Non-invasive, low cost method and apparatus for the transmission, display and detection of internal computer status

• US 20060016384A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sturges, Stephen S., Inman, Brad
• Granted Patent: US 7,319,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 116/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/326 for error or online/offline status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A method and apparatus for permitting diagnostics in a PC is described. Signals, imperceptible to a user, are transmitted through the LED used to indicate on/off power status. A small hand-held device may be used for detecting and interpreting the signals and to provide a visual indication to the user of a particular problem.

Claims

1. A computer comprising:

an indicator light, visible to a user, indicating power status of the computer;

a converter for converting a digital signal to an encoded signal, coupled to the indicator light, the converter providing the encoded signal at a rate that is not perceivable to the user; and

a selector circuit for selecting predetermined digital signals which represent status data for the computer, coupled to the converter.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the converter provides a serial digital signal comprising a plurality of bits, and wherein some of the bits have a longer period than other of the bits.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the indicator light is a light emitting diode.

4. The computer defined by claim 3, wherein the light emitting diode indicates to a user an “

on” and

“

off”

power status.

5. The computer defined by claim 4, wherein the light emitting diode also indicates a standby power status.

6. The computer defined by claim 3, wherein the serial digital signal is transmitted in bursts.

7. The computer defined by claim 1, wherein the status data is diagnostic data for the computer.

8. The computer defined by claim 1, wherein the status data is BIOS POST code data.

9. The computer defined by claim 1, wherein the encoded signal is a self-clocking signal.

10. The computer defined by claim 9, wherein the encoded signal is Manchester encoded.

11. A computer system comprising:

a computer comprising;

an indicator light, visible to a user, indicating power status of the computer;

a converter for converting a parallel digital signal to a serial digital signal, coupled to the indicator light, the converter providing the serial signal at a rate that is not perceivable to the user; and

a selector circuit for selecting predetermined parallel digital signals which represent status data for the computer, coupled to the converter; and

a hand-held device comprising;

a light sensing receiver; and

a processor coupled to the light sensing receiver for converting the serial digital signal into a human perceivable form.

12. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the hand-held device includes a plurality of lights coupled to the processor for providing the user with the human perceivable form of the serial digital signal.

13. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the hand-held device includes a display.

14. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the status data is BIOS POST code data.

15. The system defined by claim 11, wherein the converter providing the serial digital signal, provides a signal having a plurality of bits, some of which have a longer period than others to enable detection of a packet boundary.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator light indicates an “

on”

or “

off”

power status for the computer.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the indicator light indicates an “

on”

, “

off”

or standby power status for the computer.

18. The system defined by claim 15, wherein the serial digital signal is provided in bursts.

19. A method comprising:

providing a first signal to an indicator light visible to a user to indicate to the user at least an “

on” and

“

off”

power status for a computer; and

providing a second signal to the indicator light not perceivable by the user, comprising a serial bit stream representative of a diagnostic status of the computer.

20. The method defined by claim 19, including serializing a plurality of parallel bits to provide the serial bit stream.

21. The method defined by claim 20, including encoding the serial bit stream as a self-clocking signal.

22. The method defined by claim 21, wherein the encoding comprises Manchester encoding.

23. The method defined by claim 19, wherein the diagnostic status is a BIOS POST data.

24. The method defined by claim 19, including receiving the serial bit stream with a hand-held device, and converting the serial bit stream to a human perceivable representation of the diagnostic status.