Selective OS Subset Booting for Resource-Efficient Deployment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing operating systems (OSs) are fully operational, leading to inefficient deployments when less than fully operational OSs are required, and customizing OSs for diverse device requirements results in numerous deployment implementations.

Innovation Solution

The OS is partitioned into logical subsets, allowing users to select and boot into specific OS subsets, exposing only the APIs and functionalities associated with the chosen subset, thereby optimizing computational resources and reducing power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fully operational OS is deployed to all devices, then all functionalities are available, but computational resources are wasted on unused functionalities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefunctionalities availableVSAvoidcomputational resources
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The OS is divided into multiple independent subsets, each providing a specific functionality (e.g., gaming subset, productivity subset, multimedia subset). Users can select and boot only the subset they need, avoiding the overhead of running a complete OS with all functionalities. This segmentation allows the system to maintain adaptability across different device types while reducing the computational resource consumption on each device.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If custom OS versions are created for different device requirements, then device-specific optimization is achieved, but deployment complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedevice-specific optimizationVSAvoiddeployment implementations
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single universal OS image contains multiple functional subsets that can serve different device requirements. Instead of creating and maintaining separate custom OS versions for each device type, the system provides a multi-functional OS that can be configured to deliver device-specific optimization by selecting appropriate subsets. This universality simplifies deployment while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If all OS functionalities are initialized, then complete functionality is provided, but system efficiency and response time decrease

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomplete functionalityVSAvoidsystem efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and isolates specific functionalities into separate OS subsets. When a user boots the system, only the required subset is initialized and loaded into memory, while other functionalities remain excluded. This extraction approach maintains the availability of complete functionality across different subsets while significantly improving system efficiency and response time by eliminating the overhead of initializing unnecessary components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4607340A1Booting from an operating system (OS) subset
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP4607340A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4607340A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4607340A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Systems and methods are provided for implementing booting from an operating system ("OS") subset. In various embodiments, an OS management system deploys an OS image to a device, the OS image corresponding to a fully functional OS that is configured to manage hardware and software resources of a computing system on which the fully functional OS is installed. The fully functional OS is partitioned into a plurality of OS subsets corresponding to a plurality of functionalities that the fully functional OS is capable of implementing when the plurality of OS subsets has been initialized. The OS management system receives a user selection indicating selection of a first set of OS subsets among the plurality of OS subsets, and initializes the first set of OS subsets without initializing other OS subsets among the plurality of OS subsets, based on the user selection.