KR20120001105A - Method for supporting multi-os in a single-os system and apparatus for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A multi-OS supporting method in a single OS system and apparatus for the same are provided to run two or more OSs by using an external storage device in which the other OS is installed. CONSTITUTION: A memory unit(160) includes a first OS. An external storage device includes a second OS which is similar to the first OS. A controlling unit(180) confirms the external storage device through an interface. The controlling unit selectively performs the booting of the first or second OS if the connection of the external storage device is confirmed. The first OS is a web-based OS. The second OS is a general OS excluding the web-based OS.

Description

Method for supporting multi-OS in single OS system and apparatus therefor {Method for supporting Multi-OS in a single-OS system and Apparatus for the same}

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a computer system, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for supporting a different operating system in a system supporting only one operating system (OS).

The proliferation of mobile computer systems, such as notebooks or netbooks, has introduced new operating systems other than the Windows XP / ME / Vista / 7 operating systems used in X86-based computer systems. The new operating system aims to provide users with a faster and more convenient way to surf the Internet or to interact with the web, rather than running heavy and complex applications for mobile environments. An example of such an operating system is Google's Chrome OS. However, some operating systems, such as Chrome OS, do not allow other operating systems to be installed in the system storage in which they are installed. Therefore, the user cannot run another operating system with a computer system installed with Chrome OS, and there is a demand for a solution to this problem.

The present invention is to provide a method and apparatus therefor that can support a different operating system in a system that supports only one operating system (OS).

Technical problems to be achieved in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems, and other technical problems not mentioned above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. Could be.

A computer system according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object includes a memory unit including a first operating system; And a controller configured to selectively boot the first operating system or the second operating system when the external storage device including the second operating system is connected through a predetermined interface.

In addition, a control method of a computer system in which a first operating system is installed according to an embodiment of the present invention for realizing the above object may include determining whether an external storage device including a second operating system is connected; When the external storage device is connected as a result of the determination, receiving a boot selection from one of the first operating system and the second operating system from a user; And booting into an operating system according to the selection result.

In this case, the first operating system is a web-based operating system that does not allow coexistence of other operating systems in the memory unit, and the second operating system is a general operating system except for the web-based operating system.

The system related to at least one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above may drive two or more operating systems using an external storage device in which an operating system different from the system operating system is installed.

The effects obtainable in the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned effects, and other effects not mentioned above may be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. will be.

1 is a system block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system architecture in which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented.
2 shows an example of a procedure for selectively booting different operating systems in a computer system according to the present invention.
3 shows an example of a BIOS structure for selectively booting different operating systems in a computer system according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, a computer system related to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. The suffix "module" and " part "for the components used in the following description are given or mixed in consideration of ease of specification, and do not have their own meaning or role.

Computer systems described herein include smart phones, laptop computers, digital broadcasting terminals, personal digital assistants, portable multimedia players, navigation, digital TVs, and desktop computers. do.

Like the Google Chrome OS described above, system storage does not allow coexistence of other OS (does not allow installation of other OS, or does not work properly when other OS is installed). An OS for intensively supporting a web interworking related function (ie, web based) is referred to herein as a " web operating system (web OS) "

In addition, in contrast to the web OS, an x86 system-based operating system (for example, Windows XP / ME / Vista / 7, etc.) is referred to as a "general operating system (general OS)".

The present invention proposes a method and apparatus therefor that can support (ie, boot to a general operating system) different from other general operating systems in a system in which a web OS is installed in a system storage device. To this end, in the present invention, a general operating system is not installed in a system storage device (memory unit to be described later), but is installed in a separate external storage device connected through an interface of a predetermined standard and connected to the system. Suggest. This makes it possible to boot a general operating system without breaking the limitations of the Web OS.

In this case, the separate external storage device preferably has a storage space sufficient to install a general OS that can be driven in the computer system according to the present invention. It is preferable to apply an interface (for example, USB 2.0 or higher version) that can be recognized immediately at the end of FIG. Such an external storage device includes a USB memory stick, a USB hard disk, a PMP, an MP3, and the like, and includes any storage means for installing a general OS.

First, the structure of a computer system in which embodiments of the present invention can be performed will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Although only a web OS is basically installed in the computer system according to the present invention, it is assumed that a general OS can also be driven.

Computer system architecture

1 is a system block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system architecture in which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented.

