← Back to Patent Explorer
US5379407A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Error handling in a state-free system

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1993-01-15
•
Granted: 1995-01-03
•
Expires: 2013-01-15
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A system and method are disclosed for handling errors in a state-free manner. A digital data processing system is provided which is operable in a state-free manner and has an output generator for generating an output manifestation of a model. An object generator within the system is used to generate objects describing the model, each object being then stored in an object memory. If an error occurs during generation of an object, an error reference is then generated within that object. This error reference provides identifying information for an error object, the error object being stored in an error memory and containing error details for that object. By such an approach the errors are handled in a state-free manner and can be readily retrieved when required.

Inventors

  • 👤 Stephen J. P. Todd

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 14:25
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/07; G06F11/0703; G06F11/0706; G06F11/0718; G06F11/0793

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 152 words
In a digital data processing system operable in a state-free manner, of a type having an output generator (90) for generating an output manifestation (100) of a model manipulated by the digital data processing system, an object generator (30) for generating objects (250) describing the model, and an object memory (60) for storing the objects (250), an improvement comprising: means for generating a field within a given object (250) for storage of an error reference (260); an error generator means for generating an error object (300) containing error details for that object (250) and storing the error object (300) in an error memory (70); means for providing the error reference (260) to the object generator (30),the error reference (260) providing identifying information for the error object (300); and mean for storing a null reference (270) in the field of a generated object if no error occurs during the generation of the object.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 152 words
In a digital data processing system operable in a state-free manner, of a type having an output generator (90) for generating an output manifestation (100) of a model manipulated by the digital data processing system, an object generator (30) for generating objects (250) describing the model, and an object memory (60) for storing the objects (250), an improvement comprising: means for generating a field within a given object (250) for storage of an error reference (260); an error generator means for generating an error object (300) containing error details for that object (250) and storing the error object (300) in an error memory (70); means for providing the error reference (260) to the object generator (30),the error reference (260) providing identifying information for the error object (300); and mean for storing a null reference (270) in the field of a generated object if no error occurs during the generation of the object.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 36 words
The digital data processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control language (20) is used to control the means for generating, and the control language (20) and the means for generating are operable asynchronously.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 71 words
The digital data processing system as claimed in claim 1, with the capability of reproducing error details for a particular object (250), further comprising: a locating means, responsive to an object reference (150), for locating a particular object (250) and extracting the error reference (260) from that object (250); and means for using the error reference (260) to locate the error object (300) containing error details for the particular object (250).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 40 words
The system as recited in claim 3, further comprising: means for propogating an alteration which corrects an error in a particular object to any dependent objects, any error references (260) and any error objects (300) associated with those dependent objects.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 26 words
The system as recited in claim 4, in which the object memory (60) and the error memory (70) are different parts of the same real memory.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
The system recited in claim 5, wherein the error reference (260) is a memory address for the error object (300).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 18 words
The system recited in claim 5, wherein the error reference (260) has the form of an error number.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 152 words
A method of handling errors in a data processing system, said data processing system being operable in a state-free manner and having an output generator (90) for generating an output manifestation (100) of a model manipulated by the system, by generating (400) objects (250) describing the model, comprising the steps of: generating (420) an error object (300) if an error occurs during generation of a given object (250), the error object (300) containing error details for that object (250); storing (450) the error object (300) in an error memory (70); generating (430) an error reference (260) to provide identifying information for the error object (300), and locating the error reference (260) within the given object (250); storing (440) the given object (250) in an object memory (60); and storing (410) a null reference (270) in place of the error reference (260) if no error arises during generation of the given object (250).
Claim 10
Independent Claim 152 words
A method of handling errors in a data processing system, said data processing system being operable in a state-free manner and having an output generator (90) for generating an output manifestation (100) of a model manipulated by the system, by generating (400) objects (250) describing the model, comprising the steps of: generating (420) an error object (300) if an error occurs during generation of a given object (250), the error object (300) containing error details for that object (250); storing (450) the error object (300) in an error memory (70); generating (430) an error reference (260) to provide identifying information for the error object (300), and locating the error reference (260) within the given object (250); storing (440) the given object (250) in an object memory (60); and storing (410) a null reference (270) in place of the error reference (260) if no error arises during generation of the given object (250).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 54 words
The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising the steps of: locating by means of an object reference (150) a particular object (250) and extracting the error reference (260) from that object (250); and using said error reference (260) to locate the error object (300) containing error details for the particular object (250).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4209832A Cited
US4586038A Cited
US4748572A Cited
US4984180A Cited
US5267246A Cited
US5128885A Cited
US5142663A Cited
US5241653A Cited
US5287439A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-01-02 1998-07-04 1999-01-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-01-02 2002-07-04 2003-01-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-01-02 2006-07-04 2007-01-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag