System and method of device information management

• US 20040225875A1
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Huang, Chung-Ching, Chung, Chien-Ping
• Application Number:
  US10/697,123
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225875A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

A system of device information management for use in a computer system is provided. The system includes an application device having a RAM, and a BIOS ROM. The BIOS ROM implements a specific data structure to store device information of the application device. When the computer system boots, the BIOS in the BIOS ROM reads device information, and writes it to the RAM of the application device. The application device then directly loads device information from the RAM. The device driver uses a standard PNP function call to update device information in the BIOS ROM. The BIOS writes the updated device information to the RAM of the application device, and the application device loads the updated device information from the RAM.

Claims

1. A system of device information management, comprising:

an application device including a RAM (Random-Access Memory); and

a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) ROM (Read-Only Memory) including a BIOS and implementing a specific data structure to store device information for said application device.

2. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein when said computer system boots, said BIOS reads device information, and writes into said RAM.

3. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 2, wherein said application device loads device information from said RAM.

4. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a device driver corresponding to said application device to update device information in said BIOS ROM using a standard function call.

5. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 4, wherein said BIOS writes said updated device information into said RAM.

6. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 5, wherein said application device loads said updated device information from said RAM.

7. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein said specific data structure is a DMI (Desktop Management Interface) data structure.

8. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 4, wherein said standard function call is a BIOS PNP (Plug and Play) function call.

9. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein said application device is a LAN (Local Area Network) chip.

10. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein said application device is an IEEE 1394 chip.

11. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein device information is a PHY ID (Physical Identification).

12. The system of device information management as claimed in claim 1, wherein device information is a MAC (Media Access Control) address.

13. A method of device information management, comprising steps of:

providing an application device including a RAM (Random-Access Memory);

providing a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) ROM (Read-Only Memory) including a BIOS; and

implementing a specific data structure to said BIOS ROM to store device information of said application device.

14. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13 further comprising reading of device information, and writing thereof to said RAM by said BIOS when said computer system boots.

15. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 14 further comprising loading of device information from said RAM by said application device.

16. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13 further comprising update of device information in said BIOS ROM using a standard function call by a device driver corresponding to said application device.

17. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 16 further comprising writing of said updated device information to said RAM by said BIOS.

18. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 17 further comprising loading of said updated device information from said RAM by said application device.

19. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13, wherein said specific data structure is a DMI (Desktop Management Interface) data structure.

20. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 16, wherein said standard function call is a BIOS PNP (Plug and Play) function call.

21. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13, wherein said application device is a LAN (Local Area Network) chip.

22. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13, wherein said application device is an IEEE 1394 chip.

23. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13, wherein device information is a PHY ID (Physical Identification).

24. The method of device information management as claimed in claim 13, wherein device information is a MAC (Media Access Control) address.