Interrupt Handling for Multi-Process Electronic Devices

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices with multiple processes face challenges in ensuring simultaneous execution of appropriate processing corresponding to interrupts due to asynchronous operation timings and priority scheduling, leading to potential failure in executing processes corresponding to interrupts.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of multiple interrupt waiting units and an interrupt handler that manage interrupt waiting flags for each process, allowing processes to wait for interrupts and wake up based on specific interrupt styles, ensuring timely and appropriate processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple processes wait for interrupts using a shared interrupt waiting flag, then interrupt processing can be achieved, but processes with different priorities may fail to execute their corresponding processing due to asynchronous operation timings

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterrupt processing reliabilityVSAvoidprocess execution timing

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the single shared interrupt waiting flag into multiple process-specific interrupt waiting flags, with each process having its own dedicated flag. This segmentation allows each process to independently manage its interrupt waiting state, preventing interference between processes of different priorities and ensuring timely execution of interrupt processing for each process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an interrupt style as an intermediary parameter that mediates between the interrupt waiting flag and the process execution. The interrupt style serves as a matching key that determines which process should execute when an interrupt occurs, enabling correct process selection even when multiple processes are waiting with different priorities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If interrupt waiting flags are managed without process-specific differentiation, then system complexity is reduced, but interrupt processing fails to execute appropriately for specific processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterrupt management complexityVSAvoidinterrupt processing accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the interrupt management system by creating process-specific interrupt waiting flags and associating each with its corresponding process. This segmentation maintains relatively simple management within each process context while ensuring accurate interrupt processing through the process-specific nature of the flags and interrupt styles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10037226B2Electronic device with plurality of processes executing processings corresponding to interrupts, interrupt processing method, and recording

Publication Date: 2018.07.31 KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC

AI summary

An electronic device includes a plurality of processes, an interrupt waiting unit for each of the processes, and an interrupt handler. The interrupt handler processes the interrupt. The interrupt waiting unit sets an interrupt waiting flag to wait for an occurrence of the interrupt. The interrupt handler, when the interrupt occurred, sets an interrupt style of the occurred interrupt and releases the interrupt waiting flag from the set state. The interrupt waiting unit, when the interrupt waiting flag was released from the set state, sets the interrupt waiting flag if the interrupt style set by the interrupt handler is not an interrupt style matched with the process, and operates the process if the interrupt style set by the interrupt hander is the interrupt style matched with the one of the processes. The interrupt waiting flag is located to each of the processes.