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:
Jan. 20, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 29, 1999
Peter B. Kessler, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Steffen Grarup, Palo Alto, CA (US);
David M. Ungar, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Sun Microsystems, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for enabling an efficient generational scavenging garbage collection to be performed on a managed memory area are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for reclaiming memory space uses a managed memory area that includes a first area and a second area. The first area is arranged to store recently allocated objects, while the second area being arranged to store older objects. The method includes determining when a first section of the first area in which new objects are to be allocated is substantially filled. When it is determined that the first section is substantially filled, a garbage collection is performed on a second section of the first. After the garbage collection, the second section is set to support new object allocation such that new objects are allocated in the second section, while the first section is reset such that it is no longer arranged to support new object allocation. In one embodiment, performing the garbage collection on the second section includes copying a live object from the second section into the second area.