Method to reflect BIOS set up changes into ACPI machine language

• US 6,167,511 A
• Filed: 06/15/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinglite Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Lewis, Tim
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mai, Rijue
• Application Number:
  US09/094,665
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100, 713/324, 710/67, 710/264, 710/20, 710/10, 707/67, 709/220, 709/221, 709/222
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/66 of program code stored in read-only memory [ROM]

Abstract

A method and article of manufacture for the run-time modification of Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface ("ACPI") Machine Language ("AML") code in a Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS") of a computer system having an ACPI compliant BIOS. One aspect includes scanning all the AML code in the BIOS and finding all objects that meet a specified criterion, and modifying the AML that corresponds to the objects found based on the specified criterion. Another aspect includes scanning all the system code in a non-volatile memory of the computer system to determine device options modified by a user'"'"'s preferences, and modifying the AML to reflect the user'"'"'s preferences.

Claims

1. A method for the run-time modification of Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface ("ACPI") Machine Language ("AML") code in a Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS") of a computer system having an ACPI complaint BIOS, comprising the steps of:

scanning all the AML code in the BIOS;

finding an object in the AML code based on a specified criterion; and

modifying the AML code corresponding to the object found based on the specified criterion.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of scanning the AML code is performed as a part of a Power on Self Test ("POST") procedure of the BIOS.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the specified criterion includes having a specified signature value in an offset field of the object.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the AML code includes calling at least one register block routine to return the actual desired address and length of the object.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the register block routine is called with a length of the object as an index.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calling at least one register block routine includes calling a plurality of register block routines.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the object is one of a Processor and OperationRegion object.

8. The method according to claim 3, wherein the specified signature value is OXFFFFFFFF.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein the register block routine is one of a chipset routine and OEM-platform hook routine.

10. A method for the run-time modification of an Advanced Configuration and Power Management ("ACPI") Machine Language ("AML") code in a Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS") of a computer system having an ACPI complaint BIOS and a non-volatile memory, comprising the steps of:

scanning all of the AML code in the non-volatile memory looking for devices modified by a user'"'"'s preferences;

finding an object in the AML code, representative of a device that has options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences; and

modifying the AML code so that the AML code matches the options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the options modified indicate that the device must be secured.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of modifying the AML code includes updating the status of a local status object (_-- STA) of the device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the user'"'"'s preference is indicated using an operating system'"'"'s Setup program.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein the device is a Motherboard Configurable Device ("MCD").

15. A method for the run-time modification of an Advanced Configuration and Power Management ("ACPI") Machine Language ("AML") code in a Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS") of a computer system having an ACPI compliant BIOS and a non-volatile memory, comprising the steps of:

scanning all of the code in the non-volatile memory looking for devices modified by a user'"'"'s preferences;

finding an object representative of a device that has options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences, the options modified indicating that the device must be secured; and

modifying the AML code by renaming a Disable (_-- DIS) method, a Set Current Resource Settings (_-- SRS) method, and a Possible Resource Settings (_-- PRS) method so that the AML code matches the options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences.

16. An article of manufacture usable in a computer system having an Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface ("ACPI") compliant Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS"), the article comprising:

a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a run-time modification of ACPI Machine Language ("AML") code in the BIOS in the computer system, the computer readable program code means including

a first computer readable code means for scanning all the AML code in the BIOS and finding an object in the AML code according to a specified criterion, and

a second computer readable code means that modifies the AML code corresponding to the found object based on the specified criterion.

17. An article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the specified criterion is selected from the group consisting of all objects that have a specified signature value in their offset field.

18. An article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the second computer readable code means calls at least one register block routine using a length of the object as an index.

19. An article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the object is one of a Processor and OperationRegion object.

20. An article of manufacture usable in a computer system having an Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface ("ACPI") compliant Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS"), the article comprising:

a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a run-time modification of ACPI Machine Language ("AML") code in the BIOS in the computer system, the computer readable program code means including

a first computer readable code means for scanning all of the AML code in the BIOS and finding an object according to a specified criterion, and

a second computer readable code means that modifies the AML code corresponding to the found object based on the specified criterion, the second computer readable code means calling at least one register block routine using a length of the object as an index, the register block routine being one of a chipset routine and a OEM-platform hook routine.

21. An article of manufacture usable in a computer system having an Advanced Configuration and Power Management Interface ("ACPI") compliant Basic Input-Output System ("BIOS") and a non-volatile memory, the article comprising:

a computer readable medium having a computer readable program code means embodied therein for causing a run-time modification of ACPI Machine Language ("AML") code in the BIOS in the computer system, the computer readable program code means including

a first computer readable code means for scanning all system code in the non-volatile memory looking for devices that have options modified by a user'"'"'s preferences,

a second computer readable code means for scanning AML code for finding objects corresponding to the devices that have options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences, and

a third computer readable code means that modifies the AML code corresponding to the found objects so that the AML code matches the options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences.

22. An article of manufacture according to claim 21, wherein options modified by the user'"'"'s preferences include indicating that the device be secured, and

wherein the third computer readable code means modifies the AML code by renaming a Disable (_-- DIS) method, a Set Current Resource Settings (_-- SRS) method, and a Possible Resource Settings (_-- PRS) method.

23. An article of manufacture according to claim 21, wherein the third computer readable code means modifies the AML code by updating the status of a local status object (_-- STA) of the device.

24. An article of manufacture according to claim 21, wherein the user'"'"'s preferences are indicated using an operating system'"'"'s Setup program.