Methods of monitoring the status of an application program

• US 5,333,256 A
• Filed: 04/07/1992
• Issued: 07/26/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Roosken, Cynthia A., Green, Emily A., Nguyen, Ha H., Malcolm, Jerry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Application Number:
  US07/865,788
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 395/144-149, 395/155-161, 395/650
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34

Abstract

An application or terminal emulation program, which is being executed on an information processing system, is represented by the display of a first icon on a display device. If during the execution of the application or terminal emulation program, a virtual display buffer associated with the application program, is updated, a second icon is displayed on the display device to indicate to a user of the system that a change in the status of the program has occurred.

Claims

1. In an information processing system, a method of indicating status of an execution of an application program, said execution including a requirement for attention of a user of said application program, comprising:

displaying, on a display unit of said system, a first icon associated with said application program;

determining whether a virtual display buffer associated with said application program has been updated to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user; and

displaying, on said display unit and in response to an updating of said virtual buffer, a second icon having a combination of pictorial elements different from said first icon to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said application program.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removing an application window associated with said application program prior to said step of displaying said first icon.

3. In an information processing system, a method of indicating status of an execution of one of a plurality of application programs being executed on said system, said execution including a requirement for attention of a user of a first of said application programs, comprising:

displaying, on a display unit of said system, a first icon associated with said first of said plurality of application programs;

determining whether a virtual display buffer associated with said first application program has been updated to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said first application program; and

displaying, on said display unit and in response to said virtual buffer'"'"'s being updated, a second icon having a combination of pictorial elements different from said first icon to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said first application program.

4. A system for indicating status of an execution of an application program on an information processing system, said execution including a requirement for attention of a user of said application program, comprising:

means for displaying, on a display unit of said system, a first icon associated with said application program; and

means for determining whether a virtual display buffer associated with said application program has been updated to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user; and

means for displaying, on said display unit and in response to an updating of said virtual buffer, a second icon having a combination of pictorial elements different from said first icon to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said application program.

5. The system of claim 4 further comprising:

means for removing an application window associated with said application program prior to operation of said means for displaying said first icon.

6. A system for indicating status of an execution of one of a plurality of application programs on an information processing system, said execution including a requirement for attention of a user of a first of said application programs, comprising:

means for displaying, on a display unit of said system, a first icon associated with a first of said plurality of application programs;

means for determining whether a virtual display buffer associated with said first application program has been updated to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said first application program; and

means for displaying, on said display unit and in response to an updating of said virtual buffer, a second icon having a combination of pictorial elements different from said first icon to indicate said requirement for said attention of said user of said first application program.