Method, system and program for executing a predicted operation in a computer system after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity

• US 6,567,838 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1993
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Korenshtein, Roni
• Primary Examiner(s): Banankhah, Majid A.
• Application Number:
  US08/091,110
• Time in Patent Office: 3,598 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/101, 709/102, 709/103, 709/104, 709/105, 709/106, 709/107, 709/108
• US Class Current: 718/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Method and system for operating a computer system to execute a selected predicted operation which a user has not yet requested is described. The results of the predicted operation are stored with an uncommitted (temporary) status until the user actually requests the results of the predicted operation at which time the the status of the results are changed to a committed (permanent) status so that the results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation. User activity which invalidates or renders the results of the predicted operation useless is tracked, so that the results will be discarded when appropriate. The selection of the predicted operation is made based on the particular activity being performed by the user at the time. A table of predicted operations may be used which prioritizes the predicted operations. The triggering event for the predicted operation cycle may be the expiration of a time period since the last user activity or some other event which indicates that there are excess CPU resources available for predicted operations.

Claims

1. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

detecting, after a first predetermined period elapses since a user activity, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity and requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of invalidating or erasing the results of the predicted operation when the user enters a request or data which changes input data used by the predicted operation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined triggering event is the elapsing of the predetermined period since the user activity.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

reading any user input, when the user resumes activity, which occurs during the execution of the predicted operation; and

terminating, the execution of the predicted operation when the user input invalidates the results of the predicted operation by changing input data used by the predicted operation.

3. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

detecting after a first predetermined period elapses since a user activity, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status;

changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity and requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation; and

suspending the execution of the predicted operation when the user enters a request which does not change input data for the predicted operation, then resuming execution of the predicted operation when a second predetermined time elapses since the user last entered a command.

4. A method of operation a computer system comprising the steps of:

detecting after a first predetermined period elapses since a user activity, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

wherein the step of selecting a predicted operation further comprises the step of choosing the predicted operation from a predicted operations table which contains a list of allowable predicted operations based on a status code for each allowable predicted operation and a priority code for each allowable predicted operation;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity and requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

7. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

selecting, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, a predicted operation to be performed;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation identifies as predicted results; and

presenting the predicted results to the user when the user requests the predicted operation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of invalidating or erasing the predicted results when the user enters a request or data which changes input data used by the predicted operation.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of:

reading any user input which occurs during the execution of the predicted operation; and

terminating the execution of the predicted operation when the user input changes input data used by the predicted operation.

9. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

selecting, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, a predicted operation to be performed;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation identified as predicted results;

presenting the predicted results to the user when the user requests the predicted operation; and

suspending the execution of the predicted operation when the user enters a request, after resuming activity, which does not change input data for the predicted operation, then resuming execution of the predicted operation after a second predetermined period elapses since a second activity.

10. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

selecting, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, a predicted operation to be performed;

wherein the step of selecting a predicted operation further comprises the step of choosing the predicted operation from a predicted operations table which contains a list of allowable predicted operations based on a status code for each allowable predicted operation and a priority code for each allowable predicted operation;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation identified as predicted results; and

presenting the predicted results to the user when the user requests the predicted operation.

11. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

waiting until a CPU utilization falls below a predetermined threshold;

selecting, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, a predicted operation to be performed;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation identified as predicted results; and

presenting the predicted results to the user when the user requests the predicted operation.

13. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

means for selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

means for executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

means for storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

means for changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for invalidating or erasing the results of the predicted operation when the user, after resuming activity, enters a request or data which changes input data used by the predicted operation.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined triggering event is the elapsing of the predetermined period since the user activity.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

means for reading any user input which occurs during the execution of the predicted operation; and

means for terminating the execution of the predicted operation when the user input changes data used by the predicted operation.

15. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

means for selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

means for executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

means for storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status;

means for changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation; and

suspending the execution of the predicted operation when the user enters a request which does not change input data for the predicted operation, then resuming execution of the predicted operation when a second predetermined time elapses since a second user activity.

16. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

means for selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

wherein the means for selecting a predicted operation further comprises means for choosing the predicted operation from a predicted operations table which contains a list of allowable predicted operations based on a status code for each allowable predicted operation and a priority code for each allowable predicted operation;

means for executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

means for storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

means for changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

18. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting the occurrence of a CPU utilization falling below a predetermined threshold, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

means for selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

means for executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

means for storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status;

means for changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

20. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

detecting after a first predetermined period elapses since a user activity, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

selecting a predicted operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

reading any user input, when the user resumes activity, which occurs during the execution of the predicted operation;

suspending the execution of the predicted operation when the user input does not invalidate the results of the predicted operation, until the triggering event occurs, then resuming the execution of the predicted operation when the triggering event occurs again;

storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity and requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the predicted operation.

21. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

selecting, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, a predicted operation to be performed;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

reading any user input which occurs during the execution of the predicted operation; and

suspending the execution of the predicted operation when the user input does not change input data used by the predicted operation, until the triggering event occurs, then resuming the execution of the predicted operation when predetermined time elapses since the user last entered a command or data;

storing results of the predicted operation identified as predicted results;

presenting the predicted results to the user when the user requests the predicted operation.

22. A method of operating a computer system comprising the steps of:

detecting after a first predetermined period elapses since a user activity, the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

selecting a compile operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the compile operation;

storing results of the compile operation with an uncommitted status;

changing the status of the results of the compile operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity and requests the compile operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the compile operation.

23. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting the occurrence of a predetermined triggering event, after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity, indicative that predicted operations are to be performed;

means for selecting a compile operation to be performed which a user has not requested;

means for executing, during a period of user inactivity, the compile operation;

means for storing results of the compile operation with an uncommitted status;

means for changing the status of the results of the compile operation to a committed status if the user requests the predicted operation;

whereby the committed results become usable by the user as though generated after the user requests the compile operation.

24. A computer program, stored on a memory medium, for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

selecting a predicted operation, which a user has not requested, to be performed after a predetermined period elapses since a user activity;

executing, during a period of user inactivity, the predicted operation;

storing results of the predicted operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the predicted operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity, without invalidating the results of the predicted operation, and requests the predicted operation.

25. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity last made changes to a file;

executing a save operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the save operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

storing results of the save operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the save operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity, without invalidating the results of the save operation, and requests the save operation.

26. A method of operating a computer system, the method comprising:

detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity edited a file;

executing a compile operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the compile operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

storing results of the compile operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the compile operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity without invalidating the results of the compile operation and requests the compile operation.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

suspending the execution of the compile operation if the user resumes activity on the file; and

aborting the execution of the compile operation if the resumed user activity invalidates the compile operation.

28. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

suspending the execution of the compile operation if the user resumes activity; and

resuming the execution of the compile operation, during a second period of user inactivity, if the resumed user activity left the results of the compile operation unaffected.

29. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity last made changes to a file;

means for executing a save operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the save operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

means for storing results of the save operation with an uncommitted status; and

means for changing the status of the results of the save operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity, without invalidating the results of the save operation, and requests the save operation.

30. A computer system comprising:

means for detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity edited a file;

means for executing a compile operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the compile operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

means for storing results of the compile operation with an uncommitted status; and

means for changing the status of the results of the compile operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity without invalidating the results of the compile operation and requests the compile operation.

31. A computer program, on a memory medium, for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity last made changes to a file;

executing a save operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the save operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

storing results of the save operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the save operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity, without invalidating the results of the save operation, and requests the save operation.

32. A computer program, on a memory medium, for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

detecting that a first predetermined period has elapsed since a user activity edited a file;

executing a compile operation, which the user has not requested, whereby the execution of the compile operation is initiated during a period of user inactivity;

storing results of the compile operation with an uncommitted status; and

changing the status of the results of the compile operation to a committed status if the user resumes activity without invalidating the results of the compile operation and requests the compile operation.