System and method for providing technical support of an electronic system through a web bios

• US 5,884,073 A
• Filed: 10/28/1996
• Issued: 03/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Dent, David E.
• Primary Examiner(s): BANANKHAH, MAJID A
• Application Number:
  US08/739,505
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.52, 395/183.12, 395/652, 395/183.21, 395/200.58
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/22 Detection or location of defective computer hardware by testing during standby operation or during idle time, e.g. start-up testing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2205 using arrangements specific to the hardware being tested
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test

Abstract

A system and method for altering a boot sequence provided by a Basic Input/Output System that, when executed, enables diagnostics of the electronic system containing the BIOS by a service provider. Access to the service provider may be established through a publicly accessible network such as the Internet.

Claims

1. A method for enabling remote diagnostics of a first electronic system, the method comprising:

(1) initializing selected circuitry within the first electronic system prior to anticipated loading of an operating system, said selected circuitry includes hardware to establish remote communications with a second electronic system;

(2) determining whether at least one boot error has occurred for the selected circuitry; and

(3) automatically establishing communications with the second electronic system, without user input, through a publicly accessible network for diagnostics of the first electronic system, provided the at least one boot error has occurred.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the initializing of the selected circuitry includes:

initializing a plurality of chipsets of the first electronic system;

initializing a transceiver device of the first electronic system; and

initializing non-volatile memory of the first electronic system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to determining whether the at least one boot error has occurred, the method further comprises:

generating a table; and

recording boot errors detected during initialization of the selected circuitry in the table.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the determining whether the at least one boot error has occurred includes:

accessing an entry of the table in order to obtain results of the boot sequence for the selected circuitry; and

detecting whether a boot error bit of the entry is set to indicate that the selected boot error occurred.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein after initializing the selected circuitry, the method further comprises

testing the selected circuitry;

and

providing an interrupt scheme for the first electronic system.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the establishing of communications with the second electronic system includes signaling the transceiver device to establish appropriate connections with a service provider over the publicly accessible network.

5. An electronic system comprising:

a bus;

a host processor coupled to the bus;

a transceiver device coupled to the bus; and

a non-volatile memory element coupled to the bus, said non-volatile memory element including Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) code which, when executed by the host processor, (i) causes initialization and testing of the selected circuitry, including the host processor, used to establish communications with a remotely located electronic system, and (iii) signals, without user input, the transceiver device to establish communications with the remotely located system for diagnostics of the electronic system when a boot error associated with the selected circuitry is detected.

6. The electronic system according to claim 5, wherein the transceiver device includes a network interface card.

7. The electronic system according to claim 5, wherein the BIOS code contained within the non-volatile memory includes a web browser application.

8. The electronic system according to claim 7, wherein the BIOS code further includes at least a web address of the service provider.

9. The electronic system according to claim 8, wherein the BIOS code further includes at least one Internet access phone number.

12. The electronic system according to claim 5, wherein the transceiver device includes a Universal Serial Bus connector.

13. The electronic system according to claim 5, wherein the remote system is used to analyze an error log produced by the electronic system.