Patent ID: 7444638

Claim:
A method of converting one or more asynchronous processes into corresponding new periodic processes, each asynchronous process having predetermined constraints including (a) worst-case computation time, (b) deadline, (c) minimum time between two consecutive requests, (d) earliest time at which a request for execution can be made, each asynchronous process being converted to one corresponding new periodic process, comprising: (1) determining a deadline constraint and a period constraint for each corresponding new periodic process, wherein the period of each corresponding new periodic process must be less than or equal to the minimum time between two requests of the corresponding being converted asynchronous process, and less than or equal to the deadline of the corresponding being converted asynchronous process minus the deadline of said corresponding new periodic process plus one, (2) determining a permitted range of offset constraint for each corresponding new periodic process, wherein said permitted range of offset comprising an interval that begins at a lower bound value and ends at an upper bound value which may be equal to the lower bound value, the duration of the time interval between the beginning of the first period of said corresponding new periodic process and time zero must be greater than or equal to said lower bound value and less than or equal to said upper bound value, said permitted range of offset being a subinterval of an interval or a full interval that begins at the earliest time at which a request for execution can be made by the corresponding being converted asynchronous process, and ends at a time equal to the sum of the earliest time at which a request for execution can be made by the corresponding being converted asynchronous process plus the period length of the new periodic process minus one time unit, such that satisfaction of said constraints of each corresponding new periodic process guarantees satisfaction of the predetermined constraints of the corresponding being converted asynchronous process.