Patent ID: 7441108

Claim:
A method for configuring multiple host computers to launch and run mobile software applications stored on a portable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device, said method comprising: a. providing a plurality of mobile user applications on a transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device, said mobile user applications configurable for portable operation across multiple host computers such that the mobile user applications are operable when the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device is physically coupled to one of the multiple host computers; b. providing a system management application on said transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device, said system management application configured to enable a temporary user session including execution of said mobile user applications on a host computer without permanent installation of said mobile user applications or a reboot being required when the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device is initially coupled to the host computer for the first time, wherein said mobile user applications are no longer available on said host computer when the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device is removed from the host computer, thus resulting in the temporary user session; and c. providing program shortcuts or icons representative of the mobile user applications viewable across the multiple host computers, said program shortcuts or icons configured to launch the mobile user applications upon selection by a user on the host computer, wherein the system management application is configured to present the program shortcuts or icons in a consistent user interface viewable across the multiple host computers based upon configuration data or user preferences stored and transported on the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device; d. wherein the system management application facilitates the configuration of the multiple host computers to run the mobile user applications by remapping file associations between the program shortcuts or icons and the mobile user applications when the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device is decoupled from one of the multiple host computers and coupled to another one of the multiple host computers; and e. wherein the system management application further provides a standardized file system structure such that the remapping of file associations is carried out according to the standardized file system structure, whereby the program shortcuts or icons utilize a consistent path name to launch one or more program files associated with the mobile user applications across the multiple host computers, said consistent path name being stored and transported on the transportable USB non-volatile solid-state memory device.