
  US11/189,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,792 Days
• Field of Search: 710/260, 712/244, 718 1-108, 717/108, 709/230, 719/320
• US Class Current: 718/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0802 Addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means, e.g. caches
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1081 for peripheral access to main memory, e.g. direct memory access [DMA]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/6012 of operating mode, e.g. cache mode or local memory mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/30174 for non-native instruction set, e.g. Javabyte, legacy code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system for interrupt handling in Java is provided that includes an execution flow class, an execution flow scheduler, a Java virtual machine (JVM), and an interrupt handler class that extends the execution flow class. The execution flow class defines an execution flow execution method and a constructor that creates an execution flow context. The interrupt handler class defines a handler method for an interrupt and an execution flow execution method that overrides the execution flow execution method of the execution flow class. An interrupt handler object is instantiated using the interrupt handler class, the constructor creates an execution flow context for the handler method, and when the interrupt is signaled, the JVM invokes a native execution flow activation method in the execution flow scheduler to switch to the handler execution flow context and the execution flow execution method to initiate execution of the handler method.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising

a Java execution flow class that represents an execution flow context, the execution flow class defining a first execution flow execution method and a constructor that creates an execution flow context;

an execution flow scheduler comprising only one Java native execution flow activation method, wherein the execution flow activation method causes a context switch to an execution flow context specified when the execution flow activation method is invoked;

a Java virtual machine executable on a processor of the computer system; and

an interrupt handler class that extends the execution flow class, wherein the interrupt handler class defines a handler method for an interrupt and a second execution flow execution method that overrides the first execution flow execution method and comprises one or more instructions to invoke the handler method,

wherein

an interrupt handler object is instantiated using the interrupt handler class,

the constructor creates an execution flow context for the handler method, and

when the interrupt is signaled, the Java virtual machine invokes the execution flow activation method to switch to the handler execution flow context and invokes the second execution flow execution method to initiate execution of the handler method.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrupt handler object is instantiated using a device driver class that extends the interrupt handler class, a handler method of the device driver object overriding the handler method of the interrupt handler class.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interrupt handler class defines an interrupt termination method comprising one or more instructions to enable the interrupt and to restore an execution flow context that was activated before the interrupt handler execution flow was activated, and wherein the second execution flow execution method invokes the interrupt termination method after the handler method completes execution.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the execution flow class defines a native execution flow creation method, and the constructor invokes the native execution flow creation method to create the handler execution flow context.

5. A computer-implemented method for handling an interrupt in a Java operating system comprising a single execution flow scheduler, the execution flow scheduler comprising a single Java native execution flow activation method that causes a context switch to an execution flow context specified when the execution flow activation method is invoked, the computer-implemented method comprising:

instantiating an interrupt handler object for the interrupt using an interrupt handler class that extends an execution flow class, defines a handler method for the interrupt, and defines an execution flow execution method that overrides an execution flow execution method defined in the execution flow class and comprises one or more instructions to invoke the handler method, wherein an execution flow context for the handler method is created;

invoking the Java native execution flow activation method of the execution flow scheduler to switch to the handler execution flow context when the interrupt is signaled; and

invoking the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class to initiate execution of the handler method after switching to the handler execution flow context.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein instantiating the interrupt handler object further comprises instantiating the interrupt handler object using a device driver class that extends the interrupt handler class.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the interrupt handler object further comprises an interrupt termination method defined by the interrupt handler class, the interrupt termination method comprising one or more instructions to enable the interrupt and to restore an execution flow context that was activated before the handler execution flow was activated, and wherein the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class invokes the interrupt termination method after the handler method completes execution.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein instantiating the interrupt handler object further comprises executing a constructor defined by the execution flow class that comprises one or more instructions to create the handler execution flow context.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a Java software system comprising a single execution flow scheduler, the execution flow scheduler comprising a single Java native execution flow activation method that causes a context switch to an execution flow context specified when the execution flow activation method is invoked, wherein when the Java software system is executed by a processor, a method for handling an interrupt is performed, the method comprising:

instantiating an interrupt handler object for the interrupt using an interrupt handler class that extends an execution flow class, defines a handler method for the interrupt, and defines an execution flow execution method that overrides an execution flow execution method defined in the execution flow class and comprises one or more instructions to invoke the handler method, wherein an execution flow context for the handler method is created;

invoking the Java native execution flow activation method of the execution flow scheduler to switch to the handler execution flow context when the interrupt is signaled; and

invoking the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class to initiate execution of the handler method after switching to the handler execution flow context.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein instantiating the interrupt handler object further comprises instantiating the interrupt handler object using a device driver class that extends the interrupt handler class.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the interrupt handler object further comprises an interrupt termination method defined by the interrupt handler class, the interrupt termination method comprising one or more instructions to enable the interrupt and to restore an execution flow context that was activated before the handler execution flow was activated, and wherein the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class invokes the interrupt termination method after the handler method completes execution.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein instantiating the interrupt handler object further comprises executing a constructor defined by the execution flow class that comprises one or more instructions to create the handler execution flow context.

13. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a Java software system configured to execute on the processor, the Java software system comprising a Java virtual machine and a single execution flow scheduler, the execution flow scheduler comprising a single Java native execution flow activation method that causes a context switch to an execution flow context specified when the execution flow activation method is invoked, wherein the Java software system is configured

to instantiate an interrupt handler object for an interrupt using an interrupt handler class that extends an execution flow class, defines a handler method for the interrupt, and defines an execution flow execution method that overrides an execution flow execution method defined in the execution flow class and comprises one or more instructions to invoke the handler method, wherein an execution flow context for the handler method is created;

to invoke the Java native execution flow activation method of the execution flow scheduler to switch to the handler execution flow context when the interrupt is signaled; and

to invoke the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class to initiate execution of the handler method after switching to the handler execution flow context.

14. The system of claim 13, where the Java software system is further configured to instantiate the interrupt handler object using a device driver class that extends the interrupt handler class.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the interrupt handler object further comprises an interrupt termination method defined by the interrupt handler class, the interrupt termination method comprising one or more instructions to enable the interrupt and to restore an execution flow context that was activated before the handler execution flow was activated, and wherein the execution flow execution method of the interrupt handler class invokes the interrupt termination method after the handler method completes execution.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the Java software system is further configured to instantiate the interrupt handler object by executing a constructor defined by the execution flow class that comprises one or more instructions to create the handler execution flow context.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the system comprises a mobile device.