METHOD, APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR GENERATING AUDIBLE ALERTS

• US 20110145746A1
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Inventors: Jamieson, Robert, Malnati, James
• Application Number:
  US12/637,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145746A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display

Abstract

A method for managing alerts in a distributed computer system includes monitoring one or more portions of the computer system for exceptions and, upon discerning a first exception, generating an audible alert at a first workstation of the computer system. A distributed computer system includes at least one workstation and at least one component executing a system event detection program. The computer system further includes a first module that monitors the computer system for a system event requiring administrative attention and a second module that produces an audible alert of the system event on a first workstation. A computer program product has a computer readable medium that has computer program logic recorded thereon for providing audible alerts for conditions of a distributed computer system. The computer program product includes code for discerning a system condition requiring administrative attention and code for generating an audible alert to a first workstation of the distributed computer system in response to discerning the system condition.

Claims

1. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for providing audible alerts for conditions of a distributed computer system, the computer program product comprising:

code for discerning a system condition requiring administrative attention; and

code for generating an audible alert to a first workstation of the distributed computer system in response to discerning the system condition.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

code for displaying a graphical user interface at the first workstation to receive input for at least one the following actions;

acknowledging the audible alert and clearing the audible alert.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 further comprising:

code for sending a command to a portion of the distributed computer system affected by the system condition.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

code for generating the audible alert at a second workstation.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, in which the audible alert is generated with different characteristics at the second workstation than at the first workstation.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 further comprising:

code for clearing the audible alert from one or more other workstations in response to the audible alert being cleared from the first workstation; and

code for clearing at least one visual alert from at least one server in response to the audible alert being cleared for the first workstation.

7. A distributed computer system including at least one workstation and at least one component executing a system event detection program, the computer system comprising:

a first module that monitors the computer system for a system event requiring administrative attention; and

a second module that produces an audible alert of the system event on a first workstation.

8. The distributed computer system of claim 7 in which the second module produces the audible alert on a second workstation.

9. The distributed computer system of claim 8 further comprising a third module that clears the audible alert on the second workstation in response to the audible alert being cleared on the first workstation.

10. The distributed computer system of claim 8 in which the second module produces the audible alert differently on the respective first and second workstations.

11. The distributed computer system of claim 8 in which the second module tailors characteristics of the audible alert according to one or more factors.

12. The distributed computer system of claim 11 in which the factors include one or more of the following:

a noise level of an environment;

an urgency of the alert; and

an expected user.

13. The distributed computer system of claim 7 further comprising a third module that renders a graphical user interface on the first workstation for receiving input to clear the audible alert and to acknowledge the audible alert.

14. The distributed computer system of claim 7 further comprising a third module that renders a graphical user interface on the first workstation for receiving input indicating a command to be sent to a portion of the computer system affected by the system event.

15. A method for managing alerts in a distributed computer system, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more portions of the computer system for exceptions; and

upon discerning a first exception, generating an audible alert at a first workstation of the computer system.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

upon discerning the first exception, generating the audible alert at a second workstation of the computer system.

17. The method of claim 16 in which the audible alert is generated differently at each of the first and second workstations.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

rendering a graphical user interface on the first workstation;

receiving input through the graphical user interface indicating that the audible alert should be cleared; and

clearing the audible alert on the first and second workstations in response to the received input.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

rendering a graphical user interface on the first workstation; and

receiving input through the graphical user interface indicating that the audible alert should be cleared; and

clearing a visual alert on a server in response to the received input.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

rendering a graphical user interface on the first workstation

receiving input indicating a command to be sent to a portion of the computer system originating the first exception.