System and method for switching between environments in a multi-environment operating system

• US 8,868,899 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Galicia, Joshua D., Carlyle, Jeffrey C., Tzakis, Andrew N.
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US12/839,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20110126216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,555 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/441 Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45533 Hypervisors; Virtual machine monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4806 Task transfer initiation or dispatching
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide a mobile computing device that operates multiple, co-existing and independent operating system environments on a common kernel. A booting process for initiating a multiple operating system environment is also provided. Additionally, various embodiments of the present invention include processes for managing a switch between one operating system environment to a second operating system environment.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile computing device, comprising the following steps:

initiating the operating of a mobile device having at least two independent operating systems on a common kernel;

identifying a primary and secondary operating system;

launching a secondary operating system application while the primary operating system has control of the device, the launching step initiated by an unsolicited event.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unsolicited event is a telephone call.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the primary operating system regains focus after the secondary operating system application is terminated.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unsolicited event is an instant message.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the unsolicited event an alarm signal.

4. A mobile computing device comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor based at least in part upon computer executable instructions, configured to initiate the operating of the mobile computing device to have at least two independent operating systems on a common kernel, identifying a primary and secondary operating system, launching a secondary operating system application while the primary operating system has control of the device, wherein the launching step is initiated by an unsolicited event.

5. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein the first operating system is in primary control of the device.

6. The mobile device according to claim 4, wherein the device is a mobile telephone and the first operating system is an mobile operating system.

9. The mobile computing device according to claim 4, wherein the unsolicited event is a telephone call.

10. The mobile computing device according to claim 4, wherein the unsolicited event is an instant message.

11. The mobile computing device according to claim 4, wherein the unsolicited event an alarm signal.