Patent ID: 6760696
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: G06F,G11B,H04R

Abstract:
A digital computing device that immediately implements a predefined function in response to a user action, independent of whether an operating system is currently running on the digital computing device, comprising:(a) a power supply for providing electrical power to energize the digital computing device; (b) a memory for storing machine instructions; (c) a switch disposed on a housing; and (d) a processor, coupled to the memory and to the switch, for executing the machine instructions to carry out a plurality of functions, a portion of said machine instructions comprising a stub program that runs until the power supply is de-energized, and another portion of the machine instructions comprising the operating system that is substantially larger than and independent of the stub program and which is selectively executed by the processor to provide a main user interface implemented by the operating system and to provide access to hardware resources for selectively loaded application programs, said stub program immediately responding to a user actuating the switch by implementing the predefined function independent of and not under control of the operating system, even before the operating system is run and the main user interface is thus not currently available, said predefined function being unrelated to initiating the operating system.