System and method for terminating applications

• US 20050177832A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chew, Chee H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,095,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44594 Unloading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99957 Garbage collection

Abstract

A computer application program executing on a computer, such as a portable computer, is selected for termination by first identifying computer application programs executing on the computer. A priority value is assigned to each of the identified computer applications. The priority value is based on multiple characteristics of the identified computer application programs. The computer application program with the smallest priority value is automatically terminated. If the computer application program with the smallest priority value is in a modal state in which it waits for a response from a user, then a default response is provided to the application prior to terminating the computer application program. The characteristics associated with the computer application programs may include average launch times, average memory usages, a class or type of application, frequencies of usage, and an amount of data stored on the computer by the computer application program.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media containing executable instructions that, when implemented, perform a method comprising:

determining a first priority value of a first computer application program based on a least one first parameter of the first computer application program;

comparing the first priority value to a second priority value; and

reclaiming system resources associated with the first computer application program.

2. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the second priority value is associated with a second computer application program.

3. The computer readable media of claim 2, wherein the second priority value is based on at least one second parameter of the second computer application program.

4. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the at least one first parameter is based on a characteristic other than an inherent characteristic of the first computer application program.

5. The computer readable media of claim 1 wherein reclaiming includes reclaiming system resources utilized by the executing first computer application program.

6. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein reclaiming system resources comprises recalculating the first priority value at a time the reclaiming is to occur.

7. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the at least one first parameter includes a time parameter based on a measure of time.

8. The computer readable media of claim 1, wherein the at least one first parameter is associated with a weighting factor.

9. A method, comprising:

determining a first priority value of a first computer application program based on at least one first parameter of the first computer application program;

comparing the first priority value with a second priority value based on at least one second parameter of a second computer application program;

reclaiming system resources associated with the first computer application program if the first priority value differs from the second priority value.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the first computer application program and based on the monitoring, defining the at least one first parameter.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one first parameter includes a type of application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one second parameter includes a type of application, and the comparing further includes comparing a first length of time the first computer application program has been running and a second length of time the second computer application program has been running.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one first parameter includes the amount of memory used by the first computer application program.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the first computer application is a core application and the method further comprises marking the resources of the first computer application as unavailable for reclaiming.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the at least one first priority value includes multiplying the at least one first parameter value by a weighting factor

16. A system, comprising:

a registry containing a first parameter associated with a first computer application program and a second parameter associated with a second computer application program;

means for executing the first computer application program and the second computer application program;

means for assigning a first priority value associated with the first parameter to the first computer application program, and assigning a second priority value associated with the second parameter to the second computer application program;

means for comparing the first priority value and the second priority value; and

means for reclaiming system resources associated with the first computer application program if a result of the comparison indicates the first priority value differs from the second priority value.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for associating the first parameter with a weighting factor.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein each of the first parameter and the second parameter include a type of computer application program, and the means for comparing further comprises a means for measuring a first amount of time the first computer application program has been executing and for measuring a second amount of time the second computer application has been executing.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for comparing comprises means for indicating the first priority value and the second priority value are equal and comparing the first amount of time the first computer application has been executing and the second amount of time the second computer application has been executing, and the means for reclaiming system resources reclaims system resources associated with the first computer application program if the first amount of time exceeds the second amount of time.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for reclaiming reclaims system resources associated with the first computer application if the result of the comparison indicates the first priority value does not differ from the second priority value.