Patent ID: 7870352
Filing Date: 2011-01-11
Classification: G06F,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for managing memory, the method comprising: receiving an application state from each of a plurality of applications in memory, wherein each said application includes a plurality of operational stages, and wherein each application state indicates a presence of differences between a first operational stage of a corresponding activated application at a point when memory is evaluated for application removal and a second operational stage of the corresponding application upon being unloaded from the memory and reactivated, wherein said receiving the application state from each of the plurality of applications in memory includes: determining which of the plurality of applications to effect removal from the memory based on the received application states and associated pre-determined application priorities, the predetermined application priorities comprising a plurality of varying priority schemes comprising: unloading the application that consumes the largest amount of memory, unloading the application that has not been used for the longest period of time, unloading based on a priority assigned by a media services organization (MSO), unloading by assigned levels, and unloading the plurality of applications in the memory, where the plurality of varying priority schemes are utilized based on an implementation for effecting removal from the memory based on the received application states, wherein if more than one application has an identical state and an identical priority further determining which of the plurality of applications to effect removal from the memory based on inactivity time for the respective applications as indicated by a flag setting, wherein an application with a corresponding application state indicating the absence of said differences between said first operational stage and said second operational stage is to be removed from the memory before other applications with application states indicating the presence of said differences between said first operational stage and said second operational stage.