The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 16, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 26, 1997
Marc Tremblay, Palo Alto, CA (US);
James Michael O'Connor, Union City, CA (US);
Guy L Steele, Jr, Lexington, MA (US);
Sanjay Vishin, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Ole Agesen, Franklin, MA (US);
Steven Heller, Chelmsford, MA (US);
Derek R White, Reading, MA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A write barrier to stores into a partially relocated large or popular memory object facilitates bounded pause time implementations of relocating garbage collectors, including e.g., copying collectors, generational collectors, and collectors providing compaction. Such a write barrier allows a garbage collector implementation to interrupt relocation of large or popular memory objects so as to meet bounded pause time guarantees. A partially relocated object identifier store including 'copy from' identifier storage accessible to write barrier logic allows the write barrier logic to maintain consistency between FromSpace and ToSpace instances of a partially relocated memory object. 'Copy from' identifier storage allows the write barrier logic, or a trap handler responsive thereto, to broadcast a store-oriented memory access targeting the FromSpace instance to both FromSpace and ToSpace instances. Optional 'How far' indication storage facilitates differentiation by the write barrier logic between a copied portion and an uncopied portion of the partially relocated memory object.