Abstract: A packaging machine 20 includes a feeding system 22 for delivering and positioning work products, in registry with a chute system 28 as well as in registry with a pushing system 26 for pushing the work products through a stuffing tube 24 of the chute system 28. The chute system 28 also includes a plurality of individual chute assemblies 30, each constructed with an elongate chute 32 positionable in registry with the stuffing tube 24 for receiving the food products from the stuffing tube and guiding the work product into packaging material 34 which has been shined over the elongate chute. The plurality of chute assemblies 30 are mounted on a transverse mounting structure 44 to slide along the mounting structure to sequentially position chute assemblies, loaded with packaging material, in alignment with the stuffing tube 24 to receive the work products. Additional chute assemblies 30 are positionable on either side of the chute assembly in use.

Abstract: A packaging machine 20 includes a feeding system 22 for delivering and positioning work products, in registry with a chute system 28 as well as in registry with a pushing system 26 for pushing the work products through a stuffing tube 24 of the chute system 28. The chute system 28 also includes a plurality of individual chute assemblies 30, each constructed with an elongate chute 32 positionable in registry with the stuffing tube 24 for receiving the food products from the stuffing tube and guiding the work product into packaging material 34 which has been shined over the elongate chute. The plurality of chute assemblies 30 are mounted on a transverse mounting structure 44 to slide along the mounting structure to sequentially position chute assemblies, loaded with packaging material, in alignment with the stuffing tube 24 to receive the work products. Additional chute assemblies 30 are positionable on either side of the chute assembly in use.

Abstract: A computing device which runs non-pageable real time and pageable non-real time processes is provided with non-pageable real time and pageable non-real time versions of operating system services where the necessity to page in memory would block a real-time thread of execution. In one embodiment, a real time operating system service has all its code and data locked, and only supports clients that similarly have their code and data locked. This ensures that such a service will not block due to a page fault caused by client memory being unavailable. A non-real time operating system service does not have its data locked and supports clients whose memory can be paged out. In a preferred embodiment servers which are required to provide real time behaviour are multithreaded and arrange for requests from real time and non-real time clients to be serviced in different threads.

Abstract: An operating system for a computing device includes a scheduler incorporating an algorithm for ordering the running of threads of execution having different priorities. The operating system is also arranged to provide a list of threads which are scheduled to run on the device, ordered by priority. At least one locking mechanism for docking access to a resource of the device from all threads except for a thread that holds the locking mechanism is also provided, and the operating system arranges for a scheduled thread which is docked from running because the resource it requires is locked to cause the thread which holds the locking mechanism to run.

Abstract: A component of a computing device, such as the kernel of an operating system, is arranged to identify real time processes running on the device and transparently lock the memory owned by such processes to avoid them being paged out. The kernel is also able to inspect all inter-process communications originated by the real time threads running in such processes, in order to ascertain what other processes they invoke, and, if they have the potential to block a real time operation, the kernel is arranged to lock the areas of memory these processes reference. This procedure operates recursively, and ensures that page faults which might affect the operation of any real time process do not occur.

Abstract: A secure mobile wireless device in which executable code to be installed on the device is assigned a set of capabilities which define the protected resource(s) on the device which it can access. Hence, the present invention takes the idea of capabilities (known in the context of defining the capabilities or access privileges of different users in a multi-user system) and applies it to defining the capabilities or access privileges of different native executable code for secure, single-user mobile wireless devices.

Abstract: A personality layer running above an operating system kernel puts any threads that the personality layer is responsible for into new states which the kernel does not know about. This prevents the kernel from performing operations on a thread which has been placed in one of these new states where these operations are sensitive to state of the thread itself (such as kill, suspend, change priority). Instead, the kernel redirects these thread operations to a handler in the personality layer which then handles the operation. The kernel is thus, in essence, extensible through the use of the added personality layers, and it can therefore be used to run legacy real-time applications written for other real-time operating systems.

Abstract: Coprocessor support on a computing device is provided by means of external modules attaching themselves to the operating system (OS) kernel controlling the device at system boot time, with the modules registering themselves as valid coprocessor handlers. Threads initially execute with coprocessors disabled; the consequent exceptions caused by executing coprocessor instructions are then passed to the relevant registered handler. The technique can be used either to support installed coprocessors or to emulate absent coprocessors.

Abstract: A computing device is provided with a plurality of personality layers, each implemented for a respective RTOSs. This enables multiple LRTAs to run on the same device while maintaining real time performance. It can also be used for debugging/diagnostic purposes because it is possible to install a new call table for a given thread which redirects all attempts by that thread to use kernel functionality to a debugger.

