System and method for remotely initializing, operating and monitoring a general-purpose computer

• US 6,160,873 A
• Filed: 03/30/1999
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micro Computer Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Computer Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Olenski, James H., Truong, Minh Cong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US09/281,029
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 379/102.01-102.04, 379/102.07, 379/106.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05-93.07, 379/93.18, 379/93.24-93.28, 307/66, 713/310, 713/323
• US Class Current: 379/102.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2294 by remote test
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/261 PC controlled powerstrip
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system and method for allowing remote initialization, operation, and monitoring of a general-purpose computer and its power supply through bi-directional control of the computer by a remote user, whereby DTMF tones, generated by a telephone at the user end, are received and converted to keyboard control signals, allowing for operations executable by the computer to be remotely generated, including checking system status, executing "Power-ON" and "Power-OFF" commands, cold booting and warm booting the computer, as well as operating the host computer with respect to its operating system and application software, even where there has been a catastrophic malfunction of the host computer and even where the computer includes an ATX motherboard.

Claims

1. An apparatus for remotely operating a general-purpose computer, comprising:

a) a telephone line interface for receiving a plurality of remotely generated DTMF tones;

b) a data access arrangement (DAA) device coupled to said telephone line interface for detecting and routing the received DTMF tones;

c) a DTMF tone transceiver coupled to said DAA device for receiving and converting the received DTMF tones to corresponding digital signals;

d) a CPU coupled to said DTMF tone transceiver for receiving and converting the digital signals to keyboard data signals; and

e) a switch coupled to said CPU for routing the keyboard data signals to the local keyboard controller to operate the general purpose computer, whereby the keyboard data signals are substituted for the general purpose computer'"'"'s keyboard controller'"'"'s signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a power supply coupled to said CPU for providing power to the general-purpose computer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said DTMF tones include a Power-ON command, which is converted and routed through to said power supply, which, in turn, is instructed to power the general-purpose computer from an inactive state.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said power supply powers the motherboard of the general-purpose computer.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 being capable of executing a de-powering command, whereby said power supply is instructed to de-power the general-purpose computer.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said power supply de-powers the motherboard of the general-purpose computer.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 being capable of executing a recycling command, whereby said power supply is instructed to reinitialize the general-purpose computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an ATX detector coupled to said CPU for detecting the presence of an ATX-type motherboard in the general-purpose computer.

9. A method for remotely operating a general-purpose computer, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a plurality of remotely generated DTMF tones;

b) disabling the local keyboard of the general-purpose computer;

c) converting said plurality of DTMF tones into keyboard data signals; and

d) sending said keyboard data signals to the general-purpose computer'"'"'s keyboard controller to operate the general-purpose computer, whereby the general-purpose computer executes keystroke commands in accordance with said keyboard data signals, including all system and operating platform commands, as if said keyboard data signals were coming from the general-purpose computer'"'"'s local keyboard.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said converting step includes the step of converting said plurality of DTMF tones into corresponding digital signals.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said converting step comprises the steps of:

a) receiving said plurality of DTMF tones through a data access arrangement (DAA) device;

b) routing said plurality of DTMF tones to a DTMF transceiver for converting said plurality of DTMF tones into corresponding digital signals;

c) transmitting said corresponding digital signals to a CPU, wherein the CPU compares the incoming digital signal with an embedded conversion table to thereby convert the digital signal into a keyboard control signal for controlling the general purpose computer.