Patent ID: 8250547

Claim:
A method for loading and running program images in a multi-processor system, comprising: calling a synergistic-processor-create-thread function, the synergistic-processor-create-thread function configured at least to load a synergistic processing program listener into a local store of a synergistic processor, to set up a synergistic processor environment, and to create a thread on the synergistic processor, wherein the synergistic-processor-create-thread function only needs to be called once to run all synergistic processing program images of the thread on the synergistic processor; starting the synergistic processing program listener in the synergistic processor, the synergistic processing program listener configured to listen for at least one notification from a main processor; receiving a particular notification of the at least one notification from the main processor, the particular notification being a notification to run a particular synergistic processing program image; running the particular synergistic processing program image from the local store of the synergistic processor upon receiving the particular notification; notifying the main processor upon running the particular synergistic processing program image; and continuously listening for a subsequent notification from the main processor, the subsequent notification being at least one of a notification to run a subsequent synergistic processing program image or an exit notification to exit the synergistic processing program listener.