Window of opportunity

A window of opportunity, also called a margin of opportunity or critical window, is a period of time during which some action can be taken that will achieve a desired outcome.

[2] Windows of opportunity include: The timing and length of a critical window may be well known and predictable (as in planetary transits) or more poorly understood (as in medical emergencies or climate change).

[15] Real-time computing systems can guarantee responses on the order of milliseconds or less.

[16] In some time-critical situations, failure to act may entail an increasing cost over time, or a decreasing probability over time of achieving the desired outcome.

In real-time computing systems, this may be represented by time-utility functions.