Mobile device and application switching method

• US 8,789,064 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Tobe, Akiko, Tsuchiya, Nirou, Tsuda, Masayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, VAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/125,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20110283291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,728 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 718/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/461 Saving or restoring of program or task context
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5022 Mechanisms to release resources

Abstract

An object is to switch executions of applications appropriately from one to another when a plurality of applications use a limited resource. A mobile device (1) is provided with an execution state shift unit (61) for shifting an execution state between a multiplex-execution state and a single-execution state in a multi-application execution environment, a resource release unit (62) for releasing a resource used by applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment, an application stop unit (63) for stopping an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state, and a resource allocation unit (64) for allocating the resource released by the resource release unit (62) to the application to be executed in the single-execution state when the execution state is shifted from the multiplex-execution state to the single-execution state by the execution state shift unit (61).

Claims

1. A mobile device for executing a plurality of applications, the mobile device comprising:

circuitry configured to

shift an execution state between a multiplex-execution state for executing a plurality of applications and a single-execution state for executing a single application in a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications;

receive a request for shifting the execution state from the multiplex-execution state to the single-execution state when a plurality of applications are being executed in the multiplex-execution state in the multi-application execution environment;

forcibly stop, when the execution state shift request is received, an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state in the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

release a resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state in response to the received execution state shift request; and

allocate the resource released to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

2. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to release only the resource used by an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state in the plurality of applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state.

3. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

control displaying, in the multiplex-execution state, a list of the plurality of applications executed in the multiplex-execution state; and

control individually displaying, in the single-execution state, the single application executed in the single-execution state.

4. The mobile device according to claim 1, wherein

the resource comprises a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications, and

the circuitry is configured to

release the distribution resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

and

allocate the distribution resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

5. A mobile device for executing a plurality of applications, the mobile device comprising:

circuitry configured to

shift an execution environment between a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications and a single-application execution environment configured to execute a single application alone;

forcibly terminate all the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment;

release a resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment from the multi-application execution environment to the single-application execution environment;

allocate the resource released to the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment; and

execute the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment after the execution environment is shifted to the single-application execution environment.

6. The mobile device according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

store state information of a predetermined application being executed in the multi-application execution environment before forcibly terminating the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment when the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment is to be started in association with the predetermined application;

acquire the stored state information; and

execute the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment.

7. The mobile device according to claim 5, wherein

the circuitry is configured to forcibly terminate all the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to the request for shifting the execution environment to the single-application execution environment in the multi-application execution environment in a single-execution state for executing a single application and individually showing the single application.

8. The mobile device according to claim 5, wherein

the resource comprises an exclusive resource usable by a single application alone and a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications, and

the circuitry is configured to

release the distribution resource and the exclusive resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in the single-execution state;

and

allocate the distribution resource and the exclusive resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

9. A mobile device for executing a plurality of applications, the mobile device comprising:

circuitry configured to

shift an execution state between a multiplex-execution state for executing a plurality of applications and a single-execution state for executing a single application in a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications;

receive a request for shifting the execution state from the multiplex-execution state to the single-execution state when a plurality of applications are being executed in the multiplex-execution state in the multi-application execution environment;

forcibly stop, when the execution state shift request is received, an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state in the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

release a resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state in response to the execution state shift request;

allocate the resource released to the application to be executed in the single-execution state;

shift an execution environment between the multi-application execution environment shifted to the single-execution state and a single-application execution environment configured to execute a single application alone;

forcibly terminate all the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment;

release a resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment from the multi-application execution environment to the single-application execution environment;

allocate the resource released to the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment; and

execute the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment after the execution environment is shifted to the single-application execution environment.

10. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

control displaying, in the multiplex-execution state, a list of the plurality of applications executed in the multiplex-execution state; and

control individually displaying, in the single-execution state, the single application executed in the single-execution state.

11. The mobile device according to claim 9, wherein

the resource comprises an exclusive resource usable by a single application alone and a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications, and

the circuitry is configured to

release the distribution resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

allocate the distribution resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state;

release the distribution resource and the exclusive resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in the single-execution state; and

allocate the distribution resource and the exclusive resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

12. An application switching method for executing a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

an execution state shift step of shifting an execution state between a multiplex-execution state for executing a plurality of applications and a single-execution state for executing a single application in a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications;

an execution state shift request receiving step of receiving a request for shifting the execution state from the multiplex-execution state to the single-execution state when a plurality of applications are being executed in the multiplex-execution state in the multi-application execution environment;

an application stop step of forcibly stopping, when the execution state shift request is received in the execution state shift request receiving step, an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state in the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

a first resource release step of releasing a resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state in response to the execution state shift request received in the execution state shift request receiving step; and

a first resource allocation step of allocating the resource released in the first resource release step to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

a first display step of displaying, in the multiplex-execution state, a list of the plurality of applications executed in the multiplex-execution state; and

a second display step of individually displaying, in the single-execution state, the single application executed in the single-execution state.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein

the resource comprises a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications,

the first resource release step releases the distribution resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state, and

the first resource allocation step allocates the distribution resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

15. An application switching method for executing a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

an execution environment shift step of shifting an execution environment between a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications and a single-application execution environment configured to execute a single application alone;

an application termination step of forcibly terminating all the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment;

a second resource release step of releasing a resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment from the multi-application execution environment to the single-application execution environment;

a second resource allocation step of allocating the resource released in the second resource release step to the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment; and

a single-application execution step of executing the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment after the execution environment is shifted to the single-application execution environment in the execution environment shift step.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

a first display step of displaying, in the multiplex-execution state, a list of the plurality of applications executed in the multiplex-execution state; and

a second display step of individually displaying, in the single-execution state, the single application executed in the single-execution state.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein

the resource comprises an exclusive resource usable by a single application alone and a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications,

the second resource release step releases the distribution resource and the exclusive resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in the single-execution state, and

the second resource allocation step allocates the distribution resource and the exclusive resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.

18. An application switching method for executing a plurality of applications, the method comprising:

an execution state shift step of shifting an execution state between a multiplex-execution state for executing a plurality of applications and a single-execution state for executing a single application in a multi-application execution environment configured to execute a plurality of applications;

an execution state shift request receiving step of receiving a request for shifting the execution state from the multiplex-execution state to the single-execution state when a plurality of applications are being executed in the multiplex-execution state in the multi-application execution environment;

an application stop step of forcibly stopping, in response to the execution state shift request received in the execution state shift request receiving step, an application other than the application to be executed in the single-execution state in the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state;

a first resource release step of releasing a resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state in response to the execution state shift request received in the execution state shift request receiving step;

a first resource allocation step of allocating the resource released in the first resource release step to the application to be executed in the single-execution state;

an execution environment shift step of shifting an execution environment between the multi-application execution environment shifted to the single-execution state in the execution state shift step and a single-application execution environment configured to execute a single application alone;

an application termination step of forcibly terminating all the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment;

a second resource release step of releasing a resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in response to a request for shifting the execution environment from the multi-application execution environment to the single-application execution environment;

a second resource allocation step of allocating the resource released in the second resource release step to the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment; and

a single-application execution step of executing the application to be executed in the single-application execution environment after the execution environment is shifted to the single-application execution environment in the execution environment shift step.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

a first display step of displaying, in the multiplex-execution state, a list of the plurality of applications executed in the multiplex-execution state; and

a second display step of individually displaying, in the single-execution state, the single application executed in the single-execution state.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein

the resource comprises an exclusive resource usable by a single application alone and a distribution resource usable by a plurality of applications,

the first resource release step releases the distribution resource used by the applications being executed in the multiplex-execution state,

the first resource allocation step allocates the distribution resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state,

the second resource release step releases the distribution resource and the exclusive resource used by the applications being executed in the multi-application execution environment in the single-execution state, and

the second resource allocation step allocates the distribution resource and the exclusive resource to the application to be executed in the single-execution state.