Method for automatic memory reclamation for object-oriented systems with real-time constraints

摘要

A method for memory reclamation for object-oriented program-controlled systems with real-time constraints. Resource reclamation, commonly called garbage collection, in object-oriented systems is segmented into discrete, real-time bounded segments. Scheduling of the segments is controlled so that garbage collection is unobtrusive to the system, while memory resources are reclaimed at approximately the same rate as they are allocated. Objects referenced from other objects are checked via an incremental mark/sweep method. Objects referenced from stacks are also accounted for. If a stack cannot be swept for object references in one real-time segment, the stack is copied into a save area and swept during one or more subsequent real-time segments.