MULTI-OS (OPERATING SYSTEM) BOOT VIA MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20090089569A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Guday, Shai, Miller, John Mark, Baribault, Gregory P., Morris, Larry A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,003,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

A system that facilitates different levels of operating system (OS) boot so as to provide users with rapid access to certain mobile device functionalities, security, applications, etc. is provided. An OS can be loaded in phases or stages commensurate with policies, preferences, actions, context, etc. Similarly, a particular OS or group of OSs can be loaded to address a particular scenario or requirement.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates multi-OS (operating system) boot via a mobile device, comprising:

a data store component that maintains a plurality of OSs; and

a boot management component selects and launches at least one of the plurality of OSs via the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, the mobile device is at least one of a cellular phone, smartphone, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal media player, or personal gaming device.

3. The system of claim 1, at least a portion of the data store component is a cloud-based component.

4. The system of claim 3, the data store component employs a plurality of partitions that facilitate operation of each of the plurality of OSs, the boot management component launches the at least one of the plurality of OSs from a corresponding one of the partitions.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising a master boot record that employs master boot code and a partition table to identify and access a boot sector in each of the corresponding one of the partitions.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a selection component that enables selection of the at least one of the plurality of OSs based upon one of a policy, preference or inference.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising a rules-based selection component that enables selection of the at least one of the plurality of OSs based upon a defined criteria.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising an interface that facilitates definition of the criteria.

9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a context-based selection component that employs context of a device or user to choose the at least one of the plurality of OSs.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of sensors that gather data, wherein the data is employed to establish the context.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising an identity-based selection component that enables selection of the at least one of the plurality of OSs as a function of device or user identity.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an identity generation component that establishes the device or user identity.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an implementation component that partitions the data store component into a plurality of partitions, locates the at least one of the plurality of OSs within a plurality of partitions and enables launch of the at least one of the plurality of OSs.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the partitions employs a master boot code and a partition table that access a partition-specific boot sector to launch the at least one of the plurality of the OSs.

15. A computer-implemented method of booting an appropriate OS via a mobile device, comprising:

selecting at least one of a plurality of OSs available to the mobile device; and

launching the at least one of the plurality of OSs.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising detecting a preference of a user, wherein the act of selecting employs the preference to select the at least one of the plurality of OSs.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising establishing a user context, wherein the act of selecting employs the user context to select the at least one of the plurality of OSs.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising partitioning a data store, wherein each of the plurality of OSs is maintained upon a disparate partition of the plurality of partitions.

19. A computer-executable system that facilitates multi-OS boot, comprising:

means for selecting an OS from a plurality of data store partitions associated with a mobile device; and

means for booting the mobile device using the selected OS.

20. The computer-executable system of claim 19, further comprising detecting criteria associated with a user, wherein the act of selecting employs the criteria to choose the OS.