Portable memory drive with portable applications and cross-computer system management application

• US 8,694,694 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2010
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Star Co Ranger Digital LLC (Star Company Scientific Technologies Advanced Research Company LLC)
• Original Assignee: Star Co Ranger Digital LLC (Star Company Scientific Technologies Advanced Research Company LLC)
• Inventors: Fisher, Ken Scott, Baxter, Kevin Cotton
• Primary Examiner(s): Rhu, Kris
• Application Number:
  US12/772,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for transporting the look, feel, and function of one'"'"'s personalized computer preferences across multiple host computers, including the appearance, settings, programs, and user data. This system and method uses a portable memory device and a data management system that maintains a consistent interface and data file structure on multiple host computers, including a common visual desktop interface. The portable memory solution also provides mobile access to the user'"'"'s applications and personal data files. The memory device is capable of being connected to multiple host computers via a standard interface such as a USB port.

Claims

1. A method for transporting a user'"'"'s computer environment across multiple non-connected host computers without requiring communication to a central host computer, said method comprising:

a. providing, on a transportable USB Flash mass storage device, a roaming management application capable of configuring non-connected Windows-based host computers to run (i) transportable software user applications stored on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, and (ii) a USB boot-capable Windows-based operating system stored on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device;

b. enabling, upon connecting the transportable USB Flash mass storage device to any of the multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers, temporary user sessions wherein said transportable software user applications can be executed on the non-connected Windows-based host computers without permanent installation of the transportable software user applications, wherein said transportable software user applications are no longer available on the non-connected Windows-based host computer when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is disconnected from the non-connected Windows-based host computer, thus resulting in the temporary user sessions; and

c. loading a mobile user profile on to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, wherein the mobilized user profile is associated with a multi-user computer network environment, and wherein the mobilized user profile is utilized to recreate at least a portion of a user'"'"'s personalized computer environment without requiring connectivity to the multi-user network environment when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is connected to one of the multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers;

wherein said roaming management application restricts computer data files created during the temporary user sessions on said multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers from being permanently written to mass storage devices located on the multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers, and directs storage of such computer data files to the transportable USB mass storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user session hibernation feature including writing contents of a memory of the non-connected Windows-based host computer created during the temporary user sessions to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device and later recreating an existing state of the temporary user session when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is disconnected from one of the multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers and then re-connected to the same host computer at a later time, thus resulting in the user session hibernation feature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-connected Windows-based host computers are personal computers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein at least one of the non-connected Windows-based host computers is a laptop computer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the transportable USB Flash mass storage device communicates with non-connected Windows-based host computers when physically inserted into a USB port or through a local wireless link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said software user applications include at least two of a word processing application, a browser application, and an e-mail management application.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising booting one of the non-connected Windows-based host computers with the USB boot-capable Windows-based operating system when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is coupled to the non-connected Windows-based host computer during a temporary user session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment includes consistent desktop visual depictions and customized system functions across the non-connected Windows-based host computers.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment includes consistent presentation across the non-connected Windows-based host computers of customized settings for documents saved on desktop, desktop icons, a desktop theme, data folders, and shortcuts for programs, data or folders.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment includes customized screen settings.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobilized user profile comprises a roaming profile adapted for use in a non-connected computer environment.

12. A method for transporting a user'"'"'s personalized computer environment across multiple non-connected host computers without requiring communication to a central host computer, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment is associated with a multi-user network environment of connected computers whereby the user may run any of a variety of user application programs, said method comprising:

providing, on a transportable USB Flash mass storage device, a roaming management application;

providing, on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, a USB boot-capable Windows-based operating system and portable software user applications that can be executed, under control of the roaming management application, as part of a temporary user session when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is coupled to a Windows-based host computer that is not connected to the multi-user network environment, without permanent installation of the transportable software user applications thereon;

storing a mobile user profile on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device by which the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment is recreated on the non-connected Windows-based host computer, without requiring connectivity to the multi-user network environment;

preventing user files created during the temporary user session from being permanently written to a mass storage device located on the non-connected Windows-based host computer, and directing storage of such user files to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device; and

preventing the transportable software user applications from being available on the non-connected Windows-based host computer when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is decoupled from the non-connected Windows-based host computer and the temporary user session terminates.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transportable USB Flash mass storage device includes a user session hibernation feature, the method including:

writing contents of a memory of the non-connected Windows-based host computer created during the temporary user session to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device to save an existing state of the temporary user session, and

restoring the saved state of the temporary user session after the transportable USB Flash mass storage device has been disconnected from the non-connected Windows-based host computer and then re-connected to the same host computer at a later time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the non-connected Windows-based host computer is a personal computer.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the non-connected Windows-based host computer is a laptop computer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the transportable USB Flash mass storage device communicates with the non-connected Windows-based host computer when physically inserted into a USB port or through a local wireless link.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said software user applications include at least two of a word processing application, a browser application, and an e-mail management application.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

initiating a second temporary user session after decoupling the transportable USB Flash mass storage device from the Windows-based host computer that is not connected to the multi-user network environment, and coupling the transportable USB Flash mass storage device to a second Windows-based host computer that is not connected to the multi-user network environment;

recreating the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment on the second non-connected Windows-based host computer using the mobile user profile stored on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, without requiring connectivity to the multi-user network environment;

preventing user files created during the second temporary user session from being permanently written to a mass storage device located on the second non-connected Windows-based host computer, and directing storage of such user files to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device; and

preventing the transportable software user applications from being available on the second non-connected Windows-based host computer when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is decoupled from the second non-connected Windows-based host computer and the second temporary user session terminates.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the mobile user profile comprises a roaming profile adapted for use in a non-connected computer environment.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the mobile user profile comprises a roaming profile adapted for use in a non-connected computer environment.

