Memory Management Device for Process Termination Priority

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Solution Overview

Problem

In information processing systems where multiple programs run, existing memory management technologies fail to accurately identify and release memory blocks efficiently, leading to difficulties in securing available memory capacity and implementing power-saving modes, especially when memory is dynamically allocated across multiple blocks.

Innovation Solution

A memory management system that allocates and manages memory blocks in units for each process, selects termination candidate processes based on allocation size, and determines priority for termination based on available memory capacity, ensuring that only processes that can be terminated without data loss are prioritized, thereby securing memory capacity and enabling power-saving modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional memory management is used where memory volume per process is stored but location is unknown, then process termination can be determined, but memory block power management and continuous area securing become impossible

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess termination determinationVSAvoidmemory block management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments memory management into two distinct layers: process-level management (tracking which processes use which memory blocks) and block-level management (tracking power states and continuity requirements). This segmentation allows independent optimization of each layer, enabling process termination decisions while simultaneously supporting power management and continuous area securing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces memory management information as an intermediary data structure that bridges process information and memory block information. This intermediary contains detailed mappings of which processes allocate which memory blocks, enabling the system to determine both process termination eligibility and memory block power management requirements without direct coupling between these functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If memory is dynamically allocated across multiple memory blocks, then memory capacity is optimized, but identifying which blocks are used by each process becomes unknown

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory capacity optimizationVSAvoidmemory block usage tracking

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the memory management information is continuously updated whenever memory allocation changes occur. This feedback loop ensures that the system always maintains accurate knowledge of which processes use which memory blocks, enabling precise tracking even as memory is dynamically reallocated across multiple blocks for optimization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of energy

If power supply is shut OFF to memory blocks for power saving, then energy consumption is reduced, but data on those blocks is erased requiring proper save procedures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvememory power consumptionVSAvoiddata integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by identifying candidate memory blocks for power shutdown before actually shutting them off. The system determines which blocks contain data that can be safely erased (not currently used by active processes) and prepares save procedures for blocks that must be preserved, ensuring data integrity before power is reduced.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Quantity of substance

If processes are terminated to release memory, then available memory capacity increases, but continuous memory areas may not be secured for applications like Codec

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveavailable memory capacityVSAvoidmemory area continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by treating different memory blocks with different characteristics based on their usage patterns and continuity requirements. Instead of uniform memory management, the system identifies specific blocks that need continuous areas (like those used by Codec) and manages them differently from blocks that can be freely allocated, ensuring both capacity availability and continuity where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS8601232B2Memory management device, memory management method, memory management program, computer-readable recording medium recording memory management program and integrated circuit

Publication Date: 2013.12.03 SUN PATENT TRUST

AI summary

Available capacity of a specific memory block is secured as much as possible. A termination candidate process selection unit (204) selects, for each of a plurality of memory blocks, a plurality of processes as a termination candidate process group, a termination process decision unit (206) determines whether or not the selected termination candidate process group is to be terminated with priority over a currently held termination candidate process group, a process group termination possibility determination unit (205) determines whether of not the termination candidate process group determined to be terminated can be terminated, and the termination process decision unit (206) rewrites the currently held termination candidate process group to the termination candidate process group determined to be able to be terminated, and decides the currently held termination candidate process group as a process to be terminated when selection of a termination candidate process group is ended for all the memory blocks.