System and method for optimizing computer software and hardware

Abstract

A method of optimizing the operation of a computer system in running application programs in accordance with system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program. More specifically, with this invention, an optimizing program gathers information on the system capabilities, user preferences and configuration parameters of the application program to maximize the operation of the application program or computer system. Further, user selected rules of operation can be selected by dragging rule icons to target optimizer icon.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This invention relates to the optimization of computer software and hardware, and in particular to optimization according to user-specified preferences, databases, and dynamic monitoring of system behavior and performance.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Computer operating systems include a large number of parameters, many of which may be queried, controlled, and changed in order to alter the characteristics of the computer system. Similarly, software applications running on computer systems also often include a large number of parameters, many of which may be controlled and changed to alter the characteristics of the application running on the computer system. As an example, in Microsoft's Windows NT operating system, the resolution and color characteristics of the computer system's display may be changed by selecting the “Control Panel” icon from a “Settings” menu item. When the control panel is displayed, a user is presented with a set of new icons, one of wh...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]An object of this invention is a method and system for increasing the apparent speed of a computer by automatically optimizing software and hardware according to user-specified preferences.

[0012]Yet another object of this invention is to provide a method and system for effectively increasing the apparent speed of a computer based on results obtained by dynamically monitoring system behavior and performance.

[0014]Accordingly, this invention provides for a method of enhancing, for example, program application performance on a computer system. With this invention configuration information and performance capabilities based on characteristics of the program / system are determined. Then, the configuration information and the performance capabilities are used to optimize configuration parameters of the program applications so as to enhance the performance of the workstation in running the program'system. Further, with this invention user preferences in the operation of the program are selected by, for example, dragging rule icons to a target optimizer icon to provide user selected rules of operation of the application program.

Problems solved by technology

Some of these settings may affect the performance of applications running on the system.

When one also considers the numerous application settings and various different hardware configurations available to users, and the interaction of all of these settings and configurations, the control accessing of the plurality of settings and configurations can be cumbersome and often requires detailed knowledge on the part of computer users.

Although many graphical user interfaces exist to control various aspects of the system (such as the graphical slider which controls screen resolution for Windows platforms) and in applications, the need for improved graphical user interfaces becomes apparent as computer systems become more complex.

Although the use of GUls with icons usually simplifies a user's interactions with a computer, GUIs are often tedious and frustrating to use.

It is difficult to organize windows and icons when many are similarly displayed at the same time on a single device.

For example, it would not be useful to drag the icon representing a data file on top of an icon whose only purpose is to access an unrelated multimedia application.

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