Control board system to indicate hardware events

• US 20050057519A1
• Filed: 03/29/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Coe, Christopher D., Vander Kamp, Kerry B.
• Application Number:
  US10/812,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057519A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/64 Constructional details of receivers, e.g. cabinets or dust covers furniture aspects of television cabinets A47B81/06

Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a control board system may include a control panel to control a computing platform using a human interface device manager to indicate and to control hardware events on the computing platform. The hardware events may be received by general purpose input/output circuit.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a control panel for a computing platform, said control panel having at least one control button to control an operation of a computing platform; and

a general purpose input/output circuit to couple to the control button of said control panel;

wherein actuation of the at least one control button causes said general purpose input/output circuit to execute the operation via a human interface device driver.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operation is able to be executed without utilizing a Universal Serial Bus controller.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control button includes at least one of a brightness control button, a channel control button, a volume control button, or a power control button.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein actuation of the at least one control button causes a human interface device report to be generated within the computing platform.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computing platform includes a television tuner to receive a television signal, the control button of said control panel to control a function of the television tuner.

6. A method, comprising:

monitoring a status of at least one pin of a general purpose input/output circuit to detect an actuation of the at least one pin;

in the event an actuation of the least one pin of the general purpose input/output circuit is detected, generating a human interface device report; and

in response to the report, executing a control function.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said monitoring includes calling an advanced configuration power interface control to obtain a status of the at least one pin of the general purpose input/output circuit.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7, further comprising, in the event an actuation is not detected, waiting for a predetermined time, and then again executing said calling.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said executing is performed by an operating system without utilizing a controller.

10. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said executing includes controlling at least one of a brightness control function, a channel control function, a volume control function, or a power control function.

11. An article comprising a storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing platform, result in control of an operation of the computing platform by:

monitoring a status of at least one pin of a general purpose input/output circuit to detect an actuation of the at least one pin;

in the event an actuation of the at least one pin of the general purpose input/output circuit is detected, generating a human interface device report; and

in response to the report, executing a control function.

12. An article as claimed in claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in control of an operation of the computing platform by calling an advanced configuration power interface control to obtain a status of the at least one pin of the general purpose input/output circuit.

13. An article as claimed in claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, further result in control of an operation of the computing platform by, in the event an actuation is not detected, waiting for a predetermined time, and executing said calling.

14. An article as claimed in claim 11, wherein said executing is performed by an operating system without utilizing a controller.

15. An article as claimed in claim 11, wherein said executing includes controlling at least one of a brightness control function, a channel control function, a volume control function, or a power control function.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a receiver to receive a multimedia signal broadcast from remote source, and a decoder to decode the multimedia signal;

a control panel for a computing platform, said control panel having at least one control button to control an operation of a computing platform; and

a general purpose input/output circuit to couple to the control button of said control panel;

wherein actuation of the at least one control button causes said general purpose input/output circuit to execute the operation via a human interface device driver.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the operation is able to be executed without utilizing a Universal Serial Bus controller.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control button includes at least one of a brightness control button, a channel control button, a volume control button, or a power control button.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein actuation of the at least one control button causes a human interface device report to be generated within the computing platform.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a display to display the multimedia signal.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the control button includes at least one of a brightness control button, a channel control button, a volume control button, or a power control button.