Determining loading time of an operating system

• US 6,438,750 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinglite Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Anderson, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Das, Chameli C.
• Application Number:
  US09/336,337
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 717/4, 717/11, 717/173, 717/174, 717/178, 713/1, 713/2, 345/633, 345/814, 345/844
• US Class Current: 717/178
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to determine loading time of an operating system in a computer system. A basic input and output system (BIOS) retrieves a first time value from a real-time clock. The BIOS loads the OS into memory of the computer system. The OS has a device driver. The device driver retrieves a second time value from the real-time clock. A time difference is computed based on the first and second time value to obtain the loading time of the OS.

Claims

1. A method to determine loading time of an operating system (OS) in a computer system, the method comprising:

retrieving a first time from a real-time clock by a basic input and output system (BIOS) prior to loading the OS into memory of the computer system;

loading the OS into memory of the computer system, the OS containing a device driver;

retrieving a second time from the real-time clock by the device driver;

computing a time difference based on the first and second times to obtain the loading time of the OS; and

determining a duration of information to be displayed by said computer system based on said time difference.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

recording an identification of the computer system;

converting the first time using a time format to a third time; and

copying the third time into a time stamp structure.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises:

converting the second time using the time format to a fourth time; and

copying the fourth time into the time stamp structure.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprises:

copying the identification and the time difference into the time stamp structure; and

saving the time stamp structure in a storage area.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein loading the OS comprises:

transferring the OS from a storage device to the memory; and

invoking the device driver from the OS.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein retrieving the second time comprises:

executing the device driver to read the second time from the real-time clock.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein computing the time difference comprises:

subtracting the third time from the fourth time to generate the time difference.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein the storage area is located in one of a local mass storage device and a remote server.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein the information is displayed during the loading time of the OS.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the information is downloaded from a remote server via a communication network channel.

11. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein to determine loading time of an operating system (OS) in a computer system, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for retrieving a first time from a real-time clock by a basic input and output system (BIOS) prior to loading the OS into memory of the computer system;

computer readable program code for loading the OS into memory of the computer system, the OS containing a device driver;

computer readable program code for retrieving a second time from the real-time clock by the device driver;

computer readable program code for computing a time difference based on the first and second times to obtain the loading time of the OS; and

computer readable program code for determining a duration of information to be displayed by said computer system based on said time difference.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprises:

computer readable program code for recording an identification of the computer system;

computer readable program code for converting the first time using a time format to a third time; and

computer readable program code for copying the third time into a time stamp structure.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprises:

computer readable program code for converting the second time using the time format to a fourth time; and

computer readable program code for copying the fourth time into the time stamp structure.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprises:

computer readable program code for copying the identification and the time difference into the time stamp structure; and

computer readable program code for saving the time stamp structure in a storage area.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the program code segment for loading the OS comprises:

computer readable program code for transferring the OS from a storage device to the memory; and

computer readable program code for invoking the device driver from the OS.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the program code segment for retrieving the second time comprises:

computer readable program code for executing the device driver to read the second time from the real-time clock.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the program code segment for computing the time difference comprises:

computer readable program code for subtracting the third time from the fourth time to generate the time difference.

18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the storage area is located in one of a local mass storage device and a remote server.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the information is displayed during the loading time of the OS.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the information is downloaded from a remote server via a communication network channel.

21. A computer data signal comprising:

a loading time code segment to determine loading time of an operating system (OS) in a computer system, the loading time code segment having;

a first time retrieval code segment for retrieving a first time from a real-time clock by a basic input and output system (BIOS) prior to loading the OS into memory of the computer system;

a loader code segment for loading the OS into memory of the computer system, the OS containing a device driver;

a second time retrieval code segment for retrieving a second time from the real-time clock by the device driver;

a time difference retrieval code segment for computing a time difference based on the first and second times to obtain the loading time of the OS; and

a duration determination segment for determining a duration of information to be displayed by said computer system based on said time difference.

22. The computer data signal of claim 21 further comprises:

a system identification code segment for recording an identification of the computer system;

a first time conversion code segment for converting the first time using a time format to a third time; and

a third time copy code segment for copying the third time into a time stamp structure.

23. The computer data signal of claim 22 further comprises:

a second time conversion code segment for converting the second time using the time format to a fourth time; and

a fourth time copy code segment for copying the fourth time into the time stamp structure.

24. The computer data signal of claim 23 further comprises:

a copy code segment for copying the identification and the time difference in to the time stamp structure; and

a save code segment for saving the time stamp structure in a storage area.

25. The computer data signal of claim 24 wherein the program code segment for loading the OS comprises:

a transfer code segment for transferring the OS from a storage device to the memory; and

a driver code segment for invoking the device driver from the OS.

26. The computer data signal of claim 25 wherein the second time retrieval code segment comprises:

a second time read code segment for executing the device driver to read the second time from the real-time clock.

27. The computer data signal of claim 23 wherein the time difference code segment comprises:

a subtract code segment for subtracting the third time from the fourth time to generate the time difference.

28. The computer data signal of claim 24 wherein the storage area is located in one of a local mass storage device and a remote server.

29. The computer data signal of claim 22 wherein the information is displayed during the loading time of the OS.

30. The computer data signal of claim 29 wherein the information is downloaded from a remote server via a communication network channel.

31. A system comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a basic input and output system (BIOS) storage coupled to the processor to store a BIOS;

a real-time clock coupled to the processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing a program code to determine loading time of an operating system (OS), the program code when executed by the processor causing the processor to;

retrieve a first time from the real-time clock by the BIOS prior to loading the OS into an OS memory;

load the OS into the OS memory, the OS containing a device driver;

retrieve a second time from the real-time clock by the device driver;

compute a time difference based on the first and second times to obtain the loading time of the OS; and

determine a duration of information to be displayed on said display based on said time difference.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the program code, when executed by the processor, further causing the processor to:

record an identification of the system;

convert the first time using a time format to a third time; and

copy the third time into a time stamp structure.

33. The system of claim 32 the program code, when executed by the processor, further causing the processor to:

convert the second time using the time format to a fourth time; and

copy the fourth time into the time stamp structure.

34. The system of claim 33 the program code, when executed by the processor, further causing the processor to:

copy the identification and the time difference into the time stamp structure; and

save the time stamp structure in a storage area.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the program code, when causing the processor to load the OS, causing the processor to:

transfer the OS from a storage device to the OS memory; and

invoke the device driver from the OS.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the program code, when causing the processor to retrieve the second time, causing the processor to:

execute the device driver to read the second time from the real-time clock.

37. The system of claim 33 wherein the program code, when causing the processor to compute the time difference, causing the processor to:

subtract the third time from the fourth time to generate the time difference.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein the storage area is located in one of a local mass storage device and a remote server.

39. The system of claim 32 wherein the information is displayed during the loading time of the OS.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the information is downloaded from a remote server via a communication network channel.