MULTI-ENVIRONMENT OPERATING SYSTEM

• US 20110093691A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tzakis, Andrew N., Carlyle, Jeffrey C., Galicia, Joshua D., Hopman, Nicholas C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded

Abstract

A device with multiple, co-existing, and independent environments interacting with a common kernel, and related methods of operation, are disclosed herein. Operation is altered or dependent on the device being or entering a docked mode.

Claims

1. A method for booting a device having at least two co-existing independent operating environments comprising the following steps:

initiating a start-up boot sequence;

initializing a core kernel;

identifying that the device is docked;

launching services common to a first operating system and a second operating system;

selecting a primary operating system based at least in part upon the identifying that the device is docked;

launching initializing scripts of a personal computing primary operating system; and

launching initializing scripts of a secondary mobile operating system.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device boots the personal computer primary operating system first when the device is identified as docked.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device boots the mobile operating system first when the device is booted when the device is not identified as docked.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is connected to a peripheral device.

5. A method for initializing an operating system, comprising the following steps:

initializing a boot sequence;

selecting at least two operating system environments for operating a mobile device, the at least two operating system environments are configured to be independent and co-exist while the device is operational;

launching a common Linux-based kernel;

launching application services common to a first operating system environment and a second operating system environment;

based at least in part upon a mode state of the device, selecting one of the first operating system environment and the second operating system environment as the primary operating system environment and the other of the first operating system environment and the second operating system environment as the secondary operating system environment; and

simultaneously launching initializing scripts for the primary and secondary operating system environments;

wherein the second operating system environment is the primary operating system environment when the mode state is docked mode.

6. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of initiating a secondary operating system application.

7. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first operating system environment is Android.

8. A method for operating a device having multiple co-existing operating environments, comprising the following steps:

initiating a boot sequence, configured to simultaneously launch two operating system environments;

identifying the mode state of the device;

selecting a primary operating environment based at least in part upon the mode state; and

changing the primary operating environment based at least in part upon a change in the mode state of the device;

wherein the mode state changes from a mobile mode to a docked mode when the device is docked.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the mode state changes from a docked mode to a mobile mode when the device is removed from a docking station.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the primary environment switches from Android to Ubuntu when the device is docked.

11. A mobile computing device comprising:

a memory storage unit coupled to a computer processor, the memory storage unit having computer executable instructions capable of operating at least a first and a second operating system environment on a common kernel;

wherein the second operating system environment is optimized for desktop communication and a primary operating system environment is switched from the first operating system environment to the second operating system environment when a user connects the mobile computing device to a peripheral device.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the peripheral device is selected from the group consisting of a computer monitor, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet PC, and a screen projector.

13. A mobile telephone comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to receive and transmit multimedia information;

a computing system comprising a processor coupled to a memory storage unit;

a multi-environment operating system having a common kernel, the memory storage unit having computer executable instructions capable of managing resources shared between at least two co-existing independent operating system environments, wherein a Linux-based system is a primary operating environment while the telephone is connected to a peripheral device.

14. The mobile telephone according to claim 13, wherein the peripheral device is selected from the group consisting of a computer monitor, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet PC, and a screen projector.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:

a computer processor coupled to a computer memory having computer executable instructions configured to initiate an operating system; and

an operating system configured to simultaneously run a standard Linux distribution operating system environment and an Android operating system environment on a single kernel;

wherein a predetermined device state dictates a primary and secondary operating environment;

wherein the Linux distribution operating system environment is the primary operating environment when the device is operating in a docked mode.

16. The mobile computing device according to claim 15, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a mobile PC, a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, a handheld computer and a smartphone.

17. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined device state is programmable.

18. A method for operating a device having a kernel, a first environment with first middleware, and a second environment with second middleware, wherein each of the environments interfaces the kernel:

initializing the kernel;

identifying a device mode state;

launching services common to each of the first environment and the second environment;

determining one of the first and second environments as being a primary environment based at least in part upon the mode state; and

launching initializing scripts for each of the first and second environments,

wherein the first middleware of the first environment is configured to interpret application code at run-time with a byte-code interpreter, and the second middleware of the second environment is configured to execute a pre-run-time-compiled application;

and further including determining that an event has occurred; and

in response to the event, switching from the one of the environments being the primary environment to the other of the environments being the primary environment

wherein the event that is determined to have occurred is a docking of the device in relation to another device, and wherein the switching from the one environment to the other environment involves a switching between a first focus pertaining to the pre-run-time compiled application and a second focus pertaining to another application based upon the interpreted application code.

19. A method of switching from a first operating environment to a second operating environment of a mobile device comprising the following steps:

initiating at least two co-existing independent middleware operating environments coupled to a core kernel, the middleware operating environments each having a corresponding application component;

receiving a mode state initialization change signal based at least in part upon the device operation;

releasing first operating environment control of the device; and

initiating second operating environment control of the device;

wherein the first operating system operates the device in a mobile mode and the second operating environment operates the device in a docked mode.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second operating environment is Linux-based.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second operating environment is in control when the device is connected to a peripheral device.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the first operating system is an embedded operating system configured for mobile computing.