The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 17, 2002
Kazuaki Takahashi, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Maruyama, Kanagawa, JP;
Yasuyoshi Tanaka, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An information processing apparatus having a simplified switching function of a user is disclosed that can reduce the processing burden upon a CPU and eliminate an action that is not intended by its user. If an application, which implements a function of a device or the like that is not supported as a standard device by an OS and is started up for each user, has been started up by a first user who is not active at present, that is, a user in a logon state whose desktop has been switched to that of a second user, then part of the processing of the application is temporarily stopped. Then, if it is detected that the first user is rendered operative, that is, when the desktop is switched to that of the first user, the processing of the application of the first user is re-started. Since the processing of the application by the user (first user) who is not active at present is temporarily stopped partially, the other user (second user) who is active at present can execute its processing without being influenced by the processing of the former user.