Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-13
2001-01-09
Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 2762)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
active
06173445
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to user interfaces, and more particularly to techniques of improving the flexibility of splash screens.
2. Related Art
Computer application programs have often included a splash screen upon startup. Also known as a banner, the splash screen typically identifies the application program and provides other information to the user as the application loads from a the hard drive to computer memory. The splash screen may identify the name of the application including the version number and may contain other information such as a copyright notice. A splash screen may inform the user that the application is loading from memory and that the correct application is loading. The splash screen also may provide advertising for the product because it presents the name of the product to the user and may include attractive logos or graphics. Typically, the splash screen is presented to the user without user intervention, for example, for
15
seconds, and is removed without user intervention.
Many prior splash screens provide the same image each time the application program starts. Also, many prior splash screens are determined before the application is obtained by the user. Thus, a splash screen often involved old information with possibly outdated logos.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention includes a method of displaying information to a user upon startup of a program on a first computer. The method includes obtaining the information from a second computer and, upon startup of the program on the first computer, displaying the information.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the program is an application program that runs on a first computer. A second computer sends, over the network to first computer, information to be displayed to a user. A command is received to launch the application program. After receiving the command to launch the application program and without user intervention, at least a portion of the information is displayed. Without user intervention, the at least a portion of the information is removed.
An embodiment of the invention includes receiving a command to launch a second application. Then, after receiving the command to launch the second application program and without user intervention, the at least a portion of the information is displayed. Without user intervention, the at least a portion of the information is removed.
According to an aspect of the invention, the displaying comprises displaying a name of a newer version of the application program.
Another embodiment of the invention includes receiving additional information at the first computer from the second computer. A second command is received to launch the application program. After receiving the second command to launch the application, at least a portion of the additional information is displayed without user intervention.
According to another aspect of the invention, the displaying at least a portion of the information occurs during loading of the computer application program from a storage device into computer memory. Alternatively, the displaying at least a portion of the information occurs, according to another aspect of the invention, only until fifteen seconds of beginning of loading of the computer application program from a storage device into computer memory.
An aspect of the invention includes the application storing at least a portion of the information on a storage device in at least a first data structure, the first data structure corresponding to a screen. In one embodiment, the first data structure is stored in a resource shared by applications. In another embodiment, the resource comprises the Windows registry.
According to an aspect of the invention, the data structure includes an identification of a second application, wherein the method includes displaying the screen if the second application is not installed on the storage device and a name of the second application appears in the screen corresponding to the data structure.
An embodiment of the invention can be characterized as a method of displaying information to a user upon startup of an application program that runs on a first computer, where the method includes sending over a network from the first computer to a second computer an identifier of the application program. Based on the identifier of the application program, the second computer sends the information over the network to first computer. A command to launch the application program is received. After receiving the command to launch the application program, at least a portion of the information is displayed.
According to another aspect of the invention, a command to launch a second application program is received and, after receiving the command to launch the second application program, at least a portion of the information is displayed.
An embodiment of the invention includes a method of providing information from a first computer to a second computer, where the information is to be displayed to a user upon startup of an application program. At the first computer, an identification of an application program installed on the second computer is received over a network from the second computer. At the first computer, a data structure corresponding to the application program is selected based on the identification of the application program. The data structure includes information to be displayed by the application program on the second computer. The data structure is sent over the network to the second computer.
The data structure includes, according to an aspect of the invention, an identification of a newer version of the application program. The data structure may also comprise a graphical image, which may identify a newer version of the application program.
According to an embodiment of the invention, at the first computer, an identification of a second application program installed on the second computer is received over the network from the second computer. At the first computer, a second data structure corresponding to the second application program is selected. The second data structure is sent over the network to the second computer.
According to an embodiment of the invention, at the first computer, an identification of the application program is received over the network from a third computer. At the first computer, a data structure is selected based on the identification of the application program. The data structure is sent over the network to the third computer.
The data structure includes, in various combinations according to various aspects of the invention:
a number corresponding to a start date after which to display a screen corresponding to the data structure.
a number corresponding to a start time after which to display a screen corresponding to the data structure.
a number corresponding to a stop date before which to display a screen corresponding to the data structure.
a number corresponding to a stop time before which to display a screen corresponding to the data structure.
a number corresponding to a duration for which to display a screen corresponding to the data structure.
a digital signature.
an identification of a second application program that obviates the need for the screen corresponding to the data structure.
An embodiment of the invention includes at the first computer, receiving over the network from the second computer an identification of a second data structure present on the second computer; at the first computer, selecting a third data structure that does not comprise the second data structure, the third data structure including information to be displayed by an application program on the second computer; and sending the third data structure over the network to the second computer.
An embodiment of the invention can be characterized as a method of displaying information to a user in a computer application program including obtaining over the Internet information to be displayed to the user and displaying at least a portion of the information in a spl
Chipperfield Thomas
Robins Nicholas
Das Chameli Chaudhuri
Hafiz Tariq R.
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