Displaying workstations requests in differentiating manner according to their respective priorities

US6314438A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Apple Computer Inc. · US

Inventors

• Michael Stein · San Jose, US
• Paul Richard Wenker · Petaluma, US
• Mark Alfred Neubieser · San Jose, US
• Jon D. Butah · Watsonville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 25, 1994
• Grant date: Nov 6, 2001
• Expiry date: Jul 25, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06F9/453
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A supervisory arrangement for a networked multimedia computing system provides features which facilitate the use and control of the networked system. One disclosed feature enables slave workstations to request attention from a master station. At the master workstation, multiple requests are prioritized in order of receipt, so that a supervisor or administrator is prompted to respond to the oldest pending request. As soon as the request is responded to, for example by audio communication with the slave station, the request is automatically cleared without the need for any input by the administrator or the person who made the request.