Concurrent Web Based Multi-Task Support For Computer System

• US 20140089380A1
• Filed: 09/24/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STT WebOS, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sheng Tai Tsao
• Inventors: Tsao, Sheng Tai (Ted)
• Granted Patent: US 9,201,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45595 Network integration; Enabling network access in virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/541 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4843 by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5016 the resource being the memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/783 Distributed allocation of resources, e.g. bandwidth brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols

Abstract

Supporting of web multitasking via a single web browser is important, especially for small sized communication device where a displayed web browser is a precious resource. The supporting of the web multitasking improves efficiency for user to utilize the web browser for daily works, for example, while a person accessing a streaming video in a storage space across world wide web, the person also needs to handle an emergent incoming email. The supporting of the web multitasking is also an important step towards creating a web based computer user work environment for any type of operating system.

Claims

1. A method for expanding storage capacity of a wireless device, the method comprising:

allocating via a server a storage space of a predefined capacity to the wireless device associated with a user, the storage space being remotely located with respect to the wireless device;

providing a wireless link for the wireless device to access the storage space; and

sending a web user interface (hereinafter “

UI”

), via a web page across the wireless link, to the wireless device, thereby allowing the user to interact to the UI displayed via a web browser on the wireless device to submit one or more tasks, each task to request accessing the storage space; and

processing, by the server, each of the one or more tasks received from the wireless device, in respect to access the storage space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device comprises a function of making or receiving a cellular phone call.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless device executes a browser to display the UI and send each of the one or more requests to the server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of each task comprises controlling execution for each task without causing to interfere the web browser displaying during a regular network traffic time, thereby allowing at least a second task to be submitted, immediately following a submission of a first task, without waiting for completion of the first task.

5. The method of claims 4, wherein said accessing of storage space comprises creating, from the wireless device, a folder (directory) in the storage space allocated to the wireless device.

6. The method of claims 4, wherein said accessing of the storage space comprises operating, from the wireless device, a file in the storage space allocated to the wireless device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said accessing of the storage space comprises accessing, from the wireless device, the storage space for retrieving a file therefrom or storing a file therein.

8. The method of claims 4, wherein said creating a file system further comprises:

providing a console for an administrator to partition a storage device for creating the storage space according to the predefined capacity for the wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of each of one or more tasks comprises activating a web multitasking support mechanism for processing each task by:

storing information of the task into a user space task list;

executing the task in background, and providing a response to the wireless device regardless of whether the task execution is completed or not; and

cleaning up the stored information of the task upon the completion of executing the task;

wherein

the web multitasking support mechanism invokes at least a lock to protect the processing of the task.

10. A computer program product for providing external storage to a plurality of wireless devices, tangibly stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium,

the program product comprising program instructions, when executed by a server for the server to:

allocating via a server a storage space of a predefined capacity to a first one of the wireless devices associated with a first user, the storage space being remotely located with respect to the wireless device;

providing a wireless link for the first one of the wireless devices to access the storage space; and

sending a web user interface (hereinafter “

UI”

), via a web page across the wireless link, to the first one of the wireless devices, thereby allowing the first user interacting to the UI displayed via a web browser on the first one of the wireless devices to submit one or more tasks, each task to request accessing the storage space; and

processing, by the server, each of the one or more tasks received from the first one of the wireless devices, in respect to access the storage space.

11. The program product of claims 10, wherein said processing of each task comprises controlling to execute each task without causing to interfere the web browser displaying during a regular network traffic time, thereby allowing at least a second task to be submitted, immediately following a submission of a first task without waiting for completion of the first task.

12. The program product of claims 11, wherein said accessing of storage space comprises creating, from one of the wireless devices, a folder (directory) in a storage space allocated to the one of the wireless devices.

13. The program product of claims 11, wherein said accessing of storage space comprises operating, from one of the wireless devices, a file in a storage space allocated to the one of the wireless devices.

14. The program product of claims 11, wherein said accessing of storage space comprises accessing, from one of the wireless devices, a storage space allocated to the one of the wireless devices for retrieving a file therefrom or storing a file therein.

15. The program product of claims 11, wherein said creating a file system further comprises providing a console for an administrator to partition a storage device to create a storage space according to a predefined capacity for one of the wireless devices.

16. The program product of claim 10, wherein said processing of each of one or more tasks further comprises activating a web multitasking support mechanism for processing each task by:

storing information of the task into a user space task list;

executing the task in background, and providing a response to the wireless device regardless of whether the task execution is completed or not; and

cleaning up the stored information of the task upon the completion of executing the task;

wherein

the web multitasking support mechanism invokes at least a lock to protect the processing of the task.

17. The program product of claim 10, further comprising:

allocating a storage space of a predefined capacity for at least a second one of the wireless devices for allowing a second user via the second one of the wireless devices to have web based access to the allocated storage space.

18. The program product of claims 10, wherein each of the wireless device comprises a function of making or receiving a cellular phone call.

19. A system expanding storage space to a plurality of wireless devices, the system comprising:

a server configured to;

allocating a storage space of a predefined capacity to a first one of the wireless devices associated with a first user, the storage space being remotely located with respect to the first one of the wireless devices;

providing a wireless link for the first one of the wireless devices to access the storage space; and

sending a web user interface (hereinafter “

UI”

), via a web page across the wireless link, to the first one of the wireless devices for allowing the first user via the UI displayed on the first one of the wireless devices to submit one or more tasks, each task to request accessing the storage space; and

processing each of the one or more tasks received from the first one of the wireless devices, in respect to access the storage space; and

the plurality of wireless devices, wherein each of the wireless devices is configured to access world wide web and access the storage space allocated to the wireless device, and each of the wireless devices has a function of making or receiving a cellular phone call.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

allocating a storage space of a predefined capacity for at least a second one of the wireless devices for allowing a second user via the second one of the wireless devices to have web based access to the allocated storage space across the world wide web.