US5794035A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device driver and input/output hardware research manager
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1997-04-24
•
Granted: 1998-08-11
•
Expires: 2017-04-24
Abstract
Abstract A system and method is provide for managing input/output (I/O) resources in a computer system. The system includes a hardware resource manager which tracks the use of the I/O resources. In addition, the hardware resource manager can allocate the resources between device drivers and provide a standard implementation to be used by device drivers.
Inventors
- 👤 David Barnett Golub
- 👤 Freeman Leigh Rawson, III
- 👤 Guy Gil Sotomayor, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:34
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/46; G06F9/52; G06F9/526; G06F2209/00; G06F2209/52; G06F2209/522
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
138 words
A hardware resource manager for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources of a computer system, comprising: logical representation means for logically representing hardware resources as a hierarchical topology of resources, said logical representation means storing data representative of said hardware resources as at least a resource bus type and resource type that is hierarchically subordinate to said resource bus type; active representation means for representing active hardware as one or more instances of said resource type, said instances being hierarchically subordinate to said resource type; dynamic update means for dynamically updating said hardware resources in said logical representation means to reflect new devices added to the computer system; and allocation means for allocating resources to satisfy a device driver hardware resource request, said allocation means creating resource type instances in said active representation means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
138 words
A hardware resource manager for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources of a computer system, comprising: logical representation means for logically representing hardware resources as a hierarchical topology of resources, said logical representation means storing data representative of said hardware resources as at least a resource bus type and resource type that is hierarchically subordinate to said resource bus type; active representation means for representing active hardware as one or more instances of said resource type, said instances being hierarchically subordinate to said resource type; dynamic update means for dynamically updating said hardware resources in said logical representation means to reflect new devices added to the computer system; and allocation means for allocating resources to satisfy a device driver hardware resource request, said allocation means creating resource type instances in said active representation means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A hardware resource manager for managing I/O resource path information, as recited in claim 1, wherein said hardware resource manager includes a collection of computer programs, one of said computer programs obtaining hardware configuration information for each type of input/output resource path.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
40 words
A hardware resource manager for managing I/O resource path information, as recited in claim 2, wherein said allocation means implements a grant/yield protocol in which said input/output resource paths may be requested and allocated between a plurality of device drivers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
128 words
A hardware resource manager for managing I/O resource path information, as recited in claim 3, wherein said allocation means comprises: means responsive to a first device driver requesting one of said input/output resource paths; means determining whether said one of said input/output resource paths is currently in use by a second device driver; and means responsive to said means for determining for assigning one of said input/output resource paths to said first device driver if said resource path is not currently in use by said second device driver and querying said second device driver as to whether it will release said input/output resource path if said resource path is currently in use and notifying said first device driver as to whether it can access said input/output resource path.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
124 words
A method implemented by a hardware resource manager for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources of a computer system, comprising the steps of: logically representing hardware resources as a hierarchical topology of resources and storing data representative of said hardware resources as at least a resource bus type and resource type that is hierarchically subordinate to said resource bus type; representing active hardware as one or more instances of said resource type said instances being hierarchically subordinate to said resource type; dynamically updating said hardware resources in said logical representation means to reflect new devices added to the computer system; and allocating resources to satisfy a device driver hardware resource request by creating resource type instances in said active representation.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
124 words
A method implemented by a hardware resource manager for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources of a computer system, comprising the steps of: logically representing hardware resources as a hierarchical topology of resources and storing data representative of said hardware resources as at least a resource bus type and resource type that is hierarchically subordinate to said resource bus type; representing active hardware as one or more instances of said resource type said instances being hierarchically subordinate to said resource type; dynamically updating said hardware resources in said logical representation means to reflect new devices added to the computer system; and allocating resources to satisfy a device driver hardware resource request by creating resource type instances in said active representation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
A method for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources as recited in claim 5, wherein said step of logically representing hardware resources includes using one or more computer programs, one of said computer programs obtaining hardware configuration information for each type of input/output resource path.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
A method for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources as recited in claim 6 wherein the step of allocating includes the step of implementing a grant/yield protocol in which said input/output resource paths may be requested and allocated between a plurality of device drivers.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
144 words
A method for managing device driver detection, acquisition and use of hardware resources as recited in claim 7, wherein the grant/yield protocol implemented by said step of allocating resources comprises the steps of: requesting, by a first device driver, one of said input/output resource paths; determining whether said one of said input/output resource paths is currently in use by a second device driver; and using results of the step of determination to assign one of said input/output resource paths to said first device driver if said resource path is not currently in use by said second device driver or to query said second device driver as to whether it will release said input/output path if said resource path is currently in use and using results of said query to notify said first device driver as to whether it can access said input/output resource path.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4589063A
Cited
US4638424A
Cited
US4974151A
Cited
US5115499A
Cited
EP0358304A2
Cited
US5265251A
Cited
US5361347A
Cited
US5327560A
Cited
US5349674A
Cited
US5265252A
Cited
JPH05120294A
Cited
US5307496A
Cited
US5522070A
Cited
US5394542A
Cited
US5442791A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-08-10 | 2002-02-09 | 2002-08-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-08-10 | 2006-02-09 | 2006-08-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-08-10 | 2010-02-09 | 2010-08-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |