US6059842A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System and method for optimizing computer software and hardware
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1998-04-14
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Granted: 2000-05-09
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Expires: 2018-04-14
Abstract
Abstract A method of optimizing the operation of a computer system in running application programs in accordance with system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program. More specifically, with this invention, an optimizing program gathers information on the system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program to maximize the operation of the application program or computer system. Further, user selected rules of operation can be selected by dragging rule icons to target optimizer icon.
Inventors
- 👤 Daniel Peter Dumarot
- 👤 David Alan Stevenson
- 👤 Nicholas Richard Dono
- 👤 James Randall Moulic
- 👤 Clifford Alan Pickover
- 👤 Bengt-Olaf Schneider
- 👤 Adelbert Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 12:40
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F9/00; G06F9/06; G06F9/44; G06F9/445; G06F9/44505; G06F11/00; G06F11/30; G06F11/34; G06F11/3466; G06F8/00; G06F8/40; G06F8/41; G06F8/44; G06F8/443; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S706/00; Y10S706/902; Y10S706/919; Y10S706/922; Y10S715/00; Y10S715/961; Y10S715/965; Y10S715/966; Y10S715/967
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 39
Claim 1
Independent Claim
65 words
In a computer system, a method of enhancing program application or system performance of said computer system, said method comprising: a. determining configuration information of said computer system; b. determining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. optimizing configuration parameters of said program application in response to said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
65 words
In a computer system, a method of enhancing program application or system performance of said computer system, said method comprising: a. determining configuration information of said computer system; b. determining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. optimizing configuration parameters of said program application in response to said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. determining user preferences for the operation of said computer system and further optimizing said computer system in response to said user preferences.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
A method as recited in claim 1, determining performance capabilities of said computer system comprises: a. comparing system performance against previous system performance, where said previous system performance is stored in a database with said configuration parameters.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said user preferences are determined using a graphic user interface through which a user enters said user preferences.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. providing recommended system configurations in response to said performance capabilities that are determined.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said configuration information comprises at least one of the following: a. CPU speed, memory capacity, disk subsystem capabilities, system BIOS version, graphics adapter type, driver levels, operating system software and service pack release levels.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said performance capabilities comprise at least one of the following: a. CPU performance for integer and floating point tasks, memory subsystem throughput, disk subsystem throughput, b. 3D graphics performance, and c. 2D graphics performance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer system can operate according to a plurality of rules of operation, wherein said graphic user interface comprises user selectable rule icons, each of which represents one of said rules of operation for said computer system, and wherein a user can select at least one of said rules of operation by selecting at least corresponding one of said rule icons.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
A method as recited in claim 8, wherein said user selects one of said rule icons by dragging and dropping said one icon to an optimizer icon, wherein said dropping results in the application of said selected one rule of operation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said optimizer icon comprises a plurality of locations, each location capable of accepting one of said rule icons, wherein one of said rules is implemented when a corresponding one of said rule icons representing said one rule is placed on said graphical user interface within a threshold distance of said one location.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 10, wherein each location is visually distinguished.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 10, wherein each location is visually distinguished by at least one of the following characteristics: color, outline, textures, and brightness.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
A method as recited in claim 10, wherein each location is spatially distinguished.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as recited in claim 10, wherein at least one of said locations is a cutout on said optimizer icon.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method as recited in claim 10, wherein there is a visual indication that one of said rule icons is within said threshold distance.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a. storing said known characteristics and behaviors of said program application in a database.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said database is hard-coded into said program application.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said database is stored as a table.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said database is constructed by the user via a graphical user interface that uses a drag-and-drop paradigm to construct rules by combining graphical user interface components representing components of the rule.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as recited in claim 16, wherein said database is stored in a storage device that is remote from said workstation.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said computer system comprises a server and a remote station which can be interconnected to each other through a communications network.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising optimizing configuration parameters of said computer system in response to said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining performance capabilities of said computer system comprises: a. determining real time resource utilization when said program application is being executed.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of running an application program on a computer system to accomplish a user selected result in the running of the application program, said method comprising: a. determining the utilization of selected resources of said computer system at selected intervals during the running of the application program; b. comparing said resource utilization with predefined thresholds; and c. alerting a user of said computer system to alter application program parameters if said resource utilization comparison satisfies predefined criteria with respect to said thresholds.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
83 words
A method of running an application program on a computer system to accomplish a user selected result in the running of the application program, said method comprising: a. determining the utilization of selected resources of said computer system at selected intervals during the running of the application program; b. comparing said resource utilization with predefined thresholds; and c. alerting a user of said computer system to alter application program parameters if said resource utilization comparison satisfies predefined criteria with respect to said thresholds.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as recited in claim 24, wherein said predefined criteria comprises a combination of resource utilization requirements for a set of said resources of said computer system.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of enhancing computer systems performance, said method comprising: a. monitoring user activity; b. determining user activity patterns; c. matching said user activity patterns against entries in a database; and d. making suggestions or alerting said user to alter at least one of computer system parameters and application program parameters in accordance with said entries.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
56 words
A method of enhancing computer systems performance, said method comprising: a. monitoring user activity; b. determining user activity patterns; c. matching said user activity patterns against entries in a database; and d. making suggestions or alerting said user to alter at least one of computer system parameters and application program parameters in accordance with said entries.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
81 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enhancing program application or system performance of a computer system, said method steps comprising: a. determining configuration information of said computer system; b. determining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. optimizing configuration parameters of said program application in response to said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
81 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enhancing program application or system performance of a computer system, said method steps comprising: a. determining configuration information of said computer system; b. determining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. optimizing configuration parameters of said program application in response to said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
103 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for running an application program on a computer system to accomplish a user selected result in the running of the application program, said method steps comprising: a. determining the utilization of selected resources of said computer system at selected intervals during the running of the application program; b. comparing said resource utilization with predefined thresholds; and c. alerting a user of said computer system to alter application program parameters if said resource utilization comparison satisfies predefined criteria with respect to said thresholds.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
103 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for running an application program on a computer system to accomplish a user selected result in the running of the application program, said method steps comprising: a. determining the utilization of selected resources of said computer system at selected intervals during the running of the application program; b. comparing said resource utilization with predefined thresholds; and c. alerting a user of said computer system to alter application program parameters if said resource utilization comparison satisfies predefined criteria with respect to said thresholds.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
75 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enhancing computer systems performance, said method comprising: a. monitoring user activity; b. determining user activity patterns; c. matching said user activity patterns against entries in a database; and d. making suggestions or alerting said user to alter at least one of computer system parameters and application program parameters in accordance with said entries.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
75 words
A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for enhancing computer systems performance, said method comprising: a. monitoring user activity; b. determining user activity patterns; c. matching said user activity patterns against entries in a database; and d. making suggestions or alerting said user to alter at least one of computer system parameters and application program parameters in accordance with said entries.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
66 words
A system for enhancing program application or system performance of a computer system comprising: a. means for determining configuration information of said computer system; b. means for ascertaining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. processing means for automatically optimizing configuration parameters of said program application based on said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
66 words
A system for enhancing program application or system performance of a computer system comprising: a. means for determining configuration information of said computer system; b. means for ascertaining performance capabilities of said computer system based on known characteristics and behaviors of said program application; and c. processing means for automatically optimizing configuration parameters of said program application based on said configuration information and said performance capabilities.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 30 further comprising notifying means for notifying a user of said optimal configuration parameters.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 30 wherein said automatically optimizing comprises automatically resetting configuration parameters of said program application.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-05-09 | 2003-11-08 | 2004-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-05-09 | 2007-11-08 | 2008-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-05-09 | 2011-11-08 | 2012-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |