Computing device with redundant, dissimilar operating systems

• US 8,819,483 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2006
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: L-3 Communications Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pierce, James R., Walker, Eric H., Wahl, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): GUYTON, PHILIP A
• Application Number:
  US11/535,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,890 Days
• Field of Search: 714/38, 718/100, 713/1, 713/2
• US Class Current: 714/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1438 Restarting or rejuvenating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2028 eliminating a faulty processor or activating a spare
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2038 with a single idle spare processing component
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2046 where the redundant components share persistent storage G06F11/2043 takes precedence

Abstract

The adverse impact of system abnormalities, such as crashes or other failures or problems, is minimized by switching control of a computing device from a first operating system to a second operating system in the event a system abnormality is detected. For example, if a system abnormality causes a processor system under control of the first operating system to crash, another processor system under control of a second operating system can take over. An application program that was executing under control of the first operating system when the crash or other abnormality occurred can continue functioning under control of the second operating system.

Claims

1. A method for minimizing the impact of computing device abnormalities, comprising:

detecting a system abnormality while the computing device is operating under control of a first operating system executed by a first processor system; and

transferring control of the computing device to a second operating system executed by a second processor system in response to detection of the system abnormality, wherein the second operating system is different than the first operating system.

2. The method claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of transferring control of the computing device back to the first operating system after the abnormality ceases to exist.

3. The method claimed in claim 2, further comprising the steps of:

causing the first operating system to reset in response to detection of the system abnormality; and

transferring control of the computing device back to the first operating system after the first operating system completes resetting.

4. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the step of detecting a system abnormality comprises detecting a system abnormality while the computing device is executing an application program; and

the step of transferring control of the computing device to the second operating system comprises transferring control of execution of the application program from the first operating system to the second operating system.

5. The method claimed in claim 4, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile vehicular computing device for a motor vehicle.

6. The method claimed in claim 5, wherein the application program controls a system associated with the motor vehicle, and the step of transferring control of execution of the application program from the first operating system to the second operating system allows the application program to continue to control the system associated with the motor vehicle following detection of the system abnormality.

7. The method claimed in claim 6, wherein the system associated with the motor vehicle is a system of an emergency responder vehicle.

8. The method claimed in claim 7, wherein the system of an emergency responder vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

beacon light system;

siren system;

video recording system; and

communication system.

9. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the first operating system comprises WINDOWS.

10. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the second operating system is of a UNIX operating system family.

11. The method claimed in claim 10, wherein the second operating system is LINUX.

12. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein;

the first operating system comprises WINDOWS; and

the second operating system comprises LINUX.

13. A computing device for minimizing the impact of system abnormalities, comprising:

a first processor system having a first operating system;

a second processor system having a second operating system, wherein control of the computing device is transferred from the first processor system operating under control of the first operating system to the second processor system operating under control of the second operating system in response to detection of a system abnormality, wherein the second operating system is different from the first operating system.

14. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein control of the computing device is transferred back to the first processor system after the system abnormality ceases to exist.

15. The computing device claimed in claim 14, wherein the first processor system reboots in response to detection of a system abnormality;

and

control of the computing device is transferred back to the first processor system after the first processor system completes rebooting.

16. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein control of the computing device is transferred from the first processor system to the second processor system while an application program is executing on the first processor system.

17. The computing device claimed in claim 16, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile vehicular computing device for a motor vehicle.

18. The computing device claimed in claim 17, wherein the application program controls a system associated with the motor vehicle, and transferring control of execution of the application program from the first operating system to the second operating system allows the application program to continue to control the system associated with the motor vehicle following detection of the system abnormality.

19. The computing device claimed in claim 18, wherein the system associated with the motor vehicle is a system of an emergency responder vehicle.

20. The computing device claimed in claim 19, wherein the system of an emergency responder vehicle is selected from the group consisting of:

beacon light system;

siren system;

video recording system; and

communication system.

21. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein the first operating system comprises WINDOWS.

22. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein the second operating system is of a UNIX operating system family.

23. The computing device claimed in claim 22, wherein the second operating system is LINUX.

24. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the first operating system comprises WINDOWS; and

the second operating system comprises LINUX.

25. The computing device claimed in claim 13, wherein:

the computing device comprises a mobile vehicular computing device for an emergency responder motor vehicle and controls a system associated with the emergency responder motor vehicle; and

the system associated with the emergency responder motor vehicle is selected from the group consisting of;

beacon light system;

siren system;

video recording system; and

radio system.

26. The computing device claimed in claim 25, wherein:

the first operating system comprises WINDOWS; and

the second operating system comprises LINUX.