Booting from non-volatile memory

• US 20060242398A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Fontijn, Wilhelmus Franciscus Johannes, Lambert, Nicolaas, Denissen, Adrianus Johannes Maria, Jochemsen, Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/558,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20060242398A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

A computer system includes a system memory (SM) and a non-volatile memory (NVM). The computer system is arranged to copy at least a part of the system state, stored in the system memory during a clean boot-up procedure, into the non-volatile memory (209, 329). During subsequent start-ups of the computer system, the system state is copied from the non-volatile memory into the system memory (205, 305), resulting in a significantly faster system start-up. In case the configuration of the computer system has changed, the complete boot-up procedure is executed again and the new system state is copied into the non-volatile memory, overwriting the previously stored system state.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a system memory (SM),

a non-volatile memory (NVM), the non-volatile memory being accessible by the system memory,

wherein the computer system is arranged to copy at least a part of the system state, stored in the system memory during a first boot-up procedure, into the non-volatile memory (209, 329).

2. A computer system according to claim 1, wherein the computer system is further arranged to copy the system state stored in the non-volatile memory into the system memory during a second boot-up procedure of the computer system (205, 305).

3. A computer system according to claim 2, wherein the computer system is further arranged to execute either the first boot-up procedure or the second boot-up procedure, dependent on whether the configuration of the computer system has changed.

4. A computer system according to claim 3, wherein the computer system further comprises a dedicated register flag indicating whether the configuration of the computer system has changed.

5. A computer system according to claim 1, characterized in that the non-volatile memory comprises a magnetic random access memory.

6. A method for booting a computer system, comprising a first boot-up procedure,

wherein the computer system comprises:

a system memory (SM),

a non-volatile memory (NVM), the non-volatile memory being accessible by the system memory,

and wherein the first boot-up procedure comprises the steps;

performing the boot sequence stored on the boot device (207),

copying at least a part of a system state, stored in the system memory during performance of the boot sequence, into the non-volatile memory (209, 329).

7. A method for booting a computer system according to claim 6, characterized in that the method further comprises a second boot-up procedure,

wherein the second boot-up procedure comprises the step:

copying the system state stored in the non-volatile memory into the system memory (205, 305).