ACCESSING ELEMENTS IN AN OPERATING SYSTEM

• US 20110307792A1
• Filed: 06/15/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat
• Granted Patent: US 9,772,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/736
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/7867 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title and artist information, manually generated time, location and usage information, user ratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Providing access to an element in an operating system executed by a processor includes: with the processor, tracking behavior of a user with respect to multiple elements managed by the operating system; displaying a tag cloud to the user with a display device, the tag cloud having multiple objects, each of the objects representing one of the elements managed by the operating system and having a size based on the tracked behavior of the user with respect to the element managed by the operating system; and allowing, with the processor, the user to access at least one of the elements using the tag cloud.

Claims

1. A method of providing access to an element in an operating system executed by a processor, said method comprising:

with said processor, tracking behavior of a user with respect to a plurality of elements managed by said operating system;

generating a tag cloud comprising a plurality of objects, each of said objects representing one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system and comprising a size based on said tracked behavior of said user with respect to said one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system; and

allowing, with said processor, said user to access at least one of said plurality of elements using said tag cloud.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said elements managed by said operating system comprise computer programs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said elements managed by said operating system comprise documents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking behavior of said user with respect to said plurality of elements managed by said operating system further comprises:

tracking a frequency with which said user access each said element in said plurality of elements managed by said operating system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking behavior of said user with respect to said plurality of elements managed by said operating system further comprises:

tracking a length of time for which said user accesses each said element in said plurality of elements managed by said operating system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking behavior of said user with respect to said plurality of elements managed by said operating system further comprises:

tracking at least one of a time of day and a day of week during which said user accesses each said element in said plurality of elements managed by said operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said tracking behavior of said user with respect to said plurality of elements managed by said operating system further comprises:

tracking contextual data pertaining to access by said user to each said element in said plurality of elements managed by said operating system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each said object in said plurality of objects of said tag cloud comprises a textual label identifying said one of said plurality of elements represented by said object.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each said object in said plurality of objects of said tag cloud comprises a graphic icon identifying said one of said plurality of elements represented by said object.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating said tag cloud into a menu of said operating system.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising incorporating said tag cloud directly into a desktop of said operating system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said allowing said user to access at least one of said plurality of elements using said tag cloud comprises:

receiving a selection of at least one said object in said tag cloud from said user; and

launching with said operating system said element managed by said operating system represented by said selected object.

13. A method of providing access to an element in an operating system, said method comprising:

with said processor, tracking behavior of a user with respect to usage of a plurality of computer programs managed by said operating system;

generating a tag cloud comprising a plurality of objects, each said object representing one of said computer programs most frequently used by said user and comprising a size proportionate to a determined frequency of use of said computer program represented by said object; and

allowing, with said processor, said user to launch at least one of said plurality of computer programs using said tag cloud.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said determined frequency of use of each said computer program represented in said tag cloud is based on at least a tracked frequency with which said user launches said computer program.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said determined frequency of use of each said computer program represented in said tag cloud is based on a tracked length of time for which said user accesses said computer program.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said determined frequency of use of each said computer program represented in said tag cloud is based on historical data for at least one of a current time of day and a current day of week.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein each said object in said plurality of objects of said tag cloud comprises a textual label identifying said one of said plurality of computer programs represented by said object.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein each said object in said plurality of objects of said tag cloud comprises a graphic icon identifying said one of said plurality of computer programs represented by said object.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising incorporating said tag cloud into a menu of said operating system.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising incorporating said tag cloud directly into a desktop display of said operating system.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said allowing said user to launch at least one of said computer programs using said tag cloud comprises:

receiving a selection of at least one said object in said tag cloud from said user; and

launching with said operating system said computer program represented by said selected object.

22. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory communicatively coupled to said processor;

said memory comprising executable code stored thereon such that said processor, upon executing said executable code, is configured to;

track behavior of a user with respect to a plurality of elements managed by said operating system;

generate a tag cloud comprising a plurality of objects, each of said objects representing one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system and comprising a size based on said tracked behavior of said user with respect to said one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system; and

allow said user to access at least one of said plurality of elements using said tag cloud.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said elements managed by said operating system comprise computer programs.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said elements managed by said operating system comprise documents.

25. A computer program product for providing access to an element in an operating system, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to track behavior of a user with respect to a plurality of elements managed by said operating system;

computer readable program code configured to generate a tag cloud comprising a plurality of objects, each of said objects representing one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system and comprising a size based on said tracked behavior of said user with respect to said one of said plurality of elements managed by said operating system; and

computer readable program code configured to allow said user to access at least one of said plurality of elements using said tag cloud.