Task switching with state preservation for programs running on an electronic device

• US 7,512,952 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2001
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Access Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Palmsource Incorporated (Access Company Limited)
• Inventors: Tow, Adam, Liu, Chung
• Primary Examiner(s): An; Meng-Ai
• Assistant Examiner(s): WU, QING YUAN
• Application Number:
  US09/827,888
• Time in Patent Office: 2,916 Days
• Field of Search: 718107-108, 712/228
• US Class Current: 718/108
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/482 Application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system providing switching between a plurality of installed programs in a computer system. Embodiments include a jump function comprising the steps: (1) determining a jump program that is to be the next program to be run, possibly from a plurality of possible choices: (2) creating input data for the jump program based on data in the current program; (3) storing the program state of the currently running program into a context packet and saving the context packet to memory; (4) releasing temporary memory that is used by the program, so as to allow other programs to use the memory; (5) calling the jump program with the created input data as input and terminating the currently running program.

Claims

1. A method of performing context switching in an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first user request to perform a context switch from a currently executing first program on the electronic device;

displaying a task switching menu listing only ones of a plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful or user selected to execute based at least partly on the first program;

receiving a selection from the user of one of the plurality of programs;

storing a program state when the first user request was received of the first program into a first context packet;

terminating execution of the first program;

executing the selected one of the plurality of programs as a second program; and

upon receiving a second user request, suspending or terminating the execution of the second program and resuming execution of the first program based on the first context packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the task switching menu is a pull-down menu.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

after terminating execution of the first program, releasing temporary memory used by the first program.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

restoring a stored program state of the selected one of the displayed useful or user-entered ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device from a second context packet before executing the selected one of the displayed useful ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving a second user request to perform a context switch on the electronic device to cause the first program to be executed;

storing a program state of the selected one of the displayed useful ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device;

terminating execution of the selected one of the displayed useful ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device;

restoring the program state of the first using the first context packet; and

executing the first program with the restored program state.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

executing a non-multitasking operating system on the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein indications of the ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful to execute are coded into applications.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a context packet control panel permits the user to manage an amount of memory used by the context packets.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a context packet control panel to permit the user to set at least one parameter that affects context packets.

10. An electronic device comprising:

at least one processor;

a display device;

an input device;

a memory; and

a bus connecting the processor/s, the display device, the input device, and the memory, wherein the memory includes a plurality of instructions for that at least one processor to cause the electronic device to be configured to;

receive a user request to perform a context switch from a currently executing first program on the electronic device,

display a task switching menu listing only ones of a plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful or user selected to execute based the first program,

receive a selection from the user of one of the plurality of programs, store a program state when the user request was received of a first currently executing program into a first context packet,

terminate execution of the first program;

execute the selected one of the plurality of programs as a second program, and

upon receiving a second user request, suspend or terminate the execution of the second program, storing the second program'"'"'s state into a second context packet and resume execution of a previously executed program based on the associated context packet or starting executing another program through the above task switching menu.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the task switching menu is a pull-down menu.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

after terminating execution of the first program, release temporary memory used by the first program.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

restore a stored program state of the selected one of the displayed useful ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device from a second context packet before executing the selected one of the displayed useful or user-selected ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

receive a second user request to perform a context switch on the electronic device to cause the first program to be executed;

store a program state of the selected one of the displayed useful or user-selected ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device;

terminate execution of the selected one of the displayed useful ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device;

restore the program state of the first program using the first context packet; and

execute the first program with the restored program state.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to execute a non-multitasking operating system.

16. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

permit the user, via a context packet control panel, to manage an amount of memory used by the context packets.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the electronic device is further configured to:

provide a context packet control panel to permit the user to set at least one parameter that affects context packets.

18. An electronic device comprising:

means for receiving a first user request to perform a context switch from a currently executing first program on the electronic device;

means for displaying a task switching menu listing only ones of a plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful or user selected to execute based at least partly on the first program;

means for receiving a selection from the user of one of the plurality of programs;

means for storing a program state when the first user request was received of the first program into a first context packet;

means for terminating execution of the first program;

means for executing the selected one of the plurality of programs as a second program; and

means for, upon receiving a secured user request, storing a program state of the second program as a second context packet and suspending or terminating the execution of the second program and resuming execution of a previously executed program based on the associated context packet or starting executing another program through the above task switching menu.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the task switching menu is a pull-down menu.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for releasing temporary memory used by the first program.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for restoring a stored program state of the selected one of the displayed useful or user selected ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device from a second context packet before executing the selected one of the displayed useful or user selected ones of the plurality of programs installed on the electronic device.

22. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving a second user request to perform a context switch on the electronic device and causing the first program to be executed;

means for storing a program state of the second program as a context packet;

means for terminating execution of the second program;

means for executing and returning a previously executed program to a previous state using the associated context packet or starting executing another program through the above task switching menu.

23. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the electronic device is configured to execute a non-multitasking operating system.

24. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for permitting the user to manage an amount of memory used by the context packets.

25. The electronic device of claim 18, further comprising:

means for providing a context packet control panel to permit the user to set at least one parameter that affects context packets.

26. A method of performing context switching in an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first user request to perform a context switch from a currently executing first program on the electronic device;

displaying a task switching menu listing only ones of a plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful to execute based at least partly on the first program;

receiving a selection from the user of one of the plurality of programs;

storing a program state associated with a display status when the first user request was received of the first program into a first context packet;

terminating execution of the first program;

releasing temporary memory used by the first program;

executing the selected one of the plurality of programs; and

upon receiving a second user request, terminating the execution of the selected program and resuming execution of the first program with the associated display status based on the context packet.

27. An electronic device comprising:

at least one processor;

a display device;

an input device;

a memory; and

a bus connecting the at least one processor, the display device, the input device, and the memory, wherein the memory includes a plurality of instructions for that at least one processor to cause the electronic device to be configured to;

receive a first user request to perform a context switch from a currently executing first program on the electronic device,

display a task switching menu listing only ones of a plurality of programs installed on the electronic device that are useful to execute based on the first program,

receive a selection from the user of one of the plurality of programs,

store a program state associated with a display status when the first user request was received of a first currently executing program into a first context packet,

terminate execution of the first program,

releasing temporary memory used by the first program,

execute the selected one of the plurality of programs, and

upon receiving a second user request, suspend or terminate the execution of the selected program and resume execution of the first program with the associated display status based on the content packet.