Patent US5388268A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5388268A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods of indicating states of software processes cooperating on a single task
Assignee: Hewlett Packard Development Co LP
•
Filing: 1994-04-28
•
Granted: 1995-02-07
•
Expires: 2014-04-28
Abstract
Abstract A visual display system providing an operator simultaneous descriptions of the states of many cooperating sub-processes working on a task and residing in various instruments in a distributed system. A server process is connected to receive and translate status signals from the sub-processes into a standardized language. The translated signals are interpreted by a screen manipulation program. A monitor, connected to the server process, displays the interpreted signals to show the states of the sub-processes. The visual indication on the monitor includes a plurality of representations of indicator lights. Each indicator light indicates the state of one of the sub-processes. Next to each indicator light is an identifier which identifies the sub-process represented by the indicator light. The visual indication also includes two types of meters. One type of meter indicates the speed of one of the sub-processes and the other indicates the amount of data used at any given time by one of the sub-processes. Finally, a picture of each of the operators using the system is also included in the indication. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented to monitor a rule-based programming environment using the X Window System.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian W. Beach
- 👤 Anand Deshpande
- 👤 Wendy L. Fong
- 👤 Pankaj K. Garg
- 👤 Audrey K. Ishizaki
- 👤 Thuan Q. Pham
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 18:32
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/32; G06F11/324; G06F11/328; G06F11/321; G06F11/322; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/961; Y10S715/965; Y10S715/966; Y10S715/97
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
256 words
In a distributed computer system comprising a plurality of instruments, at least one monitor, and executing a server process, a method of indicating the states of a plurality of software sub-processes that are working together on a task selected by an operator, the sub-processes being coupled to said server process, each sub-process performing at least a part of the task, each sub-process having been programmed to generate signals indicating its state, the states of a sub-process comprising executing, ready, waiting, and stopped, and each sub-process residing in one of said plurality of instruments in said distributed computer system before the operator starts the method, the method comprising the steps of: generating by each sub-process a signal indicative of the state of that sub-process, said signal being generated in response to a change in state of said sub-process, said signal being unsolicited by the server process, said signal being expressed in a language convenient for said sub-process, said language not required to be the same language for each sub-process; communicating by each sub-process the generated signals from the sub-processes to the server process; determining by the server process the states of the sub-process, said determining comprising interpreting the signals received from the sub-processes; displaying by the server process, via a screen manipulation program, a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes on a monitor; and repeating from the step of generating until the method is stopped; such that the operator is provided with a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes working on the task.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
256 words
In a distributed computer system comprising a plurality of instruments, at least one monitor, and executing a server process, a method of indicating the states of a plurality of software sub-processes that are working together on a task selected by an operator, the sub-processes being coupled to said server process, each sub-process performing at least a part of the task, each sub-process having been programmed to generate signals indicating its state, the states of a sub-process comprising executing, ready, waiting, and stopped, and each sub-process residing in one of said plurality of instruments in said distributed computer system before the operator starts the method, the method comprising the steps of: generating by each sub-process a signal indicative of the state of that sub-process, said signal being generated in response to a change in state of said sub-process, said signal being unsolicited by the server process, said signal being expressed in a language convenient for said sub-process, said language not required to be the same language for each sub-process; communicating by each sub-process the generated signals from the sub-processes to the server process; determining by the server process the states of the sub-process, said determining comprising interpreting the signals received from the sub-processes; displaying by the server process, via a screen manipulation program, a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes on a monitor; and repeating from the step of generating until the method is stopped; such that the operator is provided with a visual indication of the states of the sub-processes working on the task.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the states of the sub-processes by the server process comprises: translating the communicated signals from each of the sub-process to a standardized language; and using a screen manipulation program to interpret each of the translated signals to form the visual indication of the state of each of the sub-processes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method as in claim 2, wherein displaying the visual indication comprises displaying a plurality of representations of indicator lights, one light associated with, and indicating the state of, each sub-process.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as in claim 3, wherein displaying the visual indication of an indicator light comprises displaying the light in a first state if the associated sub-process is busy and in a second state if the sub-process is idle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as in claim 3, wherein displaying the visual indication further comprises displaying a plurality of identifiers, one identifier is next to each indicator light identifying the sub-process represented by the light.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as in claim 1, wherein communicating a generated signal from a sub-process to the server process when the state of that sub-process changes such that the server process does not continuously monitor the states of each of the sub-processes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 2, wherein displaying the visual indication comprises displaying the speed of one of the sub-processes as that sub-process is working on the task.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 2, wherein displaying the visual indication comprises displaying the amount of data used at any given time by one of the sub-processes as that sub-process is working on the task.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 2, wherein displaying the visual indication comprises displaying a picture of each operator using the distributed system.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3559188A
Cited
US3668653A
Cited
US3644936A
Cited
US3720814A
Cited
US3906454A
Cited
US4369494A
Cited
US4109309A
Cited
US4251858A
Cited
US4521014A
Cited
US4590550A
Cited
US5103394A
Cited
US4860200A
Cited
US4949248A
Cited
US5151978A
Cited
US5159673A
Cited
US5163151A
Cited
US5245704A
Cited
US5165014A
Cited
US5237684A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1998-02-06 | 1998-08-08 | 1999-02-07 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2002-02-06 | 2002-08-08 | 2003-02-07 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2006-02-06 | 2006-08-08 | 2007-02-07 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |