EP1116111A1 - Interface entre un process de commande et un process cible - Google Patents

Interface entre un process de commande et un process cible

Info

Publication number
EP1116111A1
EP1116111A1 EP99946701A EP99946701A EP1116111A1 EP 1116111 A1 EP1116111 A1 EP 1116111A1 EP 99946701 A EP99946701 A EP 99946701A EP 99946701 A EP99946701 A EP 99946701A EP 1116111 A1 EP1116111 A1 EP 1116111A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
target process
request
control process
target
shared memory
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP99946701A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Erik Bunce
Tom Dinger
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Lernout and Hauspie Speech Products NV
Bunce Eric
Original Assignee
Lernout and Hauspie Speech Products NV
Bunce Eric
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lernout and Hauspie Speech Products NV, Bunce Eric filed Critical Lernout and Hauspie Speech Products NV
Publication of EP1116111A1 publication Critical patent/EP1116111A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F9/00—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units
    • G06F9/06—Arrangements for program control, e.g. control units using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
    • G06F9/46—Multiprogramming arrangements
    • G06F9/54—Interprogram communication
    • G06F9/542—Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method of indirectly accessing and controlling one process from another within a multitasking computer operating system environment.
  • each process is assigned a unique process address space, typically, 4-GB.
  • Such a process address space contains the executable code and data necessary for the process, that is, the code for the EXE and DLL files and their required data.
  • a process also owns certain resources such as files, dynamic memory allocations, and threads.
  • pointers when pointers are used to reference memory, the pointer value refers to a memory address in that process's own assigned memory space. It is not possible for one process to create a pointer which references memory assigned to another process.
  • control windows messages typically requires that some message argument parameters be in the form of a memory address of a required data structure. As described above, however, memory addresses are only meaningful within a given process. Thus, user text within an edit control of one process is not available to another process.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method for interfacing between a control process and a target process in a multitasking computer operating system environment.
  • the method includes the steps of : a. establishing a region of shared memory between the control process and the target process; b. generating a request with the control process for a desired operation by the target process and storing arguments and data for the request in the region of shared memory; c. communicating the request for the desired operation to the target process; and d. effecting execution of the desired operation by the target process.
  • the method includes: a. establishing a region of shared memory between the control process and the target process; b. hooking an executable link module into an address space of the target process; c.
  • the step of receiving may further include retrieving arguments and data for the request from the shared memory.
  • the step of sending may further include writing new data from the target process into the shared memory.
  • the step of sending may further include retrieving the new data by the control process from the shared memory.
  • a preferred embodiment is also directed to an interface system used between a control process and a target process in a multitasking computer operating system environment.
  • a system comprises: a. a region of shared memory that is established between the control process and the target process; b. a request generator which generates a request from the control process for a desired operation by the target process and stores arguments and data for the request in the region of shared memory; c. a request communicator which communicates the request for the desired operation to the target process; and d. a request receiver which effects execution by the target process of the desired operation.
  • Another preferred embodiment includes an interface system used between a control process and a target process in a multitasking computer operating system environment. Such a system comprises: a.
  • a region of shared memory that is established between the control process and the target process; b. an executable link module hooked into an address space of the target process; c. a request generator which generates a request for a desired operation by the target process and stores arguments and data for the request in the shared memory; d. a request communicator which communicates the request for the desired operation to the executable link module; e. receiving the private message in the executable link module; f. means for executing the requested action in the target process; and g. a message acknowledger within the executable link module which sends a message acknowledging receipt and accomplishment of the request by the target process to the control process.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates the logical flow associated with a preferred embodiment.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates the inter-relationships of various functional blocks within the operating system environment according to a preferred embodiment.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates computer process arrangements in which a preferred embodiment may be employed.
  • a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a technique for an originating control process 24 having generally a non-keyboard input 32, to exchange detailed information with and send commands from a command output block 31 to a separate target process 27.
