SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SWITCHING BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTS IN A MULTI-ENVIRONMENT OPERATING SYSTEM

• US 20110126216A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 05/26/2011
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 8,868,899 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile computing device that operates multiple, co-existing and independent operating system environments on a common kernel. A booting process for initiating a multiple operating system environment is also provided. Additionally, various embodiments of the present invention include processes for managing a switch between one operating system environment to a second operating system environment.

Claims

1. 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.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a resource manager module and a portal activity module are configured to generate a sequence of signals that switch operating environment control of the device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second operating environment is Linux-based.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the resource manager module sends a signal to the portal activity module initiating the operating environment switch.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first operating system is an embedded operating system configured for mobile computing.

6. A method of operating a mobile device comprising the following steps:

initiating a mobile device having a memory storage unit coupled to a computer processor, the memory storage unit having computer executable instructions capable of operating at least two operating system environments on a common kernel;

launching a second operating environment application while a first operating environment has primary control of the device;

enabling data input from the second operating environment

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the first operating environment is a Linux-based operating system.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second operating environment is a real time operating system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the real time operating system is Android.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the first operating environment is Ubuntu.

11. A method of operating a mobile computing device, comprising the following steps:

initiating the operating of a mobile device having at least two independent operating systems on a common kernel;

identifying a primary and secondary operating system;

launching a secondary operating system application while the primary operating system has control of the device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the launching step is initiated by an unsolicited event.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the unsolicited event is selected from the group comprising a telephone call, an instant message and an alarm signal.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the primary operating system regains focus after the secondary operating system application is terminated.

15. A mobile computing device comprising:

a first independent operating system and a second independent operating system located on a common kernel;

a processor, based at least in part upon computer executable instructions, configured to switch primary control of the device between a first operating environment and a second operating environment.

16. The mobile device according to claim 15, wherein the first operating system is in primary control of the device.

17. The mobile device according to claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to launch a second operating system application while the first operating system maintains control of the device.

18. The mobile device according to claim 16, wherein the processor switches control of the device to the second operating system based at least in part upon a mode state initialization change signal.

19. The mobile device according to claim 18, wherein the device is a mobile telephone and the first operating system is an Android-based system.