APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR RECORDATION OF DEVICE HISTORY ACROSS MULTIPLE SOFTWARE EMULATIONS

• US 20160164560A1
• Filed: 02/16/2016
• Published: 06/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schell, Stephan V., Mathias, Arun
• Granted Patent: US 9,906,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/177 Smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7211 Wear leveling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Apparatus and method for maintaining hardware history profiles for a software-based emulator. In one embodiment, the disclosed software-based emulator monitors the history of the actual hardware device in a secondary device history, the history of the emulated hardware is presented within a primary device history. However, the primary device history is linked to the secondary device history, and receives the device wear history therefrom. In another aspect of the present invention, wear-leveling strategies are disclosed for handling various update sizes. Unlike existing solutions which are optimized for a single SIM that receives small data updates; various embodiments of the present invention are suitable for handling varying data sizes.

Claims

1. A method for updating a size of a virtualized memory associated with an emulation program, the method comprising:

loading the emulation program, wherein the emulation program maintains first usage information associated with the virtualized memory;

processing an update for the emulation program, wherein the update includes establishing a new size for the virtualized memory associated with the emulation program; and

updating the first usage information to reflect the new size of the virtualized memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

second usage information is associated with an underlying physical memory to which the virtualized memory corresponds, and the second usage information corresponds to (i) the emulation program, and (ii) at least one different emulation program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the size of the virtualized memory is increased or decreased.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein, when the size is increased, updating the first usage information comprises:

populating aspects of the second usage information into corresponding aspects of the first usage information.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the aspects represent a new area of the virtualized memory that is being utilized by the emulation program by way of the update.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein, when the size of the virtualized memory is decreased, the method further comprises:

populating aspects of the first usage information into corresponding aspects of the second usage information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the aspects represent an old area of the virtualized memory that is no longer being used by the emulation program by way of the update.

8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor included in a computing device, cause the computing device to update a size of a virtualized memory associated with an emulation program, by carrying out steps that include:

loading the emulation program, wherein the emulation program maintains first usage information associated with the virtualized memory;

processing an update for the emulation program, wherein the update includes establishing a new size for the virtualized memory associated with the emulation program; and

updating the first usage information to reflect the new size of the virtualized memory.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein:

second usage information is associated with an underlying physical memory to which the virtualized memory corresponds, and the second usage information corresponds to (i) the emulation program, and (ii) at least one different emulation program.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the size of the virtualized memory is increased or decreased.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein, when the size is increased, updating the first usage information comprises:

populating aspects of the second usage information into corresponding aspects of the first usage information.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the aspects represent a new area of the virtualized memory that is being utilized by the emulation program by way of the update.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein, when the size of the virtualized memory is decreased, the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further comprises:

populating aspects of the first usage information into corresponding aspects of the second usage information.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the aspects represent an old area of the virtualized memory that is no longer being used by the emulation program by way of the update.

15. A computing device configured to update a size of a virtualized memory associated with an emulation program, the computing device comprising:

a processor configured to cause the computing device to carry out steps that include;

loading the emulation program, wherein the emulation program maintains first usage information associated with the virtualized memory;

processing an update for the emulation program, wherein the update includes establishing a new size for the virtualized memory associated with the emulation program; and

updating the first usage information to reflect the new size of the virtualized memory.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein:

second usage information is associated with an underlying physical memory to which the virtualized memory corresponds, and the second usage information corresponds to (i) the emulation program, and (ii) at least one different emulation program.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein the size of the virtualized memory is increased or decreased.

18. The computing device of claim 17, wherein, when the size is increased, updating the first usage information comprises:

populating aspects of the second usage information into corresponding aspects of the first usage information.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein the aspects represent a new area of the virtualized memory that is being utilized by the emulation program by way of the update.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein, when the size of the virtualized memory is decreased, the computing device further comprises:

populating aspects of the first usage information into corresponding aspects of the second usage information.