  • Such techniques are useful, for instance, where the control process 24 is an automatic speech recognition engine 33 having a speech input 34, and running in a 32-bit operating system environment 21, such as Windows NT ® , and the target process 27 is a non-speech aware application, such as an e-mail program, running separately in the same operating system environment 21.
  • a preferred embodiment may be advantageously employed in various operating system environments 21, including, for instance, Windows NT ® , Windows 95 ® , Windows 98 ® , X for Windows, and UNIX.
  • a preferred embodiment involves inserting a hook filter function 26 (also known as a callback function) into the target process 27, and creating a pointer 29b from the hook filter function 26 to an executable link module in shared system memory, such as a dynamic linked library (DLL) file 25.
  • a hook filter function 26 is a program mechanism which can intercept events in a process message queue 28 such as messages, keystrokes, and mouse actions before they reach the target process 27. To operate between separate processes, the filter function invoked by the hook filter function 26 is placed within a DLL 25. The DLL 25 then allows inter-process communication and control via shared memory within the DLL 25. Thus, the shared memory 25 is common to the operating system 21 and accessible to both the control process 24 via pointer 29a, and the target process 27 via pointer 29b.
  • control process 24 may obtain access to information from the target process 27 which is not usually available via inter process communication (IPC), such as user input text in the edit control of a dialog box of a target process 27. It also allows text from the control process 24, e.g.,the text output from an automatic speech recognition program, to be passed, via the shared memory in the DLL 25, to an edit control in the target process 27 which treats the text as if it were provided by the user from a keyboard.
  • IPC inter process communication
  • Such inter-process text passing to a target process edit control may be considered a short term or an immediately obtainable advantage of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. More prolonged or longer term usefulness may also be realized.
  • the hook filter function 26 may be employed for ongoing monitoring of the operation of the target process 27 for the occurrence of target process events which are of interest to the control process 24.
  • Such interesting events may include, for example, opening a menu, making a menu selection, or opening a dialog box within the target process 27.
  • a preferred embodiment may start with the control process 24 installing a WH_GETMESSAGE hook filter function 26 in the target process 27, step 11 in Fig. 1.
  • the hook filter function 26 is installed by calling SetWindoi ⁇ sHookEx as follows:
  • HHOOK hhook SetWindowsHookEx(WH_GETMESSAGE, GetMsgProc, hinstDll, TargetThreadName);
  • the first parameter, WH_GETMESSAGE indicates the type of hook filter function 26 to install.
  • WH_GETMESSAGE is a hook filter function 26 called when the GetMessage or the PeekMessage function is about to return a message to the target process 27.
  • the hook filter function 26 will receive a pointer 29b to a message structure within the shared memory of the DLL 25 which contains the actual message.
  • the second parameter, GetMsgProc identifies the address of a function in the shared memory of the DLL 25 that the operating system 21 should call whenever a window in the target process 27 is about to process a message in its message queue 28.
  • the third parameter, hinstDll identifies the DLL 25 that contains the GetMsgProc function.
  • a DLL's hinstDll value identifies the 32-bit virtual memory address where the DLL 25 is mapped into the address space 22 of the control process 24. Since the memory address space of the DLL 25 will be shared by both the control process 24 and the target process 27, it may be considered accessible to each process via a pointer, 29a and 29b respectively.
  • the fourth parameter, TargetThreadName identifies the thread to hook in the target process 27. A value of NULL may be passed for the fourth parameter to instruct the operating system 21 to hook all threads in the system.
  • the operating system 21 checks whether a WH_GETMESSAGE hook 26 is installed on that thread in the target process 27, and whether the DLL 25 containing the GetMsgProc function is mapped into the address space 23 of the target process 27. If the DLL 25 has not been mapped, the operating system 21 forces the DLL 25 to be mapped into the address space 23 of the target process 27 via pointer 29b and increments a lock count on the mapping of the DLL 25 in the target process 27.
  • the operating system 21 looks at the hinstDll of the DLL 25 as it applies to the target process 27 and checks to see whether the hinstDll of the DLL 25 is at the same location as it applies to the control process 24. If the hinstDlls are the same, the memory address of the GetMsgProc function is also the same in the two process address spaces. In such a case, the operating system 21 can simply call the GetMsgProc function in the address space 22 of the control process 24.
  • the operating system 21 increments a lock count on the mapping of the DLL 25 in the address space 23 of the target process 27, and also calls the GetMsgProc function in the address space 23 of the target process 27.
  • GetMsgProc returns, the operating system 21 decrements a lock count on the mapping of the DLL 25 in the target process 27. Injecting or mapping the DLL 25 containing the hook filter function 26 maps the whole DLL 25 into the target process 27, not just the hook filter function 26. Any and all functions contained in the DLL 25 now exist and can be called from threads running in the context of the target process 27.