Referring to FIG. 1, a computer system according to the present invention includes a main chipset 140, a display unit 151, a system memory 160, first to third interface modules 171 to 173, and a central processing unit (CPU). 180) and the like. The components shown in FIG. 1A are not essential, so a computer system having more or fewer components may be implemented. For example, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a touch sensor, a microphone, a camera, an output device such as a speaker, a printer, a power supply, or the like, may be additionally provided or connected to the computer system.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

First, the main chipset 140 performs a function similar to the chipset provided in the main board of the general computer system. More specifically, it may mean a core controller chip that connects and controls each component. In other words, the main chipset generally refers to a South Bridge (SB) that controls peripheral devices such as a North Bridge (NB) and an interface that controls memory and graphics. Each bridge may be implemented as a separate device. It may be implemented in one module. In this case, the northbridge may perform a function of controlling a graphics processing unit (GPU) or a graphics card including the same, which is provided separately, but in this specification, it is assumed that the control related to graphics is collectively regardless of whether the graphics card is separately provided. see.

Next, the display unit 151 displays (outputs) information processed by the computer system. For example, a user interface (UI) or a graphical user interface (GUI) is displayed according to a graphic operation result of the processor 180 or a control of the main chipset for an operating system or an application to be executed.

The display unit includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), a flexible display, 3 It may include at least one of a 3D display.

When the display unit 151 and a sensor for detecting a touch operation (hereinafter referred to as a touch sensor) form a mutual layer structure (hereinafter referred to as a touch screen), the display unit may be used as an input device as well as an output device. Can be used. The touch sensor may have the form of a touch film, a touch sheet, a touch pad, or the like.

The touch sensor may be configured to convert a change in pressure applied to a specific portion of the display unit or capacitance generated at a specific portion of the display unit into an electrical input signal. The touch sensor may be configured to detect not only the position and area of the touch but also the pressure at the touch.

If there is a touch input to the touch sensor, the corresponding signal (s) is sent to the touch controller. The touch controller processes the signal (s) and then transmits the corresponding data to the CPU 180. As a result, the controller 180 can know which area of the display unit 151 is touched.

The memory 160 may be a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a multimedia card micro type, a card type memory (for example, SD or XD memory), RAM (Random Access Memory, RAM), Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM), Magnetic Memory, Magnetic It may include a storage medium of at least one type of disk, optical disk. The computer system according to the present invention may operate in connection with a web storage that performs a storage function of the memory 160 on the Internet. As described above, it is assumed that the memory unit 160 according to the present invention has a web OS installed.

The first to third interface modules 171 to 173 refer to internal devices or external devices connected to the computer system according to the present invention. The interface module may be connected to the main chipset 140 through an interface such as a universal serial bus (USB) to transmit and receive data. Examples of such an interface module may include a wired / wireless headset, an external charger, a USB storage medium, a smart SIM / SIM / USIM, a modem satisfying various wireless interface standards, and the like.

Central processing unit (CPU) 180 typically controls the overall operation of a computer system.

Hereinafter, in the present specification, the CPU 180 and the main chipset 140 will be referred to as a “control unit” for convenience.

According to a hardware implementation, the embodiments described herein include application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like. It may be implemented using at least one of processors, controllers, micro-controllers, microprocessors, and electrical units for performing other functions. The described embodiments may be implemented by the controller itself.

According to the software implementation, embodiments such as the procedures and functions described herein may be implemented as separate software modules. Each of the software modules may perform one or more of the functions and operations described herein. Software code may be implemented in software applications written in a suitable programming language. The software code may be stored in the memory 160 and executed by the controller.

Operation Procedure

2 shows an example of a procedure for selectively booting different operating systems in a computer system according to the present invention.

In FIG. 2, it is assumed for convenience that the web OS is a chrome OS and the general OS is a window. In addition, a function of selectively booting two different operating systems is referred to as a "dual booting mode" for convenience. In addition, Windows is assumed to be installed on a USB storage device connected to a USB 2.0 or higher interface.

Referring to FIG. 2, when a power is applied to a computer system or a user manipulates a main switch, the computer system is activated, and a BIOS is loaded by a control unit in operation S201.

Here, the basic input / output system (BIOS) broadly refers to a program that performs input / output at the lowest level of hardware among programs installed in a computer system. In the narrow sense, it can mean that it is mounted on an IBM-PC (X86) compatible model. BIOS is a kind of firmware that is the intermediate form of hardware and software in a computer, and most of the software controls the hardware and carries out functions such as the neural network of the human being so that the software can process the information changed or generated by the hardware. do. The BIOS may be included in the computer system as part of the memory unit 160. In the BIOS, whether or not the dual booting mode according to the present invention is applied may be selected and stored by the user.

