Patent ID: 6134627
Filing Date: 2000-10-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A method for controlling operations on an object in a computer operating under control of an object-based program, said object having an object header, an associated operation, and an associated state characteristic, the object header being integrally associated with the object, said method comprising:establishing the object in a memory region, wherein a portion of the memory region is associated with the object header;placing a predetermined pattern into the portion of the memory region associated with the object header using a first thread, wherein placing the predetermined pattern into the portion of the memory region that is associated with the object header locks the object;attempting to access the object using a second thread; andat least temporarily suspending access to the object by the second thread in response to the presence of the predetermined pattern in the portion of the memory region that is associated with the object header, wherein the second thread effectively determines that the predetermined pattern is present in the portion of the memory region that is associated with the object header.