Abstract: In a computer system including a central processing unit and a transducer for providing data input to the system from a source having controllable operational features and parameters for adjusting characteristics of the data independently of the source and where the system's operating system manages data requests from an application program with one or more data entry fields and associated data entry criteria, a method for responding to a data request by the application program includes tagging the input data with an input source identification; packaging the data and the input source identification as a data module, the data module being associated with a predetermined data entry field in the application software; transferring the data module from the transducer to the application via the operating system; and associating the data module to one or more predetermined data entry fields of the application software based on the input source identification and the associated data entry criteria.

Abstract: In accordance with methods and systems consistent with the present invention, a system that automatically generates Fortran 90 interfaces to Fortran 77 code is provided. These interfaces provide for the use of optional parameters and, because they are written in Fortran 90, also allow for parameter checking. These interfaces are automatically generated to allow a programmer to reap the benefits of Fortran 90 calling without having to rewrite the Fortran 77 underlying code.

Abstract: A method for handling multiple call processing requests by a mobile switching center having call processing software which includes an application raising a series of events to be handled in sequence, at least one of which is implemented in a single use dynamic object. For each of the events implemented in a single use dynamic object, a quasi-singleton is created and cached in a data store for later use (and re-use) in handling the event. When a request is received, the call processing handles, in sequence, a series of events. If a first one of the series of events to be handled is implemented as a quasi-singleton, the quasi-singleton is marked in use. In the event that the quasi-singleton is unavailable, however, for example, if a prior event using the quasi-singleton traps or suspends, a new quasi-singleton is created for use in handling the event.

Abstract: The present invention provides a processor including a core unit for processing requests from at least one process. The at least one process has a code portion with at least one segment having a first code context identifier. The at least one process also has a data portion with a first data context identifier. The processor further includes a first storage device for storing code address translations and a second storage device for storing data address translations. The processor also includes a code context register coupled to the core unit and to the first storage device, for storing a second code context register. The processor also includes a data context register, coupled to the core unit and to the second storage device for storing a second data context identifier.

Abstract: A mechanism for managing the locking and unlocking of objects. The mechanism comprises a transition vector having an ordered set of transition elements. Each of the transition elements includes a locking function or a pointer to the locking function and an unlocking function or a pointer to the unlocking function. When an object is created a transition vector is assigned to the object. The object includes a reference element which references a transition element in the vector. In response to a request to lock the object, the locking function in the transition element is invoked and the next transition element is assigned to the object and the reference element in the object is updated. For a request to unlock the object, the unlocking function in the transition element is invoked and the previous transition element is assigned to the object and the reference element is updated. The mechanism improves execution overhead by providing an implicit count for determining the lock count on an object.

Abstract: A device driver architecture that couples an operating system to a computer interface of a controller device that includes a plurality of functional sub-elements. The device driver includes a plurality of operating system interface objects each presenting an operating system interface (OSI) to the operating system, a plurality of computer interface objects each providing for the generation of programming values to be applied to the computer interface to establish the operating mode of a respective predetermined sub-element of the controller device, and a device driver library of processing routines callable by each of the plurality of operating system interface objects to process data and generate calls to the plurality of computer interface objects in predetermined combinations. The device driver library enables the selection of an execution contexts within which to define the generation and application of the programming values to the computer interface.

Abstract: A method and system for threaded resource allocation and reclamation are provided. In a preferred embodiment, a threaded resource allocation and reclamation facility (“the facility”) provides available instances of a resource in response to requests from resource consumers. The facility maintains both a central pool for holding available instances of the resource for use by any consumer and individual pools for holding available instances of the resource for use by each consumer. When the facility receives a request for an available instance of the resource from a consumer, it provides one from the individual pool for the requesting consumer. If the individual pool is empty, the facility provides an available instance of the resource from the central pool.