Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory – Storage accessing and control – Specific memory composition
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2003-07-29
Gossage, Glenn (Department: 2187)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: memory
Storage accessing and control
Specific memory composition
C365S052000, C463S043000, C710S013000, C713S002000, C713S001000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06601139
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing information and to a storage medium on which information is stored. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for processing information and to a storage medium on which information is stored by means of architecture in which the information processing apparatus and the storage medium are entirely separated from each other in terms of software and data so that various applications can be executed by exchanging the storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are various types of information processing apparatuses such as a Japanese word processor or a personal organizer, which are small in size and portable. Many of these information processing apparatuses are constructed in the form of a Read Only Memory (ROM) machine having no hard disk. In these ROM machines, software cannot be easily exchanged. In most cases, only particular software can run on a particular ROM machine. Therefore, most ROM machines serve as special purpose machines. The advantage of the special purpose machine is that it is constructed in a simple fashion and users having no special knowledge about the computer can easily use it. However, the disadvantage is that it is difficult to execute various different applications.
Personal computers for general purposes are also used. The personal computers, including those in the early days, have a high-capacity data storage device such as a hard disk. To effectively use the high-capacity data storage device, file systems such as a disk operating system have been developed. The core of the file system, that is a general-purpose operating system, has been well developed. Devices generically called computers such as personal computers, work stations, notebook personal computers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), etc., employ a basic architecture in which a data storage device such as a hard disk is assumed to be disposed in the main part of the computer and a general-purpose operating system is installed thereon. In general, a plurality of application software programs are installed so that the personal computer or the computer serves as a general-purpose machine.
Referring to
FIG. 12
, the hierarchical structure of a system including software and hardware used in an information processing apparatus is described below.
FIG. 12
illustrates a typical manner in which the system of a general-purpose personal computer is constructed in a hierarchical structure. As shown in
FIG. 12
, the system is constructed of, in a hierarchical structure from top to bottom, an application program (APP), an application program interface (API), an operating system (OS), a device driver (DD) and hardware (H/W).
The historical development of the technique of hierarchical construction of the system and software is described below.
In the early days of personal computers, device drivers were written in the form of a basic input/output interface or Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) on a ROM disposed in hardware, and any software was assumed to control the hardware via the BIOS. It was not easy to replace the BIOS, and thus, the BIOS limited the functions and performance of machines. That is, to run an operating system or an application program on a machine, it was required that the operating system and the application program were constructed in a manner acceptable to the BIOS. In this respect, the software was entirely dependent on the hardware.
As data storage devices such as a hard disk have become popular, a device driver has been placed on a hard disk. As a result, it has become possible to rewrite or exchange the operating system and the device driver at any desired time. Thus, a plurality of different operating systems can run on the same single hardware. In other words, when the same operating system is used, lower-level hardware can be constructed in various different fashions. Thus, the hardware-free concept has become popular. However, applications are still dependent on the operating system.
In recent years, as with so-called JAVA®, a technique has been developed for using a common application interface which is defined at a level higher than the operating system. Thus, the trend has been toward independence of applications from operating systems. That is, the technology has been advanced from the hardware-free concept to the operating system-free concept. The operating system-free concept assures that applications can run regardless of the type of low-level operating system being used, as long as the requirements regarding the application interface are met. Thus, it has become possible to run application programs on various different platforms.
In a word, the progress of personal computers is based on the progress of independence of software and applications. At present, however, although a high degree of independence of applications has been achieved, progress is concerned with only the computer technology or production technology, and there are aspects which should be improved from a user's viewpoint or from an ergonomic viewpoint. More specifically, from the viewpoint of user friendliness or ease of use, computers according to current technology are very complicated and difficult to understand.
A first problem for many users is that an application program has to be installed on hardware before using it for the first time. In some cases, various system parameters have to be set up so as to achieve conformity with the operating system and other existing applications. More specifically, application software is generally distributed via a medium such as a Compact Disk-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM). It is also becoming popular to download desired software via the Internet or the like. After obtaining software, a user has to install the software onto a hard disk of his or her own machine. Various system parameters are then set up depending on the environment and status of his or her machine so that the software can run on his or her machine. In many cases, various application programs supplied from different vendors and common files are stored on the hard disk. To run various application programs under such conditions, the user himself or herself has to properly set up the system parameters such that all the programs and files are in conformity with one another. Otherwise, these application programs cannot be executed. If the setting is not proper, the application programs cannot work at all, or even when it does work, an operation is imperfect or an operating speed is low. In some cases, an application can adversely affect the operation of other application programs. Furthermore, important files are often destroyed or unpredictable problems occur during an installation of a new application program. Although users can make a request for advice from a support center or the like of a vendor when trouble occurs, a user has to explain what happens, what the problem is, how bad the problem is, whether the problem is concerned with hardware or software, and so on. This means that users have to have sufficient knowledge of the computer. This is one of big difficulties users, such as children or older people, encounter when they try to use a computer.
Second, a user has to perform reinstallation each time an updated version of a device driver, an operating system, or application software is provided by a vendor. Furthermore, when a peripheral device is added, a user has to establish a configuration of a device driver thereof and restart the computer. Also in this case, in order to properly rewrite the system or install add-on software, the user has to know what software is stored on a disk and what he/she should be careful about. In many cases, a user has to know technical items defined in an implicit fashion, and has to have the know-how on how to use those items. In this respect, a user has to manage his or her own machine. Furthermore, trouble can occur even under the conditions in which a machine is managed by a us
Bell Boyd & Lloyd LLC
Gossage Glenn
Sony Corporation
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