Mobile computing system and method for a network

• US 6,629,143 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 09/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kent Ridge Digital Labs
• Original Assignee: Kent Ridge Digital Labs
• Inventors: Pang, Hwee Hwa
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,716
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/224, 709/245, 709/324, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

A computing system provides a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user. The computing system is connectable to remote storage and has a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage. The computing system also includes an application program and a process manager for invoking the application program. The process manager allocates the& execution location of the application program when the application program is invoked, being an intermediary between the application program and the operating system.

Claims

1. A computing system for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user, said computing system being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said computing system including:

an application program;

means for invoking said application program; and

means for allocating a location for executing said application program when said application program is invoked, wherein at least a portion of said allocating means is intermediate between said application program and said operating system.

2. The system as in claim 1, further including means for migrating said mobile computing environment therewithin and wherein said mobile computing environment includes said application program and said invoking means.

3. The system as in claim 2, wherein said means for migrating said mobile computing environment further includes:

means for mapping a user-interface portion of said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said system, said mapping means being actuable by said user;

a file system in said operating system for receiving and translating requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

means for monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by said mapped user-interface and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said system.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said allocating means is communicable with a computation server to which the execution location is allocable.

5. The system as in claim 4, wherein said allocating means is communicable with means for monitoring and coordinating the execution of said application program on said computation server.

6. The system as in claim 4, being operable to communicate with said computation server for remote control of said computation server.

7. The system as in claim 6, further including means for remote control of said computation server, said remote control means being communicable with said computation server.

8. The system as in claim 4, wherein said application program has operational requirements and said allocating means is dependent on said operational requirements for allocating the execution location of said application program.

9. The system as in claim 8, wherein said allocating means matches said operational requirements with resources of said system and said computation server for allocating the execution location of said application program.

10. The system as in claim 9, wherein said operational requirements include at least one of:

operating system type;

memory size; and

processing speed.

11. A computation server for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user on a computing system, said computation server being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said computation server including:

means for communicating information of resources on said computation server for allocation of a location for executing an application program resident on said computing system; and

means for monitoring and coordinating the execution of said application program when allocated to said computation server.

12. The server as in claim 11, further including means for remote control of said server by said computing system, wherein said remote control means is communicable with said computing system.

13. The server as in claim 12, wherein said monitoring means is communicable with said remote storage for migrating said mobile computing environment to said server for enabling the execution of said application program on said server.

14. The server as in claim 13, wherein said migration of said mobile computing environment further includes:

means for mapping said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said server;

a file system in said operating system for receiving and translating requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

means for monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by the execution of said application and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said server.

15. A method for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files to a computing system for a user, said computing system being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said method including the steps of:

providing an application program;

invoking said application program; and

between said application program and said operating system allocating a location for executing said application program when said application program is invoked.

16. The method as in claim 15, further including the step of migrating said mobile computing environment to said system wherein said mobile computing environment includes said application program.

17. The method as in claim 16, wherein said migrating step further includes:

mapping a user-interface portion of said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said system, said mapping being actuable by said user;

receiving and translating in a file system in said operating system requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by said mapped user-interface and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said system.

18. The method as in claim 15, wherein said allocating step further includes communicating with a computation server to which the execution location is allocable.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein said communicating step further includes monitoring and coordinating the execution of said application program on said computation server.

20. The method as in claim 18, wherein said communicating step further includes providing remote control of said computation server.

21. The method as in claim 18, wherein said application program has operational requirements and said allocating step further includes determining said operational requirements.

22. The method as in claim 21, wherein said allocating step further includes matching said operational requirements with resources of said system and said computation server.

23. The method as in claim 22, wherein said allocating step further includes determining said operational requirements that include at least one of:

operating system type;

memory size; and

processing speed.

24. A method for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user on a computing system using a computation server, said computation server being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said computation server including:

communicating information of resources on said computation server for allocation of a location for executing an application program resident on said computing system; and

monitoring and coordinating the execution of said application program when allocated to said computation server.

25. The method as in claim 24, further including the step of providing remote control of said server by said computing system by providing communication between said server and said computing system.

26. The method as in claim 25, wherein said monitoring step further includes communicating with said remote storage for migrating said mobile computing environment to said server for enabling the execution of said application program on said server.

27. The method as in claim 26, wherein said migrating step further includes:

mapping said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said server;

receiving and translating in a file system in said operating system requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by the execution of said application and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said server.

28. A computer program product for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user including:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing said mobile computing environment to be provided to a computing system, said computing system being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said computer program having;

computer readable program code means for providing an application program;

computer readable program code means for invoking said application program; and

intermediate computer readable program code means between said application program and said operating system for allocating a location for executing said application program when said application program is invoked.

29. The product in claim 28, further including computer readable program code means for migrating said mobile computing environment to said system wherein said mobile computing environment includes said application program.

30. The product in claim 29, wherein said computer readable program code means for migrating further includes;

computer readable program code means for mapping a user-interface portion of said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said system, said mapping being actuable by said user;

computer readable program code means for receiving and translating in a file system in said operating system requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

computer readable program code means for monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by said mapped user-interface and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said system.

31. The product as in claim 28, wherein said computer readable program code means for allocating further includes computer readable program code means for communicating with a computation server to which the execution location is allocable.

32. The product as in claim 31, wherein said computer readable program code means for communicating further includes computer readable program code means for monitoring and coordinating the execution of said application program on said computation server.

33. The product as in claim 31, wherein said computer readable program code means for communicating further includes computer readable program code means for providing remote control of said computation server.

34. The product as in claim 31, wherein said application program has operational requirements and said computer readable program code means for allocating further includes computer readable program code means for determining said operational requirements.

35. The product as in claim 34, wherein said computer readable computer program code means for allocating further includes computer readable program code means for matching said operational requirements with resources of said system and said computation server.

36. The product as in claim 35, wherein said computer readable program code means for allocating further includes computer readable program code means for determining said operational requirements that include at least one of:

operating system type;

memory size; and

processing speed.

37. A computer program product for providing a mobile computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files for a user on a computing system, including:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium for causing said mobile computing environment to be provided using a computation server, said computation server being connectable to remote storage and having a local computing environment of settings, accessible programs and accessible files, an operating system, and a local storage, said computer program product having;

computer readable program code means for communicating information of resources on said computation server for allocation of a location for executing an application program resident on said computing system; and

computer readable program code means for monitoring and co-ordinating the execution of said application program when allocated to said computation server.

38. The product as in claim 37, further including computer readable program code means for providing remote control of said server by said computing system by providing communication between said server and said computing system.

39. The product as in claim 38, wherein said computer readable program code means for monitoring further includes computer readable program code means for communicating with said remote storage for migrating said mobile computing environment to said server for enabling the execution of said application program on said server.

40. The product as in claim 39, wherein said computer readable program code means for migrating further includes:

computer readable program code means for mapping said mobile computing environment onto said local computing environment using information transferred from said remote storage being connected to said server;

computer readable program code means for receiving and translating in a file system in said operating system requests for performing file operations on said local storage; and

computer readable program code means for monitoring and intercepting a request made to said file system for operation on a file, said request being actuable by the execution of said application and said file being stored on said remote storage being connected to said server.