PERIODIC ACCESS OF A HARDWARE RESOURCE

• US 20150033236A1
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Berlin, Kimon, Uhlmann, Stephen G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/24 using interrupt G06F13/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/485 Resource constraint
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4887 involving deadlines, e.g. rate based, periodic

Abstract

An example includes periodic access of a hardware resource of a computer by instructions in firmware of the computer that are executed by an interpreter in the context of the operating system without a driver. The access occurs in response to a periodic interrupt generated by a timer.

Claims

1. A method for periodically accessing a hardware resource of a computer, comprising:

periodically generating an interrupt via a timer internal to the computer;

scheduling an interpreter that runs in the context of the operating system to execute in response to the interrupt; and

executing, with the interpreter, instructions associated with the interrupt and provided in firmware of the computer to access a hardware resource of the computer for which the operating system lacks a device driver.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the operating system implements the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standard;

and

wherein the instructions are ACPI machine language (AML) instructions, the interpreter is an AML interpreter, and the interrupt is a System Control Interrupt (SCI), in accordance with the ACPI standard.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein operation of the hardware resource degrades unless the hardware resource is periodically accessed, and wherein the periodic access maintains proper functioning of the hardware resource.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instructions do not perform a hardware configuration or power management function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the executing further comprises:

obtaining data from the hardware resource concerning system operation; and

making the data accessible to the operating system.

6. A computer, comprising:

a machine-readable medium comprising firmware instructions executable by an interpreter of an operating system of the computer to access a hardware resource of the computer without use of a device driver for the hardware resource; and

a timer that periodically generates an interrupt that causes the operating system to schedule the interpreter to execute the instructions in the context of the operating system to access the hardware resource.

7. The computer of claim 6, wherein the operating system implements the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standard, and

wherein the instructions are ACPI machine language (AML) instructions, the interpreter is an AML interpreter, and the interrupt is a System Control Interrupt (SCI), in accordance with the ACPI standard.

8. The computer of claim 6, wherein the instructions do not perform a hardware configuration or power management function.

9. The computer of claim 6, wherein operation of the hardware resource degrades unless the hardware resource is periodically accessed, and wherein the periodic access maintains proper functioning of the hardware resource.

10. A method of upgrading the computer of claim 6 for improved access to the hardware resource, comprising:

obtaining updated computer firmware that includes the instructions; and

installing the updated firmware in the computer without modifying any portion of the operating system.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a processor to:

configure a timer to periodically generate an interrupt to an operating system that causes the operating system to schedule an interpreter to execute firmware-resident instructions in the context of the operating system in response to the interrupt; and

access a hardware resource of the computer for which the operating system lacks a device driver when the instructions are executed by the interpreter.

12. The medium of claim 11,

wherein the operating system implements the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) standard, and

wherein the interpreter interprets ACPI machine language (AML), the interrupt is a System Control Interrupt (SCI), and the instructions comprise AML instructions, in accordance with the ACPI standard.

13. The medium of claim 11, wherein operation of the hardware resource degrades unless the hardware resource is periodically accessed, and wherein the program further instructs the processor to:

access the hardware resource to maintain proper functioning of the hardware resource.

14. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program further instructs the processor to:

access the hardware resource to obtain data concerning system health and performance, and

communicate the data to the operating system.

15. The medium of claim 11, wherein the program further instructs the processor to:

access the hardware resource without communicating to the operating system any data related to the hardware resource access.