Interface frames for threads

• US 6,670,969 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SCSK Corp. (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Curl Corp.
• Inventors: Ward, Stephen A., Kranz, David A., Halstead, Robert H. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/607,120
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 345/762, 345/853, 707/102, 707/103.R, 707/103.Y, 707/103, 707/103.Z, 707/104.1, 715/513, 709/100, 709/328
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure

Abstract

The present invention provides for operations on objects in a hierarchy by partitioning the hierarchy into subhierarchies, each subhierarchy being associated with a thread interface frame. Operations of the thread interface frame are executed within threads acting on objects in the subhierarchy. When needed, the effects of an operation are stored in the thread interface frame, allowing the effects to be forwarded to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread.

Claims

1. A method of operating on a hierarchy of objects, the method comprising:

partitioning the hierarchy into subhierarchies, and providing a thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

within a thread, executing an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hierarchy of objects contains graphical objects.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

forwarding an effect of the operation to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

wherein the thread is a process that is part of a larger process or program.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the thread interface frame includes a programming interface supporting a set of functions to regulate access to objects in the subhierarchies.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the thread interface frame provides change notification for propagating a nonlocal option value to objects in the hierarchy, the nonlocal option being capable of storing a value, storing a default value and having the ability to optionally influence a value that is read using the same nonlocal option name on another object.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the thread interface frame maintains a copy of the nonlocal option value, such that the operation will not require access to a parent of the object in the hierarchy to retrieve the nonlocal option value.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the thread interface frame maintains a copy of the nonlocal option value by registering for change notification events on the nonlocal option.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the thread interface frame provides for propagating an event notification to objects in the hierarchy.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises setting a nonlocal option value, influencing the option value that is read using the same option name on another object in the hierarchy.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises getting a nonlocal option value, including accessing ancestor objects of the subhierarchy.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises registering for change notification events on a nonlocal option.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises repainting a region represented by the hierarchy.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises renegotiating a layout for a region represented by the hierarchy.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the effect of the operation comprises obtaining width and/or height preferences for a region represented by the hierarchy.

15. An apparatus for operating on a hierarchy of objects, the apparatus comprising:

a thread interface frame partitioning the hierarchy into subhierarchies; and

a thread, executing an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the hierarchy of objects contains graphical objects.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

an effect of the operation, forwarded to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

wherein the thread is a process that is part of a larger process or program.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the thread interface frame includes a programming interface supporting a set of functions to regulate access to objects in the subhierarchies.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the thread interface frame provides change notification for propagating a nonlocal option value to objects in the hierarchy, the nonlocal option being capable of storing a value, storing a default value and having the ability to optionally influence a value that is read using the same nonlocal option name on another object.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the thread interface frame maintains a copy of the nonlocal option value, such that the operation will not require access to a parent of the object in the hierarchy to retrieve the nonlocal option value.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the thread interface frame maintains a copy of the nonlocal option value by registering for change notification events on the nonlocal option.

22. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the thread interface frame provides for propagating an event notification to objects in the hierarchy.

23. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises setting a nonlocal option value, influencing the option value that is read using the same option name on another object in the hierarchy.

24. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises getting a nonlocal option value, including accessing ancestor objects of the subhierarchy.

25. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises registering for change notification events on a nonlocal option.

26. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises repainting a region represented by the hierarchy.

27. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises renegotiating a layout for a region represented by the hierarchy.

28. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the effect of the operation comprises obtaining width and/or height preferences for a region represented by the hierarchy.

29. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium for operating on a hierarchy of objects;

a set of computer program instructions embodied on the computer usable medium, including instructions to;

partition the hierarchy into subhierarchies, and provide a thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

within a thread, execute an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 further comprising instructions to:

forward an effect of the operation to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies.

31. A propagated signal carried on an electromagnetic waveform, the signal comprising a set of computer program instructions to:

partition the hierarchy into subhierarchies, and provide a thread interface frame between the subhierarchies;

within a thread, execute an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies.

32. The propagated signal of claim 31 further comprising instructions to:

forward an effect of the operation to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies.

33. A system for displaying objects represented in a hierarchy comprising:

a thread interface frame partitioning the hierarchy into subhierarchies; and

a thread, executing an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies; and

a computer program displaying the objects.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the hierarchy contains graphical objects.

35. The system of claim 33 further comprising:

an effect of the operation, forwarded to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

wherein the thread is a process that is part of a larger process or program.

36. The system of claim 33 wherein the thread interface frame includes a programming interface supporting a set of functions to regulate access to objects in the subhierarchies.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the thread interface frame provides change notification for propagating a nonlocal option value to objects in the hierarchy, the nonlocal option being capable of storing a value, storing a default value and having the ability to optionally influence a value that is read using the same nonlocal option name on another object.

38. The system of claim 33 wherein the thread interface frame provides the ability for multiple threads to act on the subhierarchies, each thread controlling a different object.

39. An apparatus for operating on a hierarchy of objects comprising:

a means for partitioning the hierarchy into subhierarchies, and providing a thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

within a thread, a means for executing an operation on an object in one of the subhierarchies.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 further comprising:

a means for forwarding an effect of the operation to another subhierarchy accessed by another thread by storing the effect of the operation in the thread interface frame between the subhierarchies; and

wherein the thread is a process that is part of a larger process or program.

41. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the thread interface frame includes a programming interface supporting a set of functions to regulate access to objects in the subhierarchies.

42. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the thread interface frame provides change notification for propagating a nonlocal option value to objects in the hierarchy, the nonlocal option being capable of storing a value, storing a default value and having the ability to optionally influence a value that is read using the same nonlocal option name on another object.