Computer system in which a high-order application program recognizes a power-on factor or a state of an expansion unit

• US 6,088,620 A
• Filed: 09/20/1996
• Issued: 07/11/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Koji, Ninomiya, Ryoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Application Number:
  US08/716,865
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750.01, 395/750.05, 395/750.08, 395/182.12, 713/300, 713/323, 713/340, 713/14, 713/34, 364/145
• US Class Current: 700/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57

Abstract

A computer system is provided has a computer main body and an expansion unit to be attached to and detached from the computer main body. Power is input to the computer system in accordance with a plurality of factors. A power supply controller determines which factor has caused power-ON for the computer system, and writes the result of this determination into a power-ON factor register. BIOS reads the content stored in the power-ON factor register and executes processing in accordance with power-ON factors. Before the computer system is switched on, the power supply controller determines the connection, type and state of the expansion unit and writes the result of this into the state register. BIOS executes error processing, etc., in accordance with the content of the state register.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a timer configured to store current date information, current time information alarm date information and alarm time information, and output a timer signal when the current time information and the alarm time information coincide with each other, the alarm time information and the alarm date information being set by an operator, the timer signal indicating that the timer triggers a power ON for necessary components in the computer system;

register configured to store the timer signal; and

a control section formed of a program configured to read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information in response to storage of the timer signal to said register, and execute power-ON processing when the current date information and the alarm date information coincide with each other.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the control section includes a basic input/output system (BIOS).

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein said register enables to store plural power-ON factor signals indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system, the signals including the timer signal, and said control section, when said register stores a power-ON factor signal, determines whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information.

10. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising an expansion unit attachable to the computer main body,

wherein the control section outputs the power-ON signal when the factor indicates that the signal is generated by a component of the expansion unit.

4. A computer system comprising:

a display panel which is provided so as to be rotatable between an open state and a closed state, and having a display for displaying information;

a register for storing data indicating a factor which triggers power ON for necessary components in the computer system;

a switch for detecting the open state of the display panel and outputting a panel signal;

a power supply controller for storing, in response to the panel signal, panel data into the register; and

a control section formed of a program for reading out data stored in the register, and for outputting a power-ON signal to the power supply controller when the read out data comprises the panel data.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the control section includes a basic input/output system (BIOS).

6. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein said register enables to store plural power-ON factor signals indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system, the signals including the timer signal, and said control section, when said register stores a power-ON factor signal, determines whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information.

7. A computer system comprising a computer main body which includes:

a timer configured to store current date information, current time information, alarm date information and alarm time information, and output a timer signal when the current time information and the alarm time information coincide with each other, the alarm time information and the alarm date information being set by an operator, the timer signal indicating that the timer triggers a power ON for necessary components in the computer system;

a register configured to store the timer signal; and

a control section formed of a program configured to read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information in response to storage of the timer signal to said register, and execute power-ON processing when the current date information and the alarm date information coincide with each other.

8. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the control section includes a basic input/output system (BIOS).

9. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein the control section outputs the power-ON signal when the factor indicates that the signal is generated by a component of the computer main body.

11. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein said register enables to store plural power-ON factor signals indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system, the signals including the timer signal, and said control section, when said register stores a power-ON factor signal, determines whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information.

12. A computer system comprising:

a computer main body;

an expansion unit attachable to the computer main body;

wherein the computer main body includes;

a register for storing-data indicating a factor which triggers a power ON for necessary components in the computer system,

a controller for receiving a signal indicating a power-ON request, and storing the factor of the power-ON request into the register, and

a control section formed of a program for reading out data stored in the register and instructing the controller to detect a type and a power supply state of the expansion unit in accordance with the read out data and for executing power-ON processing corresponding to the detected type of the expansion unit when the detected power supply state shows no error, the power-ON processing being inhibiting when the detected power supply state shows an error.

13. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein the control section includes a basic input/output system (BIOS).

14. The computer system according to claim 12, wherein said register enables to store plural power-ON factor signals indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system, the signals including the timer signal, and said control section, when said register stores a power-ON factor signal, determines whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information.

15. A computer comprising:

a timer configured to store current date information, current time information, alarm date information and alarm time information, and output a timer signal when the current time information and the alarm time information coincide with each other, the alarm time information and the alarm date information being set by an operator;

a register configured to store data indicating a factor which triggers a power ON for necessary components in the computer system;

a controller configured to receive a signal indicating a power-ON request, and store a factor of the power ON into the register; and

a control section formed of a program configured to read out the factor stored in the register and compare the current data information and the alarm date information in response to storage of the timer signal to said resister, execute the power-ON processing when the current date information coincides with the alarm date information, and inhibit the power-ON processing when the current date information does not coincide with the alarm date information.

16. The computer system according to claim 15, wherein said register enables to store plural power-ON factor signals indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system, the signals including the timer signal, and said control section, when said register stores a power-ON factor signal, determines whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, read out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and compare the current data information and the alarm date information.

17. A method of executing a power-ON processing of a computer system, comprising:

setting, by an operator, alarm time information and alarm date information into a timer which stores current time information and current date information;

reading out the current time information and the alarm time information from the timer and comparing the current time information and the alarm time information;

outputting a timer signal when the current time information and the alarm time information coincide with each other, the timer signal indicating that a timer triggers a power ON for necessary components in the computer system;

storing the timer signal into a register;

reading out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and comparing the current data information and the alarm date information in response to storage of the timer signal to said register; and

executing power-ON processing when the current date information and the alarm date information coincide with each other.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

storing a further power-ON factor signal indicating reasons of power-ON of the computer system in the register; and

when said register stores the at least one power-ON factor signal, determining whether the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, and, when it is determined that the power-ON factor signal is the timer signal, reading out the current date information and the alarm date information from the timer and comparing the current data information and the alarm date information.