WIRELESS DEVICE WITH FLASH CACHE AND BOOT FROM DOCK

• US 20090109984A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Gary D., Lo, Yuan-Chang, Feder, Seth, Stedman, Roy
• Application Number:
  US11/931,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20090109984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

A device is docked to a docking station. The docking station is coupled to a wired network. Code is obtained through the wired network. The code is executed on the device to enable the device to couple to a wireless network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

docking a device to a docking station, wherein the docking station is coupled to a wired network;

obtaining code through the wired network; and

executing the code on the device to enable the device to couple to a wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling the device to the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

undocking the device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

saving the code on the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the device to couple to the wireless network includes:

supporting an authentication protocol; and

using the authentication protocol to provide information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the information is selected from the group consisting of a password, an embedded certificate, a token device, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the code includes at least one selected from the group consisting of operating system code, firmware code, BIOS, and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the wired network includes an Ethernet network and the wireless network includes a wireless Local Area Network (LAN).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is one of a personal computer tablet device and a slate device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an invisible tether for the device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the invisible tether for the device includes disabling a roaming capability of the device.

12. A docking station comprising:

a wired interface to couple a device to a wired network; and

a wireless interface to couple the device to a wireless network.

13. The docking station of claim 12, wherein the wired interface is used to couple the device to a remote server using the wired network, and wherein the remote server includes code that can be downloaded through the wired network and executed by the device to enable the device to couple to the wireless network.

14. The docking station of claim 12, further comprising:

an invisible tether to the device.

15. The docking station of claim 12, further comprising:

an input device.

16. The docking station of claim 15, wherein the input device includes a keyboard.

17. The docking station of claim 12, further comprising:

a hub for further devices.

18. The docking station of claim 17, wherein the wireless interface includes a wireless access point.

19. An information handling system comprising:

a flash cache including computer-readable instructions for a device to use a wireless network; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer-readable instructions.

20. The information handling system of claim 19, further comprising:

computer-readable instructions selected from the group consisting of code required to bootstrap the information handling system, low-level device drivers, device drivers for the wireless network, software, operating system, and combinations thereof.