USER MODE PROXY OF KERNEL MODE OPERATIONS IN A COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM

摘要

This invention involves user mode proxy of kernel mode operations in a computer operating system. The broad contours of the invention allow drivers operating in the kernel mode of an operating system to be proxied by a corresponding user mode object. A user mode process wishing to communicate with or manipulate the kernel mode driver ma y perform such communication or manipulation by communicating with or manipulating the corresponding user mode proxy. The present invention has particular applicabilit y to emerging operating systems which allow kernel mode drivers to be interconnected in order to create a processing stream in the kernel where data is passed from kernel mod e driver to kernel mode driver without transitioning to user mode. User mode proxy of such k ernel mode drivers allows user mode processes to manipulate such kernel mode drivers u sing familiar user mode protocols without the necessity of learning new kernel mode p rotocols.