Abstract: Context switching between threads belonging to different user-side processes is a time consuming procedure because of the need to move a potentially large number of memory mappings around and the need to flush the data cache on hardware architectures which utilise a virtually tagged data cache. This invention allows the modification of page directory entries and the flushing of the data cache during a context switch to occur with pre-emption enabled; if a third process needs to run during a context switch, and this third process doesn't own or require any user memory modification of the page tables, this is now possible. By means of this invention, switches to kernel threads and threads in fixed user processes can occur much faster; these threads don't belong to processes that own any user memory and are the very ones that need to run with a lower guaranteed latency to ensure real-time performance.

Abstract: A method of operating a computing device having NAND flash memory for storage of program code and user data. At start up, only selected components of the computing device core operating system are shadowed into RAM. Other components, such as read only system files associated with the core operating system, are retained in the NAND flash memory and only shadowed into RAM upon demand. The program codes shadowed into RAM at start up and the program codes shadowed into RAM upon demand are presented to a file server of the computing device as a composite file system. The use of the composite file system reduces the amount of RAM permanently occupied by core operating system code during operation of the device and also enhances the use of the more power efficient NAND flash memory. Moreover, the boot up time of the device is also significantly reduced.

Abstract: A computing device which runs non-pageable real time and pageable non-real time processes is provided with non-pageable real time and pageable non-real time versions of operating system services where the necessity to page in memory would block a real-time thread of execution. In one embodiment, a real time operating system service has all its code and data locked, and only supports clients that similarly have their code and data locked. This ensures that such a service will not block due to a page fault caused by client memory being unavailable. A non-real time operating system service does not have its data locked and supports clients whose memory can be paged out. In a preferred embodiment servers which are required to provide real time behaviour are multithreaded and arrange for requests from real time and non-real time clients to be serviced in different threads.

Abstract: A component of a computing device, such as the kernel of an operating system, is arranged to identify real time processes running on the device and transparently lock the memory owned by such processes to avoid them being paged out. The kernel is also able to inspect all inter-process communications originated by the real time threads running in such processes, in order to ascertain what other processes they invoke, and, if they have the potential to block a real time operation, the kernel is arranged to lock the areas of memory these processes reference. This procedure operates recursively, and ensures that page faults which might affect the operation of any real time process do not occur.

Abstract: An operating system for a computing device includes a scheduler incorporating an algorithm for ordering the running of threads of execution having different priorities. The operating system is also arranged to provide a list of threads which are scheduled to run on the device, ordered by priority. At least one locking mechanism for docking access to a resource of the device from all threads except for a thread that holds the locking mechanism is also provided, and the operating system arranges for a scheduled thread which is docked from running because the resource it requires is locked to cause the thread which holds the locking mechanism to run.

Abstract: Packaging systems and apparatus include a product chutes a clipper mechanism residing downstream of the product chute, and a vertically extendable and retractable product holding member disposed downstream of the clipper mechanism. In operation, the product holding member is configured to: (a) automatically vertically move to a first operative position whereby the holding member contacts and traps a target product to inhibit the target product from traveling downstream thereof, then (b) automatically vertically move to a second different position to allow a product to travel downstream thereof.

Abstract: Systems and devices for automatically pressing a covering material against a product chute during a packaging operation to apply a braking force.

Abstract: Data held in physical memory, such as random access memory, in a computing device is defragmented when a system operating code null thread, which is used for placing the computing device into a reduced power mode when no other thread in the system is ready to run, is scheduled to run.

Abstract: In operation of a computing device, a secure handle is allocated to a process to enable the process to use a resource allocated to another process. The secure handle ensures that the process is not able to identify the resource and that further access to the resource is inhibited after the process has terminated any use of the resource enabled by the allocation of the secure handle.

Abstract: Methods, devices and computer program products automatically package an object in a covering material such as casing and/or netting by: (a) automatically pushing at least one object through a product chute; (b) pulling a covering material upstream of the product chute off an exterior surface of the product chute to automatically enclose the object in the covering material as the object exits the product chute; and (c) applying a clip to the covering material to secure the object in the packing material.

Abstract: Methods, devices and computer program products automatically package an object in a covering material such as casing and/or netting by: (a) automatically pushing at least one object through a product chute; (b) pulling a covering material upstream of the product chute off an exterior surface of the product chute to automatically enclose the object in the covering material as the object exits the product chute; and (c) applying a clip to the covering material to secure the object in the packing material.