Portable electronic device, method for sharing file between multiple operating systems, recording medium and computer program product

A method for sharing a file between multiple operating systems on a probable electronic device is provided. The method includes the following steps: in a first operating system, a central processing unit storing a modified file into a memory of a shared access area; the central processing unit establishing a link relationship between the first operating system and a second operating system, so that the second operating system learns an address of the modified file stored in the memory of the shared access area; switching from the first operating system to the second operating system; and in the second operating system, the central processing unit accessing the modified file in the memory of the shared access area according to the link relationship.

BACKGROUND

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of electronic devices, and in particular, to a portable electronic device, a method for sharing a file between multiple operating systems on a probable electronic device, a recording medium and a computer program product.

Related Art

The use of two or more different operating systems on a single computer system, such as a Windows-based and a Linux-based operating system, is often desirable for users of portable electronic devices. Techniques known in the art that allow multiple OSs to be run on the same computer system include emulation, virtualization, and combinations of both.

If a user wants to switch to another operating system while maintaining an original working state of a current operating system, one option is to install a virtual operating system program; however, an operating system constructed on the virtual operating system program cannot completely use hardware system resources; in another option, data of the current operating system needs to be stored into a storage device first, and a method of system restart or hibernation needs to be used, so as to achieve the purpose. When the user wants to perform synchronization (for example, an action of storing file data) or share file data between two or more distinct operating systems, neither of the foregoing two methods for switching between two or more distinct operating systems can achieve the purpose of the user.

SUMMARY

In view of the foregoing problem, an objective of the present invention is to provide a portable electronic device, a method for sharing a file between multiple operating systems on a probable electronic device, a recording medium and a computer program product, so that during switching from a current operating system to another operating system, a user can share file data between multiple operating systems without storing the file data into an external storage device.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for sharing a file between multiple operating systems on a probable electronic device. The method includes the following steps:

a central processing unit storing a modified file into a memory of a shared access area in a first operation system;

the central processing unit establishing a link relationship between the first operating system and a second operating system, so that the second operating system learns an address of the modified file stored in the memory of the shared access area;

switching from the first operating system to the second operating system; and

in the second operating system, the central processing unit accessing the modified file in the memory of the shared access area according to the link relationship.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a recording medium with a stored program. After loading the program from the recording medium and executing the program, a portable electronic device is capable of completing the method of the first aspect of the present invention.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program product with a stored program. After loading the program from the computer program product and executing the program, a portable electronic device is capable of completing the method of the first aspect of the present invention.

Another aspect of the present invention provides a portable electronic device. The portable electronic device includes:

a memory of a shared access area, used to be accessed by the first operating system and the second operating system in a shared manner; and

a central processing unit, used to perform the method of the first aspect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To make a person of ordinary skill in the technical field of the present invention understand the present invention better, content of the present invention and a desired effect are described in detail below by using listed exemplary embodiments of the present invention and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a structural block diagram of file sharing between two different operating systems according to an embodiment of the present invention. In a first embodiment of the present invention, a central processing unit12in a portable electronic device10executes a program of a first operating system14(for example, a synchronous operation application program16) or accesses file data (for example, data of a file1or a file2) and executes a program of a second operating system18(for example, a synchronous operation application program20) or accesses file data (for example, data of a file1or a file2). The portable electronic device10may be an x86-based tablet or other x86 based computer system. The central processing unit12is an x86 CPU. The first operating system14and the second operating system18are two different operating systems, such as a Windows-based and a Linux-based operating system.

Memories (not shown in the figure) in the portable electronic device10include a first memory that belongs to the first operating system14, a second memory that belongs to the second operating system18and a memory that belongs to a shared access area22. The memory of the shared access area22is used by the first operating system14and the second operating system18to access a file.

A management module24in the portable electronic device10is located in the shared access area22. The management module24is used to manage a file (for example, the data of the file1or the file2) stored in the memory of the shared access area22.

FIG. 2is a flowchart of file sharing between two different operating systems according to an embodiment of the present invention. Reference is made to components ofFIG. 1when process steps ofFIG. 2are described.

InFIG. 2, the central processing unit12executes the synchronous operation application program16of the first operating system14. In the first operating system14, after editing, adding or modification is performed on the file1for example, because the synchronous operation application program16is executed, the central processing unit12stores a modified file1into the memory of the shared access area22(as the file1in the shared access area22shown inFIG. 1) (Step S30).

Because the synchronous operation application program16is executed, the central processing unit12establishes a link relationship between the first operating system14and the second operating system18by using the prior art, so that the second operating system18learns an address of the modified file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22(Step S32).

When a user wants to switch from the first operating system14to the second operating system18, a switching method is the same as that described in a patent application (R.O.C Invention Patent Publication No. 201229901, where the content of the application is incorporated into the present application for reference) previously filed by the applicant of the present invention, where the application discloses switching to the second operating system18after the first operating system14enters an S3-standby mode (Step S34).

