Arrangement for initiating a re-imaging process for a computer system

• US 20070239626A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Merkin, Aaron, Rhoades, David, Ellison, Brandon
• Granted Patent: US 7,552,320 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/400
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

An arrangement which eliminates the need to remove a computer system from its packaging in order to initiate a re-imaging process. Particularly, there is broadly contemplated herein the use of a position-sensitive switching arrangement, such as a mercury switch, that is configured to power selected control circuitry in a computer so as to receive additional information or data as needed to update imaging or other aspects of a computer'"'"'s operating system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a wireless interface;

control circuitry configured for activating said wireless interface and a boot protocol;

a switch configured for activating said control circuitry, said switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of the computer;

wherein said control circuitry is further configured for updating at least one aspect of a computer operating system upon actuation of said switch.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control circuitry is configured for updating imaging of the computer upon actuation of said switch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch is actuable upon the computer being tilted to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch is further actuable to deactivate said control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the computer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said switch is actuable to activate said control circuitry upon the computer being tilted to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and

said switch is actuable do deactivate said control circuitry upon the computer being tilted to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees and the second predetermined angle is at least about 60 degrees.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said switch comprises a mercury switch.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the boot protocol is a PXE protocol.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer is a laptop computer.

12. A method comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless interface;

providing control circuitry for activating the wireless interface and a boot protocol;

providing a switch configured for activating the control circuitry, the switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of the computer;

altering a positional state of the computer and actuating the switch; and

updating at least one aspect of a computer operating system upon actuation of the switch.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said updating step comprises updating imaging of the computer upon actuation of the switch.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said altering step comprises tilting the computer to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

said switch is further actuable to deactivate the control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the computer; and

said method further comprises further altering a positional state of the computer and deactivating the control circuitry.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

said step of altering comprises tilting the computer being tilted to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and

said step of further altering comprises tilting the computer to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the switch comprises a mercury switch.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein:

the boot protocol is a PXE protocol;

the wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC; and

the computer is a laptop computer.

20. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a wireless interface;

providing control circuitry for activating the wireless interface and a boot protocol;

providing a switch configured for activating the control circuitry, the switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of the computer;

altering a positional state of the computer and actuating the switch; and

updating at least one aspect of a computer operating system upon actuation of the switch.