Apparatus and method for interfacing hardware events with software events

Abstract

An apparatus for associating a hardware event with a software component event. The system includes a hardware interrupt signal input. It also includes a first-in-first-out data structure coupled with the hardware interrupt signal input. Further included is a dispatch thread component coupled with the first-in-first-out data structure. The dispatch thread component can output a software event.

1 . An apparatus for associating a hardware interrupt event with a software component event, comprising: 
 a hardware interrupt signal input interface;    a first-in-first-out data structure coupled with said hardware interrupt signal input interface and comprising a first-in-first-out output interface; and    a dispatch thread component comprising, an event input coupled with said first-in-first-out output, and a dispatch thread output interface, said dispatch thread component creating a software event to be output via said dispatch thread output interface.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dispatch thread component further comprises a wake-up input interface coupled with said hardware interrupt signal input interface.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising an interrupt controller component, said interrupt controller component comprising a plurality of interrupt methods, said interrupt controller component further comprising an interrupt event signal output coupled with said hardware interrupt signal input interface.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a hardware interrupt generating component coupled with said interrupt controller component, and wherein an interrupt method of said plurality of interrupt methods is responsive to an interrupt signal generated by said hardware interrupt generating component.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said hardware interrupt generating component comprises an input/output pin.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said input/output pin is a pin of a General Purpose Input Output interface.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dispatch thread component further comprises at least one associated property, and further comprising a property getter interface and a property setter interface each capable of accessing said at least one associated property.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 a first listener software component, comprising first code to receive a software event generated by said dispatch thread; and    an event transmission object, said event transmission object comprising a primitive data type parameter that conveys data describing an event related to a software event.    
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a first event multicaster object, said first event multicaster object comprising a first reference, said first reference identifying said first listener software component, said first event multicaster object further comprising a first multicaster object event input interface, wherein said first event multicaster object can receive said event transmission object and pass, via said first reference, said event transmission object to said first listener software component.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , further comprising a second listener software component comprising second code to receive a software event generated by said dispatch thread, and wherein said first event multicaster object further comprises a second reference, said second reference identifying said second listener software component, wherein said first event multicaster object can pass, via said second reference, said event transmission object to said second listener software component.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said first listener software component comprises a first event handler, wherein said second listener software component comprises a second event handler and wherein said first event multicaster object further comprises code to call said first event handler and then to call said second event handler.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a second event multicaster object, said second event multicaster object comprising a first reference, said first reference identifying said first event multicaster object, said second event multicaster object further comprising a second multicaster object event input interface, wherein said second event multicaster object can receive said event transmission object and pass, via said first reference, said event transmission object to said first event multicaster object.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a third listener software component comprising third code to receive a software event generated by said dispatch thread, and wherein said second event multicaster object further comprises a second reference, said second reference identifying said third listener software component, wherein said second event multicaster object can pass, via said second reference, said event transmission object to said third listener software component.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said third listener software component comprises a third event handler, and wherein said second event multicaster object further comprises code to pass said event transmission object to a said first event multicaster object and to call said third event handler after said second event handler has been called by said first event multicaster object.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said hardware event object further comprises a listener add method.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a second listener software component, comprising second code to receive a software event generated by said dispatch thread;    one or more additional listener software components, each comprising code to receive a software event generated by said dispatch thread; and    one or more event multicaster objects, each said one or more event multicaster objects comprising a first object reference and a second object reference;    wherein said one or more event multicaster objects, said second listener software component and said one or more additional listener software components are linked via each of said first object references and each of said second object references such that a system having “n” listener software components will have “n-1” event multicaster objects, “n” representing any positive integer greater than positive three.    
   
   
       17 . An apparatus for associating a hardware interrupt event with a software component event, comprising: 
 a hardware interrupt signal input interface;    means, coupled with said hardware interrupt signal input interface, for storing in a first-in-first-out manner, hardware interrupt signals received via said hardware interrupt signal input interface; and    means, coupled with said means for storing, for retrieving the next signal to be output from said means for storing, and for then outputting a software event related to the retrieved signal.    
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 a first listener software component, comprising first means for receiving a software event output by said means for retrieving; and    means for transmitting a primitive data type parameter from said means for retrieving to said first listener software component, said means for transmitting conveying data related to the outputted software event.    
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising a first event multicaster object, said first event multicaster object comprising a first reference, said first reference identifying said first listener software component, said first event multicaster object further comprising a first multicaster object event input interface, wherein said first event multicaster object can receive said means for transmitting and pass, via said first reference, said means for transmitting to said first means for receiving; and further comprising a second listener software component comprising second means for receiving a software event output by said means for retrieving, and wherein said first event multicaster object further comprises a second reference, said second reference identifying said second listener software component, wherein said first event multicaster object can pass, via said second reference, said means for transmitting to said second means for receiving.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , further comprising: 
 a second listener software component, comprising second means for receiving a software event output by said means for retrieving;    one or more additional listener software components, each comprising means for receiving a software event output by said means for retrieving; and    one or more event multicaster objects, each said one or more event multicaster objects comprising a first reference and a second reference;    wherein said one or more event multicaster objects, said second listener software component and said one or more additional listener software components are linked via each of said first object references and each of said second object references such that a system having “n” listener software components will have “n-1” event multicaster objects, “n” representing any positive integer greater than positive three.