The controller reads the dual boot mode setting of the BIOS (S202), and if the dual boot mode is not set, immediately performs booting to the Chrome OS installed in the system memory unit 160 (S206).

Conversely, if dual boot mode is set, the controller should detect a general OS such as Windows. At this time, since the Chrome OS restricts the installation of the OS except for itself in the system memory unit 160, it is necessary to determine whether the storage device other than the system memory unit, for example, a USB storage device in which Windows is installed, is connected (S203).

As described above, the USB storage device is connected through an interface of the USB 2.0 standard or higher, and since the USB 2.0 standard supports the recognition of the BIOS stage, the controller determines whether the USB storage device is connected while the BIOS is loaded. can do.

If it is determined that a general OS is not installed in the storage device even when an external storage device such as a USB storage device is not connected or is connected, the controller performs booting to the Chrome OS (S206).

However, even when it is determined that the USB storage device in which the general OS is installed is connected, it may be determined whether to boot into the window (S205) or the Chrome OS (S206) according to the user's selection (S204). In this case, the user's selection may be performed by the user's input through a user command input device such as a keyboard or a mouse after displaying a predetermined selection window or menu on the display unit 151 after the BIOS load. Alternatively, you can pre-configure your BIOS to automatically boot into a generic OS when a USB storage device with a generic OS is detected.

Next, a BIOS structure for performing the above-described procedure will be described.

Bios structure

3 shows an example of a BIOS structure for selectively booting different operating systems in a computer system according to the present invention.

It is assumed that the BIOS of FIG. 3 is an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The bios may be divided into a write-protected region and a recordable region. Since whether or not the dual boot mode is set is information that can be changed by the user, the setting may be stored in a part of the writable region.

The recordable region includes a boot log region for recording boot related events and two firmware regions (Firmware A and Firmware B). The firmware A area records information for booting an OS (for example, Chrome OS) installed in the system memory 160. The firmware B area records information for booting an OS installed in an external storage device such as a USB. do.

When the BIOS is loaded for the first time, the boot stub information is loaded to perform the basic functions of the BIOS. When the dual boot mode is set by the user and the user selects Windows boot while the USB storage device in which Windows is installed is detected. The booting procedure according to the firmware B may be performed, and in other cases, the booting procedure according to the firmware A may be performed.

In this case, when performing a reboot, the controller may refer to the boot log to always select the same firmware as the last loaded firmware or to select a different firmware from the last loaded firmware without a user's selection.

Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the above-described method can be implemented as a code that can be read by a processor on a medium on which the program is recorded. Examples of processor-readable media include ROM, RAM, CD-ROM, magnetic tape, floppy disk, optical data storage, and the like, and may be implemented in the form of a carrier wave (for example, transmission over the Internet). Include.

The above-described computer system and its control method may not be limitedly applied to the configuration and method of the above-described embodiments, but the embodiments may be selectively modified in whole or in part in various embodiments so that various modifications may be made. It may be configured in combination.

Claims (5)

A memory unit having a first operating system;
An external storage device having a second operating system different from the first operating system;
And a controller configured to determine whether the external storage device is connected through a predetermined interface and to selectively boot the first operating system or the second operating system when the external storage device is determined to be connected.
The first operating system is a web-based operating system that does not allow coexistence of other operating systems except the first operating system in the memory unit.
And the second operating system is a general operating system except for the web-based operating system. The method of claim 1,
The memory unit further includes a BIOS (BIOS),
The predetermined interface is a universal serial bus (USB),
The control unit,
And recognizing whether the external storage device is connected while the BIOS is loaded. The method of claim 2,
The bios,
A first firmware for booting the first operating system and a second firmware for booting the second operating system,
The control unit,
And a booting procedure according to the first firmware when the booting of the first operating system is performed, and a booting procedure according to the second firmware when performing the booting of the second operating system. The method of claim 1,
The first operating system is a chrome operating system,
And the second operating system is a window-based operating system. In the control method of a computer system in which the first operating system is installed,
Determining whether an external storage device including a second operating system is connected;
If the external storage device is connected as a result of the determination, selecting to boot one of the first operating system and the second operating system from a user; And
Including the step of booting to the operating system according to the selection result,
The first operating system is a web-based operating system that does not allow coexistence of other operating systems in the memory unit.
And the second operating system is a general operating system except for the web-based operating system.

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