Portable platform for executing software applications in a virtual environment

• US 20070240155A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Installfree Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Shlomai, Netzer
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/174
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44584 Portable applications, i.e. making applications self-contained, e.g. U3 standard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45537 Provision of facilities of other operating environments, e.g. WINE I/O emulation G06F13/105

Abstract

A portable platform for executing software applications on a computing device without installing or configuring the applications on the computing device. Furthermore, the execution of the applications is performed without making any changes or modifications to the computing device'"'"'s memory or file system. The portable platform can reside on, for example, a portable memory device, a portable storage device, or downloaded from a web site.

Claims

1. A method for executing software applications on a computing device in a virtual environment, the method comprising:

providing a portable platform that includes at least a virtual operating system (VOS) and a plurality of software packages; and

executing the plurality of software packages on the computing device using the VOS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable platform further comprises:

setting files associated with the plurality of software packages; and

data files for maintaining information saved by a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of software packages includes at least one of a software application, a virtual desktop, and an add-on.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the software application comprises at least one of:

a document processing, a spreadsheet, an email exchange, an Internet browser, and a media player.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual desktop comprises an operating system shell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable platform is installed on at least one of a portable memory device, and a portable storage device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the portable platform is downloaded from a web site.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the VOS comprises:

virtual file system (VFS) for interfacing between the operating system (OS) running on the computing device and the VOS;

a single file system for translating a set of file system commands of the computing device to a set of commands to be executed by the portable platform;

a virtual service manager (VSCM) for generating a virtual environment for the execution of services requested by the software packages;

a virtual registry file manager (VRFM) for handling registry file requests; and

a virtual digital rights management (VDRM).

9. The method of claim 8, wherein executing the plurality software of packages comprising:

initializing the VOS;

for each software package, uploading, on-demand, registry files, services and executable files of the software package to the computing deceive; and

running the executable files of the software package in a user-mode of the operating system.

10. The method of claim 9, further being capable of coupling between at least two software packages at run-time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing devices comprise at least one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a notebook computer, and a networked device

12. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the software applications in a virtual environment comprising:

executing the software applications without installing the software applications on the computing device.

13. A computer program product including a computer-readable medium comprising software instructions operable to enable a computer to perform a method for executing software applications on a computing device in a virtual environment, comprising:

providing a portable platform that includes at least a virtual operating system (VOS) and a plurality of software packages; and

executing the plurality of software packages on the computing device using the VOS.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the portable platform further comprises:

setting files associated with the plurality of software packages; and

data files for maintaining information saved by a user.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of software packages includes at least one of a software application, a virtual desktop, and an add-on.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the software application comprises at least one of:

a document processing, a spreadsheet, an email exchange, an Internet browser, and a media player.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the virtual desktop comprises an operating system shell.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the portable platform is installed on at least one of a portable memory device, a portable storage device.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the portable platform is downloaded from a web site.

20. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the VOS comprises:

virtual file system (VFS) for interfacing between the operating system (OS) running on the computing device and the VOS;

a single file system for translating a set of file system commands of the computing device to a set of commands to be executed by the portable platform;

a virtual service manager (VSCM) for generating a virtual environment for the execution of services requested by the software packages;

a virtual registry file manager (VRFM) for handling registry file requests; and

a virtual digital rights management (VDRM).

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein executing the plurality software packages comprising:

initializing the VOS;

for each software package, uploading, on-demand, registry files, services and executable files of the software package to the computing deceive; and

running the executable files of the software package in a user-mode of the operating system.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further being capable of coupling between at least two software packages at run-time.

23. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computing device comprise at least one of:

a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a notebook computer, and a networked device.

24. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein executing the software applications in a virtual environment comprising:

executing the software applications without installing the software applications on the computing device.

25. A portable platform allowing the execution of a plurality of software applications on a computing device in a virtual environment, the portable platform comprises:

a plurality of software packages; and

a virtual operating system (VOS) for enabling the execution of the software applications on a computing device.

26. The portable platform of claim 25, further comprising:

setting files associated with the software packages; and

data files for maintaining information saved by a user.

27. The portable platform of claim 25, being installed on at least one of a portable memory device, a portable storage device.

28. The portable platform of claim 25, being downloaded from a web-site.

29. The portable platform of claim 25, wherein each of the plurality of software packages includes at least one of a software application, a virtual desktop, and an add-on.

30. The portable platform of claim 25, wherein the portable platform is downloaded from a web site.

31. The portable platform of claim 25, wherein the VOS comprises:

virtual file system (VFS) for interfacing between the operating system (OS) running on the computing device and the VOS;

a single file system for translating a set of file system commands of the computing device to a set of commands to be executed by the portable platform;

a virtual service manager (VSCM) for generating a virtual environment for the execution of services requested by the software packages;

a virtual registry file manager (VRFM) for handling registry file requests; and

a virtual digital rights management (VDRM).

32. The portable platform of claim 31, wherein executing the plurality software packages comprising:

initializing the VOS;

for each software package, uploading, on-demand, registry files, services and executable files of the software package to the computing deceive; and

running the executable files of the software package in a user-mode of the operating system.

33. The portable platform of claim 32, further being capable of coupling between at least two software packages at run-time.

34. The portable platform of claim 25, wherein the computing devices comprise at least one of:

a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, a notebook computer, and a networked device.

35. The portable platform of claim 25, wherein executing the software applications in a virtual environment comprising:

executing the software applications without installing the software applications on the computing device