Method and apparatus for creating and monitoring logical associations among desktop objects
US5423043A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 21, 1994 |
| Grant date | Jun 6, 1995 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 21, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/45512
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus to associate actions, attributes, objects or devices on a computer desktop to reduce multiple manual processes. A media association agent monitors, builds, maintains and recalls links based on prior actions and user choices. The media association agent exists within a data processing system as a background process which may be implemented as a terminate-and-stay-resident (TSR) process. Devices, attributes, objects and actions are registered by the media association agent and stored in non-volatile storage. Associations are then built by links among the entities registered with the media association agent. These links take the form of entries in relational database tables, entries in flat files, linked lists, sets of pointers, etc. The groups of links are assigned unique identifiers for internal use by the media association agent. The media association agent acts continuously to record actions and build links passively or on demand based on user specific user signals such as a trigger.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.