Patent ID: 6275982
Filing Date: 2001-08-14
Classification: G06F,G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
A device for executing code including a plurality of executable instructions of a code comprising:a processor for executing instructions, a non-programmable memory for storing information, and a programmable memory for storing information, said code being stored in said non-programmable memory and including a code sequence and at least one code sequence reference able to provide access to said code sequence, said at least one code sequence reference disposed at a respective specific location among said plurality of executable instructions of said code, said code sequence including at least one instruction to be executed and which is arranged to be executed by said processor at said respective specific location in addition to said code, said code sequence being stored in one of said non-programmable memory and said programmable memory,means for defining in said programmable memory a zone of variable size dedicated for storing only those code sequence references of said locations where access to code sequences is required;means for adapting the size of said zone to the number of code sequence references stored therein, andmeans for searching, when the processor executes said code and encounters said at least one code sequence reference at one of said locations, for said code sequence reference in said zone and, if found, for executing a jump from said code to said code sequence for executing the instructions of said code sequence, then for executing remaining instructions of said code.