Method and system for monitoring tasks in a computer system

• US 6,314,446 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stiles Invention LLC
• Original Assignee: Stiles Invention LLC
• Inventors: Stiles, Ian James
• Primary Examiner(s): BANANKHAH, MAJID A
• Application Number:
  US08/829,312
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/101, 709/102, 709/103, 709/104, 709/105, 709/107, 709/108, 345/334, 345/347, 345/348
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0715 in a system implementing multitasking multitasking per se G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0757 by exceeding a time limit, i.e. time-out, e.g. watchdogs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3017 where the computing system is implementing multitasking multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/324 Display of status information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time

Abstract

A system and method for displaying the status of tasks or processes in a computer system is described. The method is designed to receive the expected time for task completion and by comparing the time used per task computes a task status indicator. The method displays the resulting status to the user in an intuitive manner with four configurations indicating: process running normally, process running intermittently, process stopped normally, and process halted unexpectedly. The device when properly used by the method combine to form a communications device which clearly and easily communicates to the user of the computer system the operational status of the selected program, routine or process and does so without requiring the allocation of significant continuous processing overhead.

Claims

1. A computer task monitor process comprising:

(A) creating a status window in a computer software display screen;

(B) receiving a task for monitoring;

(C) monitoring said received task, wherein said monitoring said received task further comprises starting a thread for polling said monitored task and receiving an indication as to when said started task will report back, thereby tracking a response time for determining a status of said monitored task; and

(D) displaying said status of said monitored task, wherein said displaying the status includes setting an indicator to a mode selected from the group consisting of Running, Broken, Intermittent, and Stopped.

2. A computer task monitor process, as recited in claim 1, further comprising cycling through all tasks being monitored periodically and updating said display of status of said monitored task.

3. A computer task monitor process as recited in claim 1 wherein said creating a computer software display window further comprises creating a list of monitored tasks and the status of each monitored task.

4. A computer task monitor process as recited in claim 1 wherein said receiving a task for monitoring further comprises receiving a expected time for completion of said received task and an identifier for said received task.

5. A computer task monitor process as recited in claim 1 wherein said monitoring said received task, further comprises comparing elapsed time with the value of expected time for completion of said received task.

6. A computer task monitor process as recited in claim 1 wherein said monitor process operates with display device for visually communicating the status of said monitored tasks.