Techniques for managing multiple threads in a browser environment

• US 6,728,960 B1
• Filed: 11/17/1999
• Issued: 04/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siebel Systems Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Loomans, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): An, Meng-Al T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anya, Charles E
• Application Number:
  US09/437,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/102, 709/200-210, 709/310, 709/322, 707/526, 713/1, 718/102
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

Techniques for managing multiple threads in an asynchronous environment, such as a browser, are described. As a method, instantiating an event thread in response to a user event by a shell event handler block that provides shell functions for a user event. Once the event thread as been instantiated, managing the event thread by a generic thread manager block that provides a plurality of multithread management functions for the shell event handler. When required, blocking and unblocking the event thread by a blocking system that is arranged to block and unblock threads.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

loading initial content into a browser running on a client connected to a distributed network, said initial content including an application engine kernel logically distinct from the browser, the application engine kernel containing a minimum set of components to process and display the initial content including a thread management component and a blocking component for selectively blocking execution of a thread corresponding to a sub-application;

managing loading of application content over the distributed network into the browser via the application engine kernel, the application content including at least one sub-application including a user-interface (UI) and data, said thread management component managing asynchronous loading of the UI and data into the browser via concurrent execution of a plurality of threads corresponding to said at least one sub-application;

receiving a first user supplied event;

instantiating a first page load thread in response to the user supplied event to commence loading a first page;

instantiating a data load thread to commence loading a first data set associated with the first page;

blocking the first page load thread until the first data load has been completed;

terminating the first data load thread when the first data load is completed; and

unblocking the first page load thread to enable continued loading of the first page.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said initial content comprises a Web page in which at least a portion of the application engine kernel is embedded.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the Web page includes a visible frameset and an associated frameset that operates as a loader to cause the application engine kernel to be loaded into the browser.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the application engine kernel provides user event handling operations, whereby the application engine kernel selectively executes a thread corresponding to least one of a code or data segment pertaining to the application content in response to a corresponding user event.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least two threads pertaining to the application content are executed concurrently.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the application engine kernel is loaded into the browser by loading initial portion comprising one or more components from which the application engine kernel may be bootstrapped, bootstrapping said initial portion and subsequently loading additional application engine kernel components via application engine kernel components that have been previously loaded.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the initial portion of the application engine kernel comprises generic code that may be loaded by a variety of different types of browsers, the method further including:

identifying a particular type of browser running on the client; and

loading additional application kernel components specific to the type of browser that is identified.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second user supplied event during loading of the first data set; and

instantiating a second page load thread in response to the second user event, wherein the second page load thread executes concurrently with the first page load thread.

9. A computer readable medium having code stored thereon comprising an application engine kernel logically distinct from a browser, the application engine kernel containing a minimum set of components to process and display application content, which when loaded into the browser and executed performs operations including:

loading initial content into a browser running on a client connected to a distributed network, said initial content including an application engine kernel, the application engine kernel containing a minimum set of components to process and display the initial content including a thread management component and a blocking component for selectively blocking execution of a thread corresponding to a sub-application;

managing loading of application content over the distributed network into the browser via the application engine kernel, the application content including at least one sub-application including a user-interface (UI) and data, said thread management component managing asynchronous loading of the UI and data into the browser via concurrent execution of a plurality of threads corresponding to said at least one sub-application;

receiving a first user supplied event;

instantiating a first page load thread in response to the user supplied event to commence loading a first page;

instantiating a data load thread to commence loading a first data set associated with the first page;

blocking the first page load thread until the first data load has been completed;

terminating the first data load thread when the first data load is completed; and

unblocking the first page load thread to enable continued loading of the first page.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the execution of the application threads comprises asynchronous instantiation of a plurality of application threads.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a Web page transmitted over the distributed network as a carrier wave, said Web page including embedded code comprising the application engine kernel.