Integration Model for Instant-On Environment

• US 20090037722A1
• Filed: 08/01/2008
• Published: 02/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Splashtop Inc.
• Original Assignee: Splashtop Inc.
• Inventors: Tsai, Wen-Pin, Sheu, Phililp, Wang, Hong-Sheng, Lin, Wei-Nan, Shiu, Jian-Jung, Deng, Thomas, Chin, Victor, Chong, Benedict T., Fang, Xun
• Granted Patent: US 8,291,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/24 Resetting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

An instant-on environment consists of components residing in a computer boot ROM and/or also on a mass storage device. Main components to the instant-on environment include a loader, EPG1, and EPG2. The loader is a module that is integrated into the computer boot ROM, based on an embedded OS, that functions to load other instant-on environment components. There are various methods of integrating the loader into boot firmware to optimize for different requirements. EPG1 is a first user screen that appears on the computer display within seconds after power-on, and from which the user can choose to launch one of the instant-on environment'"'"'s applications or launch the primary OS. EPG2 is launched if the user chooses to launch an instant-on environment application. EPG2 is a Linux-based desktop environment that the user enters once he selects an application from EPG1.

Claims

1. An instant-on environment for a computer comprising a boot ROM and a mass storage device, wherein the mass storage can be either hard disk or flash memory, said instant-on environment comprising:

a loader that is integrated into said boot ROM, based on an embedded OS, and that functions to load other instant-on environment components;

an EPG1 interface element comprising a first user screen that appears on a computer display within seconds after power-on, and from which a user can choose to launch one of a plurality of instant-on environment applications or launch a primary OS;

an EPG2 interface element that is launched if said user chooses to launch an instant-on environment application, wherein said EPG2 interface element comprises a desktop environment that said user enters once an application is selected from said EPG1 interface element; and

wherein said instant-on environment comprises any or all of said loader, EPG1, and EPG2, and resides in any one or all of said (boot ROM and mass storage.

2. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a BIOS/UEFI boot menu for selecting between booting to the instant-on environment or to the primary OS.

3. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a dedicated power-on hotkey for powering on said computer and booting said instant-on environment.

4. The instant-on environment of claim 1, said EPG1 interface element comprising:

a default boot screen that shows up on every power-on from which a user may select between booting a primary operating system or launching an instant-on environment application.

5. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for allowing a user to enter a BIOS/UEFI setup dialog from said instant-on environment instead of, or in addition to, using a standard hotkey during the BIOS/UEFI boot process.

6. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for allowing the launch of sa id instant-on environment before completion of the BIOS/UEFI boot process; and

a mechanism for the instant-on environment to return control to BIOS/UEFI, along with restoring all the necessary system and hardware state, for BIOS/UEFI to continue its boot process.

7. The instant-on environment of claim 1, wherein a standard BIOS/UEFI boot menu is used to launch said instant-on environment, thereby obviating the need for said loader, and EPG1 and EPG2 are located on a USB device that is set up to boot EPG1 from its master boot record.

8. The instant-on environment of claim 2, wherein said BIOS/UEFI boot menu is implemented by either of:

storing said EPG1 and EPG2 interface elements are on a secondary mass storage device that is separate and distinct from a hard disk that holds a main operating system, wherein said BIOS/UEFI supports and recognizes said secondary mass storage device; and

said EPG1 and EPG2 interface elements sharing a same mass storage device as a main operating system.

9. The instant-on environment of claim 8, wherein if said BIOS/UEFI recognizes a secondary mass storage device, then a standard BIOS/UEFI boot menu lists this device as one of the boot devices;

wherein a user chooses said device to boot from, instead of said primary hard disk drive, to boot said instant-on environment; and

wherein boot sectors of a secondary mass storage device contains code that boots said EPG1 interface element.

10. The instant-on environment of claim 2, wherein where said instant-on environment and a primary operating system share a same mass storage device, using said BIOS/UEFI boot menu;

wherein said loader is configured to allow said instant-on environment to appear as a boot device on said BIOS/UEFI boot menu; and

wherein when a user selects said instant-on environment on said BIOS boot/UEFI menu, said instant-on environment loader is invoked and loads said EPG1 interface element from its location on said mass storage device.

