US5720018A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Three-dimensional real-time monitoring of attributes of computer software processes
Assignee: Oracle America Inc
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Filing: 1995-09-25
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Granted: 1998-02-17
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Expires: 2015-09-25
Abstract
Abstract An improved technique for monitoring computer processes and their attributes using a three-dimensional graphical image. The three dimensional graphical image is formed by displaying the graphical objects associated with the computer processes and their attributes. The physical relationship between the various graphical objects within the graphical image preferably model the actual relationships between the processes and their attributes. The computers which run or activate the processes may also be represented by a graphical object within the graphical image. As the attributes of the computer processes change, the characteristics of the graphical objects are quickly adjusted and the three-dimensional graphical image is updated to reflect the changes to the attributes of the computer processes being monitored. By varying the characteristics of the graphical objects, a user is able to visually notice the changes that occur to the graphical objects of the three-dimensional graphical image as an indication of the changes taking place to the attributes of the processes being monitored.
Inventors
- 👤 Hans Muller
- 👤 Greg B. Nuyens
- 👤 Qiang A. Zhao
- 👤 Nikhyl Singhal
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 21:52
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T17/00; G06F; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/32; G06F11/323
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
156 words
A performance monitoring system for various computer software processes associated with a computer network having at least a first and a second computer, each of the first and second computer capable of having numerous computer software processes concurrently active, said system comprising: a first monitoring process, located on the first computer having a first set of processes, for monitoring attributes of the first set of processes; a second monitoring process, located on the second computer having a second set of processes, for monitoring attributes of the second set of processes; and a visualizer process, capable of communicating with said first and second monitoring processes, for producing a three-dimensional graphical image including graphical objects representing the first and second sets of processes and the monitored attributes of the first and second sets of processes the three-dimensional graphical image being updated in substantially real-time to reflect changes in the attributes of the first and second sets of processes.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
156 words
A performance monitoring system for various computer software processes associated with a computer network having at least a first and a second computer, each of the first and second computer capable of having numerous computer software processes concurrently active, said system comprising: a first monitoring process, located on the first computer having a first set of processes, for monitoring attributes of the first set of processes; a second monitoring process, located on the second computer having a second set of processes, for monitoring attributes of the second set of processes; and a visualizer process, capable of communicating with said first and second monitoring processes, for producing a three-dimensional graphical image including graphical objects representing the first and second sets of processes and the monitored attributes of the first and second sets of processes the three-dimensional graphical image being updated in substantially real-time to reflect changes in the attributes of the first and second sets of processes.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
A system as recited in claim 1, wherein, for one or more of the graphical objects within the graphical image, at least one characteristic of the graphical object changes when the corresponding attribute being monitored changes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the characteristics of the graphical objects that change are selected from one of the following: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process comprises a visually distinct graphic object for one or more of the attributes being monitored.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
58 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image further includes graphical objects representing the first and second computers, and wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process comprises visually distinctive graphic shapes for processes and computers, so that a user viewing the graphical image can distinguish between the processes and the computers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process comprises visually distinct graphic shapes for one or more of the attributes being monitored.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process comprises visually distinct colors for one or more of the attributes being monitored on a particular computer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process further uses animation to indicate a characteristic of one or more of the attributes.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image produced by said visualizer process further uses sound to indicate a state of one or more processes or a characteristic of one or more of the attributes.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as recited in claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional graphical image is displayed on a display screen of a computer system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
133 words
A computer-implemented method for visualizing performance of software processes of a computer system, said method comprising: (a) providing a three-dimensional graphical model of the computer system having graphical objects for each of the software processes of the computer system that are to be monitored; (b) displaying the three-dimensional graphical model on a display screen; (c) monitoring attributes of the software processes that are being monitored; and (d) updating the three-dimensional graphical model on the display screen by altering characteristics of the graphical objects in accordance with the attributes monitored, said updating occurs at a rate such that a user viewing the display screen is given the impression that the three-dimensional graphical model being displayed is updated in nearly real time with respect to changes in the performance of the software processes being monitored.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
133 words
A computer-implemented method for visualizing performance of software processes of a computer system, said method comprising: (a) providing a three-dimensional graphical model of the computer system having graphical objects for each of the software processes of the computer system that are to be monitored; (b) displaying the three-dimensional graphical model on a display screen; (c) monitoring attributes of the software processes that are being monitored; and (d) updating the three-dimensional graphical model on the display screen by altering characteristics of the graphical objects in accordance with the attributes monitored, said updating occurs at a rate such that a user viewing the display screen is given the impression that the three-dimensional graphical model being displayed is updated in nearly real time with respect to changes in the performance of the software processes being monitored.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said method further comprises: (e) repeating (c) and (d).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
77 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein said updating (d) comprises: (d1) determining whether the attributes monitored have changed; (d2) when said determining (d1) determines that the attributes monitored have changed, altering the characteristics of the graphical objects in accordance with the attributes monitored; and (d3) when the graphical objects have been altered (d2), updating the three-dimensional graphical model being displayed in the display screen by redisplaying at least the graphical objects that have been altered.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as recited in claim 13, wherein the characteristics of one of the graphical objects being altered is one of the following: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the characteristics of one of the graphical objects being altered is a combination of two or more of the following: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional graphical model visually indicates the performance of the software processes being monitored in nearly real time.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the graphical model further includes a graphical object for visually indicating a stall or block condition of a process.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