  • the WH_GETMESSAGE hook 26 is set on the thread that created the window, and then, when the GetMsgProc function is called, call SetWindoz ⁇ Long to subclass the window.
  • the subclass procedure must be in the same DLL 25 as the GetMsgProc function.
  • the hook filter function 26 examines messages in the message queue 28 coming into the target process 27 for messages from the control process 24. Thereafter, the control process 24, in step 12, may generate a request for action or information from the target process 27 and via the pointer 29a place in the shared memory of the DLL 25 a description of the type of operation requested and any arguments necessary. Then, in step 13, a message is sent from the control process 24 to the target process 27 notifying the hook filter function 26 of the request from the control function 24. This message includes an index pointer, 29b in Fig. 2, to the shared memory location in the DLL 25 where the required information and arguments are available.
  • the hook filter function 26 in the target process 27, in step 14, receives the message in the address space 23 of the target process 27, recognizes the message as a command from the control process 24, and uses the index pointer 29 to obtain the necessary information and arguments from the shared memory of the DLL 25, step 15.
  • the control process 24 enjoys the same level of access within the target process 27 as does the target process 27 itself.
  • the control process 24 may thereafter perform any actions within the target process 27 which the target process 27 itself could do.
  • the message may direct the target process 27 to, for example, move the insertion point, or retrieve text or data from an edit control in the target process 27 and, optionally as in step 17, write the data to the shared memory of the DLL 25.
  • the control process 24 After the control process 24 has sent its initial message to the hook filter function 26, it waits for notification from the target process 27 that it has accomplished the directed operation.
  • This notification may be accomplished in various manners such as by posting a message in the message queue of the control process 24, or by changing the state of an event object which managed by the operating system 21 and monitored by the control process 24. Any text or data from the target process 27 may be posted to the shared memory of the DLL where it may be retrieved by the control process 24, step 19 of Fig. 1. If the control process 24 no longer requires the use of the hook filter function 26, the hook filter function 26 may be removed from the target process 27 by the control process 24. This may be accomplished by use of the UnhookWindoi ⁇ sHookEx function.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Software Systems (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Information Retrieval, Db Structures And Fs Structures Therefor (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne l'accès et la commande indirects d'un process informatique cible à partir d'un process de commande informatique dans un environnement à système de traitement informatique multitâches. Le process de commande comprend un fichier pour bibliothèque de liens dynamiques (DLL). Une fonction de rappel est ensuite insérée dans le process cible au moyen d'une des commandes du système d'exploitation. Il en résulte un mappage à force du processus de commande DLL dans l'espace mémoire du process cible. La fonction de rappel surveille tous les messages en provenance du système d'exploitation qui entrent dans le process cible via la file d'attente des messages. Le process de commande dispose des arguments et des données nécessaires dans la bibliothèque DLL et envoie un message à la fonction de rappel pour demander l'exécution d'une opération dans le process cible. La fonction de rappel constate que le message provient du process de commande et que les arguments et données se trouvent dans la bibliothèque DLL. Des données peuvent également être transmises du process cible au process de commande via la bibliothèque DLL.
EP99946701A 1998-09-01 1999-08-31 Interface entre un process de commande et un process cible Withdrawn EP1116111A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US9876298P 1998-09-01 1998-09-01
US98762P 1998-09-01
US10008198P 1998-09-14 1998-09-14
US100081P 1998-09-14
PCT/US1999/019968 WO2000013085A1 (fr) 1998-09-01 1999-08-31 Interface entre un process de commande et un process cible

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1116111A1 true EP1116111A1 (fr) 2001-07-18

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP99946701A Withdrawn EP1116111A1 (fr) 1998-09-01 1999-08-31 Interface entre un process de commande et un process cible

Country Status (4)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1116111A1 (fr)
AU (1) AU5905399A (fr)
CA (1) CA2342246A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2000013085A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2002075538A1 (fr) 2001-03-19 2002-09-26 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Dispositif multimedia monte sur vehicule
US6952722B1 (en) * 2002-01-22 2005-10-04 Cisco Technology, Inc. Method and system using peer mapping system call to map changes in shared memory to all users of the shared memory
CN103064749B (zh) * 2013-01-09 2017-05-24 上海斐讯数据通信技术有限公司 一种进程间通信方法
US10929573B2 (en) * 2017-03-21 2021-02-23 The Boeing Company Systems and methods for designing and modeling products in a cloud environment

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB9320982D0 (en) * 1993-10-12 1993-12-01 Ibm A data processing system

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO0013085A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2000013085A1 (fr) 2000-03-09
CA2342246A1 (fr) 2000-03-09
AU5905399A (en) 2000-03-21

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