System and Method for Consolidated Information Handling System Component Drivers

• US 20090113453A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Garvin, Christian, Tiritilli, Troy
• Granted Patent: US 8,166,490 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/102 where the programme performs an interfacing function, e.g. device driver G06F13/105 takes precedence; scheduling within device drivers G06F9/52; contention policies within device drivers G06F9/4881

Abstract

An information handling system which includes plural processing components operable to process information wherein at least one processing component has plural region-specific modes of operation, a driver package associated with the at least one processing component wherein the driver package has plural region-specific drivers, and an encrypted key stored on a processing component wherein the encrypted key designates one of the plural region-specific drivers to manage the processing component.

Claims

1. An information handling system comprising:

plural processing components operable to process information, at least one processing component having plural region-specific modes of operation;

a driver package associated with the at least one processing component, the driver package having plural region-specific drivers; and

an encrypted key stored on a processing component, the encrypted key designating one of the plural region-specific drivers to manage the processing component.

2. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the at least one processing component comprises a wireless networking component.

3. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein the plural region-specific drivers comprise a driver for the United States and a driver for Japan.

4. The information handling system of claim 1 wherein the encrypted key comprises an encrypted operating system registry key.

5. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising a driver management module operable to run on a processing component, the driver management module further operable to decrypt the key to identify the region-specific driver associated with the driver and to allow actions at the information handling system for the identified region-specific driver.

6. The information handling system of claim 5 wherein the management module is further operable to limit actions for region-specific drivers not associated with the key.

7. The information handling system of claim 1 further comprising an installer module associated with the driver package, the installer module operable to apply a predetermined factor to determine a region-specific driver and to set the key for the region specific driver.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the predetermined factor comprises an operating system location setting.

9. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the predetermined factor comprises a key already stored on the information handling system.

10. A method for setting an information handling system component to a predetermined region, the method comprising:

loading a driver package on an information handling system, the driver package having plural region-specific drivers associated with a predetermined component;

determining a region associated with the information handling system; and

installing a region-specific driver associated with the determined region to manage the predetermined component.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising disabling selection of the region-specific drivers not associated with the determined region.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a region further comprises:

selecting the region with a command line at manufacture of the information handling system; and

setting an encrypted key that defines the region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the region further comprises:

retrieving the encrypted key; and

decrypting the key.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein determining a region further comprises retrieving an operating system region setting.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the component comprises a wireless networking device.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the regions comprise the United States and Japan.

17. A system for configuring an information handling system wireless component to apply one of plural region-specific drivers, the system comprising:

an install module operable to run on an information handling system component to install a selected of plural region-specific drivers on the wireless component based on a predetermined factor and to set the region-specific driver with a key; and

a management module operable to read the key to identify the region-specific driver associated with the wireless component and to allow actions at the information handling system for the identified region-specific driver.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a manufacture manager interfaced with the install module and operable to command install of a selected region-specific driver.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the predetermined factor comprises a region code associated with an operating system of the information handling system.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the key comprises an encrypted registry key of the operating system.