171 words
A computer-implemented method for monitoring computer software processes within a computer system, the computer system includes a plurality of computers, with at least one of the computers having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising: (a) providing graphical objects for the computer software processes and attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; (b) obtaining data corresponding to the attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; (c) updating the graphical objects in accordance with the data obtained in (b); (d) visually displaying on the display screen the updated graphical objects as a three-dimensional graphical image of the computer software processes and the attributes thereof that are being monitored; and (e) enabling a user to interact with the three-dimensional graphical image, via the input device, to select a first computer process of the computer software processes being monitored and then move the first computer process from a first computer to a second computer, where the first and second computers are within the computer system.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
171 words
A computer-implemented method for monitoring computer software processes within a computer system, the computer system includes a plurality of computers, with at least one of the computers having a display screen and an input device, said method comprising: (a) providing graphical objects for the computer software processes and attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; (b) obtaining data corresponding to the attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; (c) updating the graphical objects in accordance with the data obtained in (b); (d) visually displaying on the display screen the updated graphical objects as a three-dimensional graphical image of the computer software processes and the attributes thereof that are being monitored; and (e) enabling a user to interact with the three-dimensional graphical image, via the input device, to select a first computer process of the computer software processes being monitored and then move the first computer process from a first computer to a second computer, where the first and second computers are within the computer system.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said enabling (e) comprises: (e1) selecting the first computer process using from the graphical object being displayed on the display screen corresponding thereto; and (e2) dragging the graphical object selected to the graphical object corresponding to the second computer.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said method further comprises: (f) repeating (b) through (d).
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein one or more of the graphical objects are three-dimensional graphical objects.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said updating (c) and said displaying (d) together operate such that the computer software processes and the attributes thereof being monitored can be visually monitored in nearly real time.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said updating (c) updates characteristics of the graphical objects, said characteristics being selected from the group of: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 18, wherein said providing (a) further provides a graphical object to visually indicate a stall or block condition of a computer process.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
175 words
A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for monitoring computer software processes within a computer system, and wherein said computer readable code includes at least first computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect providing graphical objects for the computer software processes and attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; second computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect obtaining data corresponding to the attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; third computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect updating the graphical objects in accordance with the data obtained, the graphical objects being updated in substantially real-time to reflect changes in the attributes of the computer software processes being monitored; and fourth computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect visually displaying the updated graphical objects as a three-dimensional graphical image of the computer software processes and the attributes thereof that are being monitored.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
175 words
A computer program product, comprising: a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for monitoring computer software processes within a computer system, and wherein said computer readable code includes at least first computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect providing graphical objects for the computer software processes and attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; second computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect obtaining data corresponding to the attributes of the computer software processes that are being monitored; third computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect updating the graphical objects in accordance with the data obtained, the graphical objects being updated in substantially real-time to reflect changes in the attributes of the computer software processes being monitored; and fourth computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect visually displaying the updated graphical objects as a three-dimensional graphical image of the computer software processes and the attributes thereof that are being monitored.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
71 words
A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein said computer readable code further includes fifth computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer to effect enabling a user to interact with the three-dimensional graphical image, via an input device, to select a first computer process of the computer software processes being monitored and then move the first computer process from a first computer to a second computer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
58 words
A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein said fifth computer readable program devices comprises: program code devices for selecting the first computer process using from the graphical object being displayed on the display screen corresponding thereto; and program code devices for dragging the graphical object selected to the graphical object corresponding to the second computer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
89 words
A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein third computer readable program code devices comprises: first program code devices for determining whether the attributes monitored have changed; second program code devices for altering the characteristics of the graphical objects in accordance with the attributes monitored when said first program code devices determine that the attributes monitored have changed; and third program code devices for redisplaying at least the graphical objects that have been altered when the graphical objects have been altered by said second program code devices.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
41 words
A computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the characteristics of one of the graphical objects being altered by said second program code devices is one of the following: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
46 words
A computer program product as recked in claim 28, wherein the characteristics of one of the graphical objects being altered by said second program code devices is a combination of two or more of the following: height, width, color, translucence, shape, rotation, texture, movement and sound.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
40 words
A computer program product as recited in claim 25, wherein third computer readable program code devices comprises: program code devices for providing a graphical object for visually indicating a stall or block condition of a computer software process being monitored.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-02-16 | 2001-08-18 | 2002-02-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-02-16 | 2005-08-18 | 2006-02-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-02-16 | 2009-08-18 | 2010-02-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |