Progress indicator for multiple actions
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorRobert Curt Neilsen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a progress indicator generated on a computer display. Program logic in a computer system monitors the execution of a plurality of tasks, such as the transmission of print jobs, and determines progress status information for each of the executing tasks. The program logic may be used to select one of the executing tasks and display on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.
Claims34
A method for displaying a progress indicator on a computer display, comprising the steps of:
- monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in a computer system;
- determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks;
- receiving user selection of one of the executing tasks;
- and
- displaying on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.
A method for displaying a progress indicator on a computer display, comprising the steps of:
- (a) monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in a computer system, wherein each executing task comprises an executing thread;
- determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks by:
- (i) maintaining an object for each executing task, wherein each object includes status information;
- (ii) updating status information in the objects to indicate more recent status information on the executing tasks by:
- (A) executing, from each thread executing one task, a callback routine to communicate with an application program;
- (B) determining, with the callback routine, updated status information for the task associated with the thread executing the callback routine;
- and
- (C) updating the object associated with the thread executing the callback routine with the updated status information;
- (iii) updating progress status information displayed in the graphical representation with the updated status information;
- (b) selecting one of the executing tasks;
- (c) displaying on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task;
- (d) maintaining a list of objects for executing threads, wherein each object includes a value indicating whether the thread corresponding to the object is active;
- (e) processing the list of objects and the value in the objects indicating whether the thread is inactive to determine objects associated with inactive tasks;
- and
- (f) deleting from the list of objects those determined objects associated with inactive tasks.
A system for displaying a progress indicator, comprising:
- a computer system;
- a display linked to the computer system;
- program logic means executed in the computer system, including:
- (i) means for monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in a computer system;
- (ii) means for determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks;
- (iii) means for receiving user selection of one of the executing tasks;
- and
- (iv) means for displaying on a computer terminal a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.
A system for displaying a progress indicator, comprising:
- a computer system;
- a display linked to the computer system;
- a printer server in communication with the computer system;
- an application program, wherein the printer server executes the application program;
- program logic means executed in the computer system, including:
- (i) means for monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in a computer system, wherein each executing task comprises an executing thread, wherein a thread is an instance of a print job being transmitted to the printer server from the computer system;
- (ii) means for determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks by:
- (a) maintaining an object for each executing task, wherein each object includes status information;
- (b) updating status information in the objects to indicate more recent status information on the executing tasks by:
- (I) executing, from each thread executing one task, a callback routine to communicate with an application program;
- (II) determining updated status information for the tasks associated with the thread executing the callback routine;
- and
- (III) means for updating the object associated with the thread executing the callback routine with the updated status information, wherein the thread executes the callback routine in the computer system to obtain status information for the print job associated with the thread executing the callback routine from the application program executing in the printer server;
- (c) updating progress status information displayed in the graphical representation with the updated status information;
- (iii) means for selecting one of the executing tasks;
- and
- (iv) means for displaying on a computer terminal a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.
An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to display a progress indicator on a display attached to the computer system, the article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer readable storage media has at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer system to perform the steps of:
- monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in the computer system;
- determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks;
- receiving user selection of one of the executing tasks;
- and
- displaying on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task.
An article of manufacture for use in programming a computer system to display a progress indicator on a display attached to the computer system, the article of manufacture comprising computer readable storage media accessible to the computer system, wherein the computer readable storage media has at least one computer program embedded therein that causes the computer system to perform the steps of:
- (a) monitoring execution of a plurality of tasks in the computer system, wherein each executing task comprises an executing thread;
- (b) determining progress status information for each of the executing tasks by:
- (i) maintaining an object for each executing task, wherein each object includes status information;
- (ii) updating status information in the objects to indicate more recent status information on the executing tasks by:
- (A) executing, from each thread executing one task, a callback routine to communicate with an application program;
- (B) determining, with the callback routine, updated status information for the tasks associated with the thread executing the callback routine;
- and
- (C) updating the object associated with the thread executing the callback routine with the updated status information;
- and
- (iii) updating progress status information displayed in the graphical representation with the updated status information,
- (c) selecting one of the executing tasks;
- (d) displaying on a computer display a graphical representation of the progress status information of the selected executing task;
- (e) maintaining a list of objects for executing threads, wherein each object includes a value indicating whether the thread corresponding to the object is active;
- (f) processing the list of objects and the value in the objects indicating whether the thread is inactive to determine objects associated with inactive tasks;
- and
- (g) deleting from the list of objects those determined objects associated with inactive tasks.
A memory device storing data structures accessible to an application program, wherein the data structures comprise an object associated with each task executing in a computer system, wherein each object includes status information on the task associated with the object, wherein the application program updates status information in the objects to indicate more recent status information on the executing tasks, and wherein the application program updates progress status information displayed in a graphical representation of progress status information for at least one user selected executing task.
A memory device storing data structures accessible to a first application program, wherein the data structures comprise an object associated with each task executing in a computer system, wherein each executing task comprises an executing thread, wherein the first application program updates status information in the objects to indicate more recent status information on the executing tasks by executing a callback routine to communicate with a second application program to obtain updated status information, and wherein the first application program updates the object with the updated status information from the application program, and wherein the first application program updates progress status information displayed in a graphical representation of progress status information for at least one selected executing task.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.