Method and apparatus for a client call service

• US 20050154604A1
• Filed: 01/13/2004
• Published: 07/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ambrose, Kevin B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,426,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for providing access to an application. An operating system is identified on the client responsive to receiving a request for access to the application from a client. An appropriate version of the application for the client is selected in response to identifying the operating system. The files required on the client are sent for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client. A billing process is initiated to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for providing access to an application, the method comprising:

responsive to receiving a request for access to the application from a client, identifying an operating system on the client;

responsive to identifying the operating system, selecting an appropriate version of the application for the client;

sending files required on the client for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client; and

initiating a billing process to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a user input for a pause in usage of the appropriate version of the application, pausing increases in the amount of time, wherein the appropriate version of the application is locked in a read only mode while the pause is in effect.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to a user input to terminate using the appropriate version of the application, identifying the amount of time to form an identified amount of time; and

storing the identified amount of time for use in billing a user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a billing agent to the client, wherein the billing agent provides a display of status information regarding the amount of time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the billing agent also displays current charges for usage of the appropriate version of the application.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein user specific files are stored on the client.

7. A method in a data processing system for accessing an application, the method comprising:

responsive to requesting the application from a server, receiving files from the server to execute the application on the data processing system;

executing the data processing system using the files from the server;

starting a timer to identify an amount of elapsed time, in response to execution of the application on the data processing system;

displaying a status window, wherein the amount of elapsed time is presented in the window;

responsive to a user input, pausing the timer; and

responsive to the user input, placing the application in a read only mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the amount of elapsed time is identified using a timer started by a billing agent on the client and wherein the billing agent is received at the data processing system in the files.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

responsive to a second user input, removing the application from the read only mode; and

starting the timer.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

responsive to a user input terminating usage of the application, stopping the timer to form a stopped timer; and

responsive to the user input terminating usage of the application;

sending the amount of elapsed time indicated by the stopped time to the server.

11. A data processing system for providing access to an application, the data processing system comprising:

identifying means for identifying an operating system on the client in response to receiving a request for access to the application from a client;

selecting means for selecting an appropriate version of the application for the client in response to identifying the operating system;

sending means for sending files required on the client for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client; and

initiating means for initiating a billing process to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 further comprising:

pausing means for pausing increases in the amount of time in response to a user input for a pause in usage of the appropriate version of the application, wherein the appropriate version of the application is locked in a read only mode while the pause is in effect.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 further comprising:

identifying means for identifying the amount of time to form an identified amount of time in response to a user input to terminate using the appropriate version of the application; and

storing means for storing the identified amount of time for use in billing a user.

14. The data processing system of claim 11 further comprising:

sending means for sending a billing agent to the client, wherein the billing agent provides a display of status information regarding the amount of time.

15. A data processing system for accessing an application, the data processing system comprising:

receiving means for receiving files from the server to execute the application on the data processing system in response to requesting the application from a server;

executing means for executing the data processing system using the files from the server;

starting means for starting a timer to identify an amount of elapsed time in response to execution of the application on the data processing system;

displaying means for displaying a status window, wherein the amount of elapsed time is presented in the window;

pausing means for pausing the timer in response to a user input; and

placing means for placing the application in a read only mode in response to the user input.

16. The data processing system of claim 15, wherein the amount of elapsed time is identified using a timer started by a billing agent on the client and wherein the billing agent is received at the data processing system in the files.

17. The data processing system of claim 15 further comprising:

removing means for removing the application from the read only mode in response to a second user input; and

starting means for starting the timer.

18. The data processing system of claim 15 further comprising:

stopping means for stopping the timer to form a stopped timer in response to a user input terminating usage of the application; and

sending means for sending the amount of elapsed time indicated by the stopped time to the server in response to the user input terminating usage of the application.

19. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in a data processing system for providing access to an application, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for identifying an operating system on the client in response to receiving a request for access to the application from a client;

second instructions for selecting an appropriate version of the application for the client in response to identifying the operating system;

third instructions for sending files required on the client for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client; and

fourth instructions for initiating a billing process to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

fifth instructions for pausing increases in the amount of time in response to a user input for a pause in usage of the appropriate version of the application, wherein the appropriate version of the application is locked in a read only mode while the pause is in effect.

21. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

fifth instructions for identifying the amount of time to form an identified amount of time in response to a user input to terminate using the appropriate version of the application; and

sixth instructions for storing the identified amount of time for use in billing a user.

22. The computer program product of claim 19 further comprising:

fifth instructions for sending a billing agent to the client, wherein the billing agent provides a display of status information regarding the amount of time.

23. A computer program product in a computer readable medium in a data processing system for accessing an application, the computer program product comprising:

first instructions for receiving files from the server to execute the application on the data processing system in response to requesting the application from a server;

second instructions for executing the data processing system using the files from the server;

third instructions for starting a timer to identify an amount of elapsed time, in response to execution of the application on the data processing system;

fourth instructions for displaying a status window, wherein the amount of elapsed time is presented in the window;

fifth instructions for pausing the timer in response to a user input; and

sixth instructions for placing the application in a read only mode in response to the user input.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the amount of elapsed time is identified using a timer started by a billing agent on the client, wherein the billing agent is received at the data processing system in the files.

25. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

seventh instructions for removing the application from the read only mode in response to a second user input; and

eighth instructions for starting the timer.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

seventh instructions for stopping the timer to form a stopped timer in response to a user input terminating usage of the application; and

eighth instructions for sending the amount of elapsed time indicated by the stopped time to the server in response to the user input terminating usage of the application.

27. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to provide access to an application in response to receiving a request for access to the application from a client and identify an operating system on the client;

select an appropriate version of the application for the client in response to identifying the operating system;

send files required on the client for execution of the appropriate version of the application to the client; and

initiate a billing process to identify an amount time during which the appropriate version of the application is used on the client.

28. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to access an application;

receive files from the server to execute the application on the data processing system in response to requesting the application from a server;

execute the data processing system using the files from the server;

start a timer to identify an amount of elapsed time in response to execution of the application on the data processing system;

display a status window wherein the amount of elapsed time is presented in the window;

pause the timer in response to a user input; and

place the application in a read only mode in response to the user input.