In the second operating system18, when the user wants to access the modified file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22, the central processing unit12executes the synchronous operation application program20of the second operating system18, and the central processing unit12accesses the modified file1in the memory of the shared access area22according to the link relationship (as the file1in the second operating system18shown inFIG. 1); therefore, editing, adding, or modification can be performed on the modified file1(Step S36). For a further modified file1, Steps S30and S32can be performed again, so that the further modified file1is stored in the memory of the shared access area, and can be accessed by the first operating system14.

In a second embodiment of the present invention, the first operating system14and the second operating system18are two different operating systems, and differences between process steps of the second embodiment and process steps of the first embodiment are also described with reference to the flowchart ofFIG. 2.

In Step S30, in the second embodiment, because the synchronous operation application program16is executed, the central processing unit12stores a modified file1into a first memory that belongs to the first operating system14(as the file1in the first operating system14shown inFIG. 1), and synchronously stores a modified file1into the memory that belongs to the shared access area22(as the file1in the shared access area22shown inFIG. 1), while in the first embodiment, the step of storing a modified file1into a first memory that belongs to the first operating system14is not performed.

In Step S36, in the second embodiment, the central processing unit12executes the synchronous operation application program20of the second operating system18, the central processing unit12accesses the modified file1in the memory of the shared access area22according to the link relationship and stores the modified file1into a second memory that belongs to the second operating system18(as the file1in the second operating system18shown inFIG. 1), while in the first embodiment, the step of storing the modified file1into a second memory that belongs to the second operating system18is not performed.

FIG. 3is a flowchart of file sharing between two different operating systems according to another embodiment of the present invention. Reference is made to components ofFIG. 1when process steps ofFIG. 3are described.

In a third embodiment of the present invention, the first operating system14and the second operating system18are two different operating systems. InFIG. 3, in the first operating system14, when a user wants to access a file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22, the central processing unit12executes the synchronous operation application program16of the first operating system14, and the central processing unit12accesses the file1in the memory of the shared access area22according to a link relationship corresponding to the file1(as the file1in the first operating system14shown inFIG. 1), and therefore, editing, adding, or modification can be performed on the file1; the management module24in the shared access area22records that the file1has been accessed by the first operating system14(Step S40). The link relationship is used to enable the first operating system14to learn an address of the file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22.

When the user wants to switch from the first operating system14to the second operating system18, a switching method is the same as that described in the foregoing: switching to the second operating system18after the first operating system14enters an S3-standby mode (Step S42).

In the second operating system18, when the user wants to access the file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22, the central processing unit12executes the synchronous operation application program20of the second operating system18, and the central processing unit12accesses the file1in the memory of the shared access area22according to the link relationship corresponding to the file1(as the file1in the second operating system18shown inFIG. 1), and therefore, editing, adding, or modification can be performed on the file1; the management module24in the shared access area22records that the file1has been accessed by the second operating system18(Step S44). The link relationship is used to enable the second operating system18to learn an address of the file1stored in the memory of the shared access area22.

Because the synchronous operation application program16is executed in the first operating system14and the synchronous operation application program20is executed in the second operating system18, the central processing unit12stores a first modified file in the first operating system14and obtained by modifying the file1and a second modified file in the second operating system18and obtained by modifying the file1into the memory of the shared access area22successively, and the management module24learns that the file1has been accessed by the first operating system14and the second operating system18according to previous records; therefore, the management module24sets the first modified file and the second modified file as two files of different versions, and stores the files in the memory of the shared access area22(Step S46). The management module24automatically stores the file as files of different versions according to different operating system names, so as to facilitate subsequent confirming and editing by the user.

The central processing unit12establishes a first link relationship corresponding to the first modified file and a second link relationship corresponding to the second modified file between the first operating system14and the second operating system18, and the first link relationship and the second link relationship are used to enable the first operating system14and the second operating system18to learn addresses of the first modified file and the second modified file that are separately stored in the memory of the shared access area22.

The foregoing method for sharing a file between two different operating systems of the present invention can be completed in a form of a program, and the program may be stored in a recording medium. After loading the program from the recording medium and executing the program, a portable electronic device can complete the method steps shown in the above description and drawings.

Similarly, the foregoing method for sharing a file between two different operating systems of the present invention can be completed by using a computer program product. After downloading the computer program product from the Internet and executing the computer program product, a portable electronic device can complete the method steps shown in the above description and drawings.

The present invention provides a portable electronic device, a method for sharing a file between two different operating systems, a recording medium and a computer program product, so that during switching from a current operating system to another operating system, a user can share file data between two different operating systems without storing the file data into an external storage device.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the exemplary embodiments and exemplary drawings, the exemplary embodiments and exemplary drawings should not be regarded as a limitation. Various modifications, omissions and variations that are made by a person skilled in the art on the form and embodiments of the present invention do not depart from the scope claimed by the present invention.