Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-05
2001-08-14
Powell, Mark R. (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275987
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to software installation in data processing systems and in particular to progress indicators for software installation. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to displaying a meaningful progress indicator for a software installation program when one or more underlying install routines do not interact with the primary installation program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Installation programs, which load other applications onto a data processing system and perform any necessary setup or configuration changes, are typically written for a specific application. The actual software copying is performed by the installation program, which is aware of which files must be installed and can determine the size of those files. For such installation programs, displaying a progress indicator may be based simply on a determination of how far along the installation process has proceeded or of the size of the files installed versus the total size of all files to be installed.
In some instances, however, an installation program may not directly control the copying of the software from the installation media to the data processing system. Instead, the installation program may perform only some of the actual copying, while invoking other installers to copy specific portions of the software to be installed. This may occur, for instance, when loading “bundled” software onto a new data processing system. This may involve loading an operating system as well as one or more applications from a third party vendor with each application having its own install routine called by the primary installation program.
In such cases, however, the primary installation program may be unaware of the number or total size of files to be copied for a particular application, or of what task the called install routine is currently performing, how far the called install routine has progressed, or how much the called install routine has yet to perform. This makes it challenging for the primary installation program to display a meaningful progress indicator accurately informing the user of how far installation has progressed.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a method of displaying a progress indicator for an installation program which does not interact with one or more underlying install routines during installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for software installation in data processing systems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method and apparatus for displaying progress indicators during software installation in data processing systems.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for displaying a meaningful progress indicator for a software installation program when one or more underlying install routines do not interact with the primary installation program.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. Completion times for a set of subtasks, which are performed without interaction with a main task managing execution of the subtasks, are estimated. These estimated completion times, together with actual completion times for previously performed subtasks, are employed to determine a time interval at which a progress indicator is incrementally advanced. The progress indicator is then advanced at the calculated rate concurrently with performance of a current subtask. By adjusting for actual completion times of previously completed subtasks, compensation and correction for overestimation or underestimation of subtask completion times allows the progress indicator to adapt appropriately. The advance rate may also be dynamically adjusted to compensate for underestimation of the completion time for a current subtask. The displayed progress indicator thus provides meaningful information to the user regarding the rate and extent of progress despite a lack of progress information exchange between the main task and the subtasks.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3862615 (1975-01-01), Liou
patent: 4809170 (1989-02-01), Leblanc et al.
patent: 5121494 (1992-06-01), Dias et al.
patent: 5301348 (1994-04-01), Jaaskelainen
patent: 5495430 (1996-02-01), Matsunari et al.
patent: 5542088 (1996-07-01), Jennings, Jr., et al.
patent: 5566339 (1996-10-01), Perholtz et al.
patent: 5652876 (1997-07-01), Ashe et al.
patent: 5657450 (1997-08-01), Rao et al.
patent: 5953010 (1999-09-01), Kampe et al.
patent: 5978832 (1999-11-01), Sirkin
patent: 6006035 (1999-12-01), Nabahi
patent: 6038588 (2000-03-01), Nagarajayya et al.
Hughes, Building a bevy of beans: Create reusable JaveBeans components, JavaWorld, www.javaworld.com/javaworld/jw-09-1997/jw-09-srep.html, Sep. 1997.
Fraley Brad James
Schneider Ira H.
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
International Business Machines - Corporation
LaBaw Jeffrey S.
Nguyen-Ba Hoang-Vu Antony
Powell Mark R.
LandOfFree
Adaptive, predictive progress indicator does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Adaptive, predictive progress indicator, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adaptive, predictive progress indicator will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2532637