System and method for client refresh mode selection

• US 20020194359A1
• Filed: 06/14/2001
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark E., Lynde, John E. III, Little, Alex D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/233
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/28 Databases characterised by their database models, e.g. relational or object models
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation

Abstract

A system and method for integrating multiple refresh functions inline with a visible refresh button control is provided. When a user wants to change a type of refresh mode due to the type of work being performed, a user selects the refresh setup drop down arrow key. A user has a refresh mode selection of manual, manual override, or auto mode. A user also has a preferences area to set screen refresh trigger thresholds for manual override and auto mode. For example, a user can set a trigger to wait until a task is completed before performing a screen refresh. A user is able to manually perform a screen refresh in override and auto mode by pressing the refresh button. Further disclosed are an information handling system and a computer program product each providing multiple refresh mode functionality.

Claims

1. A method for providing customized screen refresh functions, said method comprising:

retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data; and

refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the customizable refresh settings correspond with a first refresh mode, the method further comprising:

changing from the first refresh mode to a second refresh mode in response to the comparing, wherein the changing includes retrieving one or more second customizable refresh corresponding to the second refresh mode.

3. The method as described in claim 2 further comprising:

displaying a first refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the first refresh mode; and

displaying a second refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the second refresh mode in response to the changing.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the customizable refresh settings is selected from the group consisting of waiting for a task to complete, waiting for a time interval, waiting for a user inactivity period, receiving a change request from a user, and measuring an amount of stale data displayed on the display screen.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

invoking one or more refresh modes, wherein at least one of the refresh modes includes the customizable refresh settings; and

displaying a refresh icon on the display screen that identifies the invoked refresh mode.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein the refresh modes are selected from the group consisting of manual mode, override mode, and automatic mode.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

requesting refresh data from a server in response to the comparing; and

receiving the refresh data from the server, wherein the refreshing includes displaying the refresh data on the display screen.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

storing the refresh setting values.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors;

a display screen accessible by the processors;

an input device capable of a receiving input from a user corresponding to data displayed on the display screen; and

a customizable screen refresh tool to control a refresh of the display screen, the customizable screen refresh tool including;

retrieval logic for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

comparison logic for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data; and

display control logic for refreshing the display screen in response to the comparison.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 9 wherein the customizable refresh settings correspond with a first refresh mode, the information handling system further comprising:

control logic for changing from the first refresh mode to a second refresh mode in response to the comparison, wherein the changing includes means for retrieving one or more second customizable refresh corresponding to the second refresh mode.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 10 further comprising:

display logic for displaying a first refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the first refresh mode; and

display logic for displaying a second refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the second refresh mode in response to the changing.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

display control logic for invoking one or more refresh modes, wherein at least one of the refresh modes includes the customizable refresh settings; and

display control logic for displaying a refresh icon on the display screen that identifies the invoked refresh mode.

13. The information handling system as described in claim 12 wherein the refresh modes are selected from the group consisting of manual mode, override mode, and automatic mode.

14. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

a network interface connecting the information handling system to a server computer system;

network logic for requesting refresh data from the server in response to the comparison; and

network logic for receiving the refresh data from the server, wherein the display control logic includes means for displaying the refresh data on the display screen.

15. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

input processing logic for receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

storage logic for storing the refresh setting values on the nonvolatile storage area.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 16 wherein the customizable refresh settings correspond with a first refresh mode, the computer program product further comprising:

means for changing from the first refresh mode to a second refresh mode in response to the comparison, wherein the means for changing includes means for retrieving one or more second customizable refresh corresponding to the second refresh mode.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 17 further comprising:

means for displaying a first refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the first refresh mode; and

means for displaying a second refresh icon on the display screen corresponding to the second refresh mode in response to the changing.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 16 wherein at least one of the customizable refresh settings is selected from the group consisting of waiting for a task to complete, waiting for a time interval, waiting for a user inactivity period, receiving a change request from a user, and measuring an amount of stale data displayed on the display screen.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 16 further comprising:

means for invoking one or more refresh modes, wherein at least one of the refresh modes includes the customizable refresh settings; and

means for displaying a refresh icon on the display screen that identifies the invoked refresh mode.

21. The computer program product as described in claim 20 wherein the refresh modes are selected from the group consisting of manual mode, override mode, and automatic mode.

22. The computer program product as described in claim 16 further comprising:

means for requesting refresh data from a server in response to the comparing; and

means for receiving the refresh data from the server, wherein the refreshing includes displaying the refresh data on the display screen.

23. The computer program product as described in claim 16 further comprising:

means for receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

means for storing the refresh setting values.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for providing customized screen refresh functions, said computer program product comprising:

means for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

means for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data; and

means for refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing.

24. A method for providing customized screen refresh functions, said method comprising:

retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing;

invoking one or more refresh modes, wherein at least one of the refresh modes includes the customizable refresh settings; and

displaying a refresh icon on the display screen that identifies the invoked refresh mode.

25. A method for providing customized screen refresh functions, said method comprising:

retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing;

receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

storing the refresh setting values.

26. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors;

a display screen accessible by the processors;

an input device capable of a receiving input from a user corresponding to data displayed on the display screen; and

a customizable screen refresh tool to control a refresh of the display screen, the customizable screen refresh tool including;

retrieval logic for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings, wherein the customizable refresh settings correspond with a first refresh mode;

comparison logic for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

display control logic for refreshing the display screen in response to the comparison; and

control logic for changing from the first refresh mode to a second refresh mode in response to the comparison, wherein the changing includes means for retrieving one or more second customizable refresh corresponding to the second refresh mode.

27. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by the processors;

a display screen accessible by the processors;

an input device capable of a receiving input from a user corresponding to data displayed on the display screen; and

a customizable screen refresh tool to control a refresh of the display screen, the customizable screen refresh tool including;

retrieval logic for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

comparison logic for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

display control logic for refreshing the display screen in response to the comparison

input processing logic for receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

storage logic for storing the refresh setting values on the nonvolatile storage area.

28. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for providing customized screen refresh functions, said computer program product comprising:

means for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

means for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

means for refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing;

means for invoking one or more refresh modes, wherein at least one of the refresh modes includes the customizable refresh settings; and

means for displaying a refresh icon on the display screen that identifies the invoked refresh mode.

29. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for providing customized screen refresh functions, said computer program product comprising:

means for retrieving one or more customizable refresh settings;

means for comparing the customizable refresh settings with corresponding system event data;

means for refreshing a display screen in response to the comparing;

means for receiving one or more refresh setting values from a user, each of the refresh setting values corresponding to at least one of the customizable refresh settings; and

means for storing the refresh setting values.