Operating system-independent computing system user feedback mechanism

• US 20010007140A1
• Filed: 01/29/2001
• Published: 07/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaturvedi, Ajay, Rorke, Brooks A., Ali, Valiuddin Y., Massaro, Kevin L., Landry, John A., Wolff, Stacy L.
• Application Number:
  US09/771,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20010007140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/327 Alarm or error message display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

A computing system employs a user feedback mechanism to monitor operating conditions of the computing system and to alert a user to the operating conditions independently of an operating system of the computing system. The user feedback mechanism includes a display panel to display operating condition messages to the user and includes a controller to monitor operating condition signals. Some examples of operating conditions include a connection state of the computing system to the Internet, a connection state of a peripheral device to the computing system, a new e-mail notification message, a new Internet message and atomic time from a network server coupled to the computing system. The user feedback mechanism may include a safety button to signal a power supply to power off the computing system independently of the operating system.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

an operating system;

main processor to run the operating system; and

a user feedback mechanism to monitor a plurality of operating conditions of the computing system and to alert a user of the computing system to the plurality of operating conditions independently of the operating system.

2. The computing system of

claim 1

, the user feedback mechanism comprising:

a display panel to display a plurality of operating condition messages to alert the user to the plurality of operating conditions independently of the operating system.

3. The computing system of

claim 2

, the user feedback mechanism further comprising:

a controller coupled to the display panel to monitor a plurality of operating condition signals corresponding to the plurality of operating conditions and to communicate the plurality of operating conditions to the display panel independently of the operating system.

4. The computing system of

claim 3

, the user feedback mechanism further comprising:

a display panel interface driver to pass the plurality of operating conditions to the controller.

5. The computing system of

claim 2

, the user feedback mechanism further comprising:

a display panel interface coupled to the display panel for an application to communicate with the display panel.

6. The computing system of

claim 2

, wherein the display panel displays a plurality of instructions to the user for the user to cure the plurality of operating conditions.

7. The computing system of

claim 1

, wherein the user feedback mechanism monitors an operating condition of the plurality of operating conditions after system initialization by processing data from the operating system into a more meaningful form.

8. The computing system of

claim 1

, the user feedback mechanism comprising:

system BIOS to monitor the plurality of operating conditions during system initialization of the computing system by bypassing the operating system.

9. The computing system of

claim 8

, wherein the plurality of operating conditions comprises a plurality of primary device states for a plurality of primary devices of the computing system.

10. The computing system of

claim 1

, the user feedback mechanism comprising:

a safety button configured to signal a power supply to power off the computing system if the computing system is not powered off by the operating system.

11. The computing system of

claim 1

, the user feedback mechanism comprising:

a plurality of fault tolerant client software components to monitor the plurality of operating conditions after system initialization of the computing system.

12. A method of operating condition user feedback for a computing system, comprising the steps of:

monitoring an operating condition of the computing system; and

displaying an operating condition message corresponding to the operating condition on a display panel of a user feedback mechanism of the computing system to alert a user to the operating condition independently of an operating system of the computing system.

13. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising the step of:

clearing the operating condition message from the display panel if the operating condition is cured.

14. The method of

claim 12

, further comprising the step of:

signaling a power supply of the computing system to power off the computer system independently of the operating system.

15. The method of

claim 12

, the monitoring step comprising the step of:

monitoring a connection state of the computing system to the Internet.

16. The method of

claim 12

, the monitoring step comprising the step of:

monitoring a state of a peripheral device of the computing system.

17. The method of

claim 12

, the monitoring step comprising the step of:

monitoring an e-mail notification message to the computing system.

18. The method of

claim 12

, the monitoring step comprising the step of:

monitoring atomic time from a network serer coupled to the computing system.

19. The method of

claim 12

, wherein the monitoring step is performed by an application after system initialization of the computing system.

20. The method of

claim 12

, wherein the monitoring step is performed by system BIOS during system initialization of the computing system.

21. A computing system adapted for operating condition user feedback, comprising:

an operating system;

a means for monitoring a plurality of operating conditions of the computing system; and

a means for alerting a user of the computing system to the plurality of operating conditions independently of the operating system.

22. The computing system of

claim 21

, the means for alerting comprising:

a means for displaying a plurality of operating condition messages corresponding to the plurality of operating conditions.

23. The computing system of

claim 22

, further comprising:

a means for clearing the plurality of displayed operating condition messages if the plurality of operating conditions have been cured.

24. The computing system of

claim 21

, further comprising:

a power supply; and

a means for signaling the power supply to power off the computing system independently of the operating system.

25. The computing system of

claim 21

, wherein the plurality of operating conditions are readable by an application.

26. The computing system of

claim 21

, wherein the means for monitoring comprises an application after system initialization of the computing system.

27. The computing system of

claim 21

, wherein the means for monitoring comprises system BIOS during system initialization of the computer system.