Centralized memory management for multiple device streams

• US 10,437,601 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2017
• Issued: 10/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Larson, Christian P., Wilson, Mei L., Shen, Fabin
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, Eric
• Application Number:
  US15/713,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20190004808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0692 Multiconfiguration, e.g. local and global addressing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/167 using a common memory, e.g. mailbox
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/3851 from multiple instruction streams, e.g. multistreaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory

Abstract

Described are examples for allocating buffers for multiple components. A stream server can provide an interface to a centralized memory allocator for allocating at least one buffer in a memory to each of the multiple components. The stream server can initialize an instance of the centralized memory allocator based at least in part on a request received from a component of the multiple components via the interface. The stream server can allocate, via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, the at least one buffer for the component in the memory. The stream server can receive, via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, data for storing in the at least one buffer. The stream server can modify the data to generate modified data stored in the at least one buffer.

Claims

1. A method for allocating buffers for multiple components, comprising:

providing, by a stream server, an interface to a centralized memory allocator for allocating at least one buffer in a memory to each of the multiple components, wherein each of the multiple components is one of a driver initialized by an operating system for receiving data from a sensor device, a driver extension or media foundation transform (MFT) initialized by an operating system for modifying data received from a sensor device;

initializing, by the stream server, an instance of the centralized memory allocator based at least in part on a request received from a component of the multiple components via the interface;

allocating, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, the at least one buffer for the component in the memory;

receiving, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, data for storing in the at least one buffer;

modifying, by the stream server, the data to generate modified data stored in the at least one buffer;

receiving, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, a request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer; and

allocating, based on receiving the request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer, at least a portion of memory previously allocated to the at least one buffer to another buffer for another component of the multiple components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the data includes adding one or more flags to the data to generate the modified data, wherein the one or more flags indicate that the data is managed by the centralized memory allocator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the data includes adding one or more flags to the data to generate the modified data, wherein the one or more flags indicate that the data is shareable with other components.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the data includes compressing the data to generate the modified data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the data includes decompressing the data to generate the modified data.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying at least a size of the at least one buffer for the component in managing the memory for other instances of the centralized memory allocator.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising deallocating a second buffer to a second component of the multiple components, and allocating at least a portion of memory previously allocated to the second buffer to the at least one buffer for the component.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the modified data stored in the at least one buffer to one or more other components via a different interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the memory corresponds to kernel memory accessible by the stream server.

10. A device for allocating buffers for multiple components, comprising:

a memory storing one or more parameters or instructions for executing a stream server, wherein the stream server interfaces with the multiple components, wherein each of the multiple components is one of a driver initialized by an operating system for receiving data from a sensor device, a driver extension or media foundation transform (MFT) initialized by an operating system for modifying data received from a sensor device; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

provide an interface to a centralized memory allocator for allocating at least one buffer in the memory to each of the multiple components;

initialize an instance of the centralized memory allocator based at least in part on a request received from a component of the multiple components via the interface;

allocate, via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, the at least one buffer for the component in the memory;

receive, via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, data for storing in the at least one buffer;

modify the data to generate modified data stored in the at least one buffer;

receive, via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, a request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer; and

allocate, based on receiving the request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer, at least a portion of memory previously allocated to the at least one buffer to another buffer for another component of the multiple components.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to modify the data at least in part by adding one or more flags to the data to generate the modified data, wherein the one or more flags indicate that the data is managed by the centralized memory allocator.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to modify the data at least in part by adding one or more flags to the data to generate the modified data, wherein the one or more flags indicate that the data is shareable with other components.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to modify the data at least in part by compressing the data to generate the modified data.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is configured to modify the data at least in part by decompressing the data to generate the modified data.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to modify at least a size of the at least one buffer for the component in managing the memory for other instances of the centralized memory allocator.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to deallocate a second buffer to a second component of the multiple components, and allocate at least a portion of memory previously allocated to the second buffer to the at least one buffer for the component.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to expose the modified data stored in the at least one buffer to one or more other components via a different interface.

18. The device of claim 10, wherein the memory corresponds to kernel memory accessible by the stream server.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising code executable by one or more processors for allocating buffers for multiple components, the code comprising code for:

providing, by a stream server, an interface to a centralized memory allocator for allocating at least one buffer in a memory to each of the multiple components, wherein each of the multiple components is one of a driver initialized by an operating system for receiving data from a sensor device, a driver extension or media foundation transform (MFT) initialized by an operating system for modifying data received from a sensor device;

initializing, by the stream server, an instance of the centralized memory allocator based at least in part on a request received from a component of the multiple components via the interface;

allocating, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, the at least one buffer for the component in the memory;

receiving, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, data for storing in the at least one buffer;

modifying, by the stream server, the data to generate modified data stored in the at least one buffer;

receiving, by the stream server via the instance of the centralized memory allocator, a request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer; and

allocating, based on receiving the request from the component to deallocate the at least one buffer, at least a portion of memory previously allocated to the at least one buffer to another buffer for another component of the multiple components.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the code for modifying the data adds one or more flags to the data to generate the modified data, wherein the one or more flags indicate that the data is managed by the centralized memory allocator.