11. The instant-on environment of claim 1, wherein said loader is implemented as a BEV device in the case of BIOS or as a device module in the case of UEFI, further comprising:

an instant-on environment hotkey for powering on said computer, wherein said BIOS/UEFI sets a flag to boot from an instant-on environment boot device, wherein when said BIOS/UEFI is ready to load an operating system, it checks said flag and, if said flag is set, said BIOS/UEFI boots from said instant-on environment BEV device or device module.

12. The instant-on environment of claim 1, wherein said loader is stored as a compressed module on said boot ROM.

13. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for booting said primary OS from said EPG1 interface element by either of;

means for setting a flag and rebooting to the said primary OS from a primary mass storage device;

means for calling a BIOS/UEFI API that runs through selected tasks from the standard boot process to re-initialize some of the computer hardware and memory and that then boots said primary OS from said primary mass storage device; and

means for returning control to BIOS/UEFI, along with restoring all the necessary system and hardware state, for BIOS/UEFI to continue its operation to complete its standard boot process and boot the primary OS.

14. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for booting said primary OS from said EPG2 interface element by either of;

means for setting a flag and rebooting to said primary OS from a primary mass storage device; and

means for calling a BIOS/UEFI API that runs through selected tasks from the standard boot process to re-initialize some of the computer hardware and memory and that then boots said primary OS from said primary mass storage device.

15. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism to enter BIOS/UEFI setup comprising either of;

means for setting a flag and rebooting, checking for a BIOS/UEFI setup hotkey, said BIOS/UEFI also checking said flag, wherein if said flag is set, then said BIOS/UEFI launching BIOS/UEFI setup; and

means for calling a BIOS/UEFI API that runs through selected tasks from the standard boot process to re-initialize some of said computer hardware and memory and then launch BIOS/UEFI setup.

16. The instant-on environment of claim 1, said loader further comprising means for:

switching between real and protected modes;

calling BIOS/UEFI'"'"'s various software services and APIs; and

further comprising;

data structures in memory, comprising headers, that are integral to a boot process, said headers comprising;

a header which BIOS/UEFI can programmatically find and which provides BIOS/UEFI with the necessary information to successfully run the loader; and

a header that is used for exchanging information between said BIOS/UEFI and said instant-on environment.

17. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for booting Linux virtual appliances;

wherein if a user chooses a virtual appliance, said EPG1 interface element boots a Linux kernel and passes a parameter onto said Linux kernel to tell it which virtual appliance was selected by said user;

wherein once said Linux kernel comes up, it mounts an application file system image of said selected virtual appliance;

wherein when said kernel mounts said file system image, a set of application binaries and subdirectories appear in said Linux file system

wherein said Linux kernel then launches said virtual appliance; and

wherein the parameters passed from EPG1 to Linux can customize the startup behavior of the virtual appliance, to comprise a default website launched by a browser appliance and content said browser appliance displays

18. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a mechanism for updating said BIOS/UEFI by booting into DOS stored on a mass storage partition and accessing the DOS-based update software and binary file;

a mechanism for updating said BIOS/UEFI by booting a floppy disk image containing DOS and the DOS-based update software; and

a mechanism for updating said BIOS/UEFI by providing a Linux-based virtual appliance for updating BIOS/UEFI.

19. The instant-on environment of claim 1, wherein when said EPG2 interface element is launched a user is presented with a predetermined plurality of options;

wherein when there are more than the predetermined plurality of options, an arrow is inserted in a display to indicate this to said user; and

wherein when said user clicks on said arrow, icons which represent said shift in a first direction and an arrow appears to allow said user to shift said icons in an opposite direction.

20. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

an FET switch to control power to a USB controller;

wherein said BIOS/UEFI turns on said FET switch via an I/O signal to power up said USB controller during the boot process to allow detection of USB memory and to allow said BIOS/UEFI to boot into said EPG1 interface element;

wherein when a user wants to boot to said primary OS, said BIOS/UEFI is called again through an API, at which point said BIOS/UEFI turns off said FET switch, which then disconnects said USB memory;

wherein when said user runs a download utility, said FET switch is turned on again, making said USB memory visible and allowing files to be written to said USB memory; and

wherein at an end of writing, said FET switch is turned off again.

21. The instant-on environment of claim 1, further comprising:

a module for combining loader and EPG1 functionality into said boot rom;

wherein overall boot time is reduced and the needs and dependency of EPG1 on mass storage is obviated.