Method for executing software applications using a portable memory device

• US 20050240918A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Gteko Ltd. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Shlomai, Netzer
• Granted Patent: US 7,600,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/162
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44573 Execute-in-place [XIP]

Abstract

A method for executing a plurality of software applications using a portable memory device, which is equipped with execution files and a virtual registry file of a software application to be executed. Once the portable memory device is plugged into a computer, the presence of the device is automatically detected, and thereafter the application programmable interface (API) calls are mapped to access the virtual registry file and the execution files, thereby allowing the execution of the application residing on the portable memory device.

Claims

1. A method for executing a software application on a portable memory device by a computing device, the method comprises the steps of:

providing said portable memory device with at least a virtual registry file and execution files associated with said software application; and

upon plugging said portable memory device to said computing device, mapping system calls to access said execution files and said registry file stored in said portable memory device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual registry file comprises at least system information describing how to execute said software application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual registry file is derived from a system registry file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an execution file is at least one of an EXE file, a DLL file, a SYS file and a data file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said system calls are requests generated by at least an operating system operating on said computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of accessing the system register file if a system call can not be served by said execution files and said registry file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing device comprises at least a data bus compatible with said portable memory device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said data bus is at least one of a universal serial bus, a parallel bus and a peripheral component interconnect bus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said computing device is at least one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a notebook computer and a networked device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said networked device is at least one of a wired router, a wireless router and a switch.

11. A computer program product for executing a software application on a portable memory device by a computing device, the computer program product containing at least executable code capable of:

providing said portable memory device with at least a virtual registry file and execution files associated with said software application; and

upon plugging said portable memory device to said computing device, mapping system calls to access said execution files and said registry file stored in said portable memory device.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said virtual registry file comprises at least system information describing how to execute said software application.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said virtual registry file is derived from a system registry file.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein an execution file is at least one of an EXE file, a DLL file, a SYS file and a data file.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said system calls are requests generated by at least an operating system operating on said computing device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein said executable code is further capable of accessing the system register file if a system call can not be served by said execution files and said registry file.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein said computing device comprises at least a data bus compatible with said portable memory device.

18. A portable memory device capable of executing a software application by a computing device, the portable memory device comprises:

a non-volatile memory containing at least a virtual registry file and execution files associated with said software application; and

a data bus interface compatible with said computing device.

19. The portable memory device of claim 18, wherein said data bus is at least one of a universal serial bus, a parallel bus and a peripheral component interconnect bus.

20. The portable memory device of claim 18, wherein said computing device is at least one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a notebook computer and a networked device.

21. The portable memory device of claim 20, wherein said networked device is at least one of a wired router, a wireless router and a switch.

22. The portable memory device of claim 18, wherein said virtual registry file comprises at least system information describing how to execute said software application.

23. The portable memory device of claim 22, wherein said virtual registry file is derived from a system registry file.

24. The portable memory device of claim 18, wherein an execution file is at least one of an EXE file, a DLL file, a SYS file and a data file.

25. The portable memory device of claim 18, wherein executing the software application comprises mapping system calls to access said execution files and said registry file when said portable memory device is plugged to said computing device.

26. The portable memory device of claim 25, wherein executing the software application comprises further comprises accessing the system register file if a system call can not be served by said execution files and said registry file.

27. The portable memory device of claim 26, wherein said system calls are requests generated by at least an operating system operating on said computing device.