METHOD OF OBTAINING INSTRUCTION FOR TRIGGERING FUNCTION

• US 20130232287A1
• Filed: 06/19/2012
• Published: 09/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Nung-Kai, Wu, Pei-Chih
• Granted Patent: US 9,189,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/260
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]

Abstract

A method of obtaining a function triggering instruction is provided. The method is adapted to a computer system using a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI). In the present method, a variable in a read-only memory (ROM) of a basic input/output system (BIOS) is accessed during power-on self test (POST) of the computer system, wherein the variable has a first element, a second element, and a third element. Whether values of the first element and the second element respectively match a variable name and a globally unique identifier (GUID) corresponding to an instruction is determined. If the values of the first element and the second element respectively match the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, a function triggered by the instruction is executed according to the value of the third element.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining an instruction for triggering a function, adapted to a computer system using a unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), the method comprising:

accessing a variable in a read-only memory (ROM) of a basic input/output system (BIOS) during a power-on self test (POST) of the computer system, wherein the variable comprises a first element, a second element, and a third element;

determining whether values of the first element and the second element respectively match a variable name and a globally unique identifier (GUID) corresponding to the instruction; and

when the values of the first element and the second element respectively match the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, executing the function triggered by the instruction according to a value of the third element.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein before the step of accessing the variable during the POST of the computer system, the method further comprises:

allocating a memory space in the ROM of the BIOS to the variable; and

respectively setting the values of the first element, the second element, and the third element of the variable through a runtime service of the UEFI.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the third element comprises a plurality of register fields, a correspondence exists between the register fields and a plurality of registers of a central processing unit (CPU) of the computer system, and the step of respectively setting the values of the first element, the second element, and the third element of the variable through the runtime service comprises:

when the values of the first element and the second element are set as the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, obtaining at least one register value required by the function triggered by the instruction, wherein each of the at least one register value is corresponding to one of the registers; and

writing each of the at least one register value into one of the register fields according to the correspondence.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein after the step of writing each of the at least one register value into one of the register fields according to the correspondence, the method further comprises:

after confirming that the values of the first element and the second element are set as the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, automatically re-starting the computer system.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the step of executing the function triggered by the instruction according to the value of the third element comprises:

obtaining at least one non-blank register field containing register value among the register fields of the third element;

identifying the function according to the at least one non-blank register field and the register value of the at least one non-blank register field; and

executing the function by using the BIOS.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the instruction is an interrupt instruction, and the function comprises setting a product serial number, loading predetermined system values, setting/clearing a boot password, and setting a product name.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the third element further comprises a context field, and the step of respectively setting the values of the first element, the second element, and the third element of the variable through the runtime service further comprises:

when the values of the first element and the second element are set as the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, obtaining a setting data required by the function triggered by the instruction; and

writing the setting data into the context field.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of executing the function triggered by the instruction according to the value of the third element comprises:

obtaining at least one non-blank register field containing register value among the register fields of the third element;

identifying the function according to the at least one non-blank register field and the register value of the at least one non-blank register field; and

executing the function according to the setting data by using the BIOS.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the instruction is an interrupt instruction, and the function comprises setting a boot order and setting a manufacturer logo.

10. The method according to claim 5, wherein after the step of determining whether the values of the first element and the second element respectively match the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, the method further comprises:

when the value of the first element or the value of the second element does not match the variable name or the GUID corresponding to the instruction, continuing with the POST.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein after the step of determining whether the values of the first element and the second element respectively match the variable name and the GUID corresponding to the instruction, the method further comprises:

when the value of the first element or the value of the second element does not match the variable name or the GUID corresponding to the instruction, continuing with the POST.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the computer system does not support system management interrupt (SMI).