Patents by Inventor Donna J. Plunkett

Donna J. Plunkett has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • System architecture for improved message passing and process synchronization between concurrently executing processes
    Patent number: 6029205
    Abstract: A system and method for interprocess communication between concurrently executing, cooperating sequential processes in a digital computer system uses a shared memory queue as a mechanism for message passing and process synchronization. Data to be transferred from a sending process to a receiving process is stored in a queue entry which is visible in the virtual address space of the first process. The queue entry is added to a queue by the sending process directing the processor to execute an enqueue instruction. The receiving process removes the queue entry from the queue by directing the processor to execute a dequeue instruction. The receiving process then has direct access and visibility to the contents of the queue entry without having to copy the data into its virtual address space. Instead of sending data in a queue entry, a sending process may send an event indicator and no data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1997
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignee: Unisys Corporation
    Inventors: Merwin H. Alferness, Mark D. Aubel, Charles R. Caldarale, James W. Douglas, David C. Johnson, David R. Johnson, Joseph P. Kerzman, James R. McBreen, Hans C. Mikkelsen, Donna J. Plunkett, Richard M. Shelton, Francis A. Stephens, Wayne D. Ward