System and method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user

• US 8,019,858 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bauchot, Frederic, Boegelund, Flemming, Farrell, Robert George, Marmigere, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jungwon
• Application Number:
  US12/234,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/233, 709/206, 709/207, 709/229, 709/232, 707/3, 345/440
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3423 where the assessed time is active or idle time
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/12 different stations being capable of presenting different information simultaneously G09B5/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user. The method begins by monitoring a computer system to identify said system lag. After identifying system lag, the method determines an estimated length of the system lag, the estimated length being a measurement of time. The estimated length takes into account previously identified system lag lengths to better approximate the current system lag length. After determining the estimated length of the system lag, the method sends a fact to the end user during the system lag. The fact sent to the end user has a length equal to or less than the estimated length of the system lag. Finally, the method stores the actual length of the system lag in order to improve subsequent determinations of the estimated length.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user, said method comprising:

monitoring a computer system to identify said system lag;

in response to having identified said system lag, determining an estimated length of said system lag, said estimated length being a measurement of time;

sending a fact to said end user during said system lag, said fact having a length equal to or less than said estimated length; and

storing the actual length of said system lag in order to improve subsequent determinations of said estimated length.

2. The method of claim 1, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said receiving being in response to prompting said end user for said at least one subject;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

3. The method of claim 1, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said at least one subject being a subset of a list of subjects, said receiving being in response to providing said end user with said list of subjects;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

4. The method of claim 1, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, using a length in said second repository corresponding to said last command as said estimated length.

5. The method of claim 1, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having not found said last command in said second repository, adding said last command to said second repository, adding a length of zero to said second repository, associating said length of zero to said last command, and using said length of zero as said estimated length.

6. The method of claim 1, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing said actual length of said system lag in said second repository, deleting from said second repository a length corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said actual length with said last command.

7. The method of claim 1, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing a value in said second repository equal to an average between said actual length of said system lag and a length located in said second repository corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said value with said last command.

8. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, said computer-readable program code containing instructions that when executed by a processor of a computer system implement a method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user, said method comprising:

monitoring a computer system to identify said system lag;

in response to having identified said system lag, determining an estimated length of said system lag, said estimated length being a measurement of time;

sending a fact to said end user during said system lag, said fact having a length equal to or less than said estimated length; and

storing the actual length of said system lag in order to improve subsequent determinations of said estimated length.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said receiving being in response to prompting said end user for said at least one subject;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said at least one subject being a subset of a list of subjects, said receiving being in response to providing said end user with said list of subjects;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, using a length in said second repository corresponding to said last command as said estimated length.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having not found said last command in said second repository, adding said last command to said second repository, adding a length of zero to said second repository, associating said length of zero to said last command, and using said length of zero as said estimated length.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing said actual length of said system lag in said second repository, deleting from said second repository a length corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said actual length with said last command.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing a value in said second repository equal to an average between said actual length of said system lag and a length located in said second repository corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said value with said last command.

15. A computing system comprising a processor coupled to a computer-readable memory unit, said memory unit comprising a software application, said software application comprising instructions that when executed by said processor, implement a method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user, said method comprising:

monitoring a computer system to identify said system lag;

in response to having identified said system lag, determining an estimated length of said system lag, said estimated length being a measurement of time;

sending a fact to said end user during said system lag, said fact having a length equal to or less than said estimated length; and

storing the actual length of said system lag in order to improve subsequent determinations of said estimated length.

16. The computing system of claim 15, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said receiving being in response to prompting said end user for said at least one subject;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

17. The computing system of claim 15, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said at least one subject being a subset of a list of subjects, said receiving being in response to providing said end user with said list of subjects;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

18. The computing system of claim 15, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, using a length in said second repository corresponding to said last command as said estimated length.

19. The computing system of claim 15, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having not found said last command in said second repository, adding said last command to said second repository, adding a length of zero to said second repository, associating said length of zero to said last command, and using said length of zero as said estimated length.

20. The computing system of claim 15, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing said actual length of said system lag in said second repository, deleting from said second repository a length corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said actual length with said last command.

21. The computing system of claim 15, said storing further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, storing a value in said second repository equal to an average between said actual length of said system lag and a length located in said second repository corresponding to said last command, and associating in said second repository said value with said last command.

22. A process for supporting computer infrastructure, said process comprising providing at least one support service for at least one of creating, integrating, hosting, maintaining, and deploying computer-readable code in a computing system, wherein said code in combination with the computing system is capable of implementing a method for utilizing system lag to send facts to an end user, said method comprising:

monitoring a computer system to identify said system lag;

in response to having identified said system lag, determining an estimated length of said system lag, said estimated length being a measurement of time;

sending a fact to said end user during said system lag, said fact having a length equal to or less than said estimated length; and

storing the actual length of said system lag in order to improve subsequent determinations of said estimated length.

23. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 22, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said receiving being in response to prompting said end user for said at least one subject;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a different length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

24. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 22, where prior to said monitoring:

receiving from said end user an identification of at least one subject which said end user wishes to learn about, said at least one subject being a subset of a list of subjects, said receiving being in response to providing said end user with said list of subjects;

retrieving facts for each subject of said at least one subject, each fact of said facts having a length, said length being a measurement of time; and

storing said facts for each subject of said at least one subject in a first repository.

25. The process for supporting computer infrastructure of claim 22, said determining further comprising:

identifying a last command received by said computer system before having identified said system lag;

searching a second repository for said last command; and

in response to having found said last command in said second repository, using a length in said second repository corresponding to said last command as said estimated length.