21. A method for transporting a network user'"'"'s computer environment between computers when roaming, without requiring connection to a remote host computer, comprising the steps of:

a. connecting a portable USB flash mass storage device to a first computer that is part of a multi-user network environment of connected computers, said first computer having a Windows-based operating system and capable of creating a USB boot-capable transportable Windows-based operating system on said portable USB flash mass storage device including a host roaming management software;

b. copying said USB boot-capable transportable Windows-based operating system, a user computer environment profile, and plurality of user software applications onto said portable USB flash mass storage device;

c. disconnecting said portable USB flash mass storage device from said first computer;

d. connecting said portable USB flash mass storage device to a second computer having a pre-connection operating state and not part of the multi-user environment of connected computers;

e. from the portable USB flash mass storage device, booting said second computer with the transportable Windows-based operating system and applying said user computer environment profile to said second computer from said portable USB flash mass storage device without connecting remotely to the connected computers, while preventing computer data files from being permanently written to a non-volatile mass storage drive located within said second computer;

f. temporarily enabling the at least one software application to be run on said second computer; and

g. performing a restoration procedure in said transportable Windows-based operating system wherein a current state of said first computer is restored to its pre-connection operating state prior to performing step (e).

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the portable USB flash mass storage device includes a user session hibernation feature, the method including:

writing contents of a memory of the second computer to the portable USB flash mass storage device to save an existing state of a temporary user session when the portable USB flash mass storage device is connected to said second computer; and

restoring the saved state of the temporary user session after the portable USB flash mass storage device has been disconnected from the second computer and then re-connected to the second computer at a later time.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the second computer is a personal computer.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the second computer is a laptop computer.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the portable USB flash mass storage device communicates with the second computer when physically inserted into a USB port thereof or through a local wireless link.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said plurality of software user applications include at least two of a word processing application, a browser application, and an e-mail management application.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the user computer environment profile comprises a roaming profile adapted for use in a non-connected computer environment.

28. A highly portable and secure method for transporting a user'"'"'s personalized computer workstation environment to non-connected computers when roaming, without requiring connection back to the workstation'"'"'s network, said method comprising:

providing, on a transportable USB Flash mass storage device, a Windows-based operating system configured to boot multiple non-connected Windows-based host computers;

providing, on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, mobilized software user applications that can be executed, as part of a temporary user session on the non-connected Windows-based host computers, without permanent installation of the transportable software user applications thereon;

providing, on the transportable USB Flash mass storage device, roaming management software including a user'"'"'s profile associated with a multi-user network environment adapted to roam and be utilized in recreation of the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment across the non-connected Windows-based host computers;

preventing user files created during the temporary user session from being available on the non-connected Windows-based host computers when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is decoupled from the non-connected Windows-based host computers and the temporary user session terminates, and directing storage of such user files to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device; and

preventing the transportable software user applications from being available on the non-connected Windows-based host computers when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is decoupled from the non-connected Windows-based host computers and the temporary user session terminates.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising booting one of the non-connected Windows-based host computers with the Windows-based operating system via a USB connection when the transportable USB Flash mass storage device is coupled to the non-connected Windows-based host computers during the temporary user session.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the transportable USB Flash mass storage device includes a user session hibernation feature, the method including:

writing contents of a memory of the non-connected Windows-based host workstation created during the temporary user session to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device to save an existing state of the temporary user session; and

restoring the saved state of the temporary user session after the transportable USB Flash mass storage device has been disconnected from the non-connected Windows-based host workstation and then re-connected to at least the same host workstation at a later time.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the transportable USB Flash mass storage device includes a user session hibernation feature, the method further including:

writing contents of a memory of the non-connected Windows-based host workstation created during the temporary user session to the transportable USB Flash mass storage device to save an existing state of the temporary user session, and

restoring the saved state of the temporary user session after the transportable USB Flash mass storage device has been disconnected from the non-connected Windows-based host workstation and then re-connected to at least the same host workstation at a later time.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said software user applications include at least two of a word processing application, a browser application, a spreadsheet application, a multi slide presentation application, and an e-mail management application.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein said software user applications include at least two of a word processing application, a browser application, a spreadsheet application, a multi slide presentation application, and an e-mail management application.

34. The method of claim 28, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment recreated across the non-connected Windows-based host computers includes the user'"'"'s desktop theme, start menu, user data files, and shortcuts for programs, data or folders.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment recreated across the non-connected Windows-based host computers includes the user'"'"'s desktop theme, start menu, user data files, and shortcuts for programs, data or folders.

36. The method of claim 28, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment recreated across the non-connected Windows-based host computers includes both user environmental settings for said Windows-based operating system and user environmental settings for said software user applications.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the user'"'"'s personalized computer environment recreated across the non-connected Windows-based host computers includes both user environmental settings for said Windows-based operating system and user environmental settings for said software user applications.

38. The method of claim 28, further comprising ensuring that the pre-existing state of the non-connected Windows-based host computers just prior to the temporary user session is restored after the temporary user session terminates.

39. The method of claim 29, further comprising ensuring that the pre-existing state of the non-connected Windows-based host computers just prior to booting the Windows-based operating system via a USB connection is restored after the temporary user session terminates.