Power button controlled diagnostic mode for an information appliance

• US 6,477,482 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2000
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Maupin, Patrick E., Tobias, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Raymond, Edward
• Application Number:
  US09/542,745
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 702/183, 702/33, 702/35, 702/36, 702/81, 702/84, 702/123, 702/120, 702/182, 702/184, 702/185
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2284 by power-on test, e.g. power-on self test [POST]

Abstract

A system adds functionality to a power button where use of the power button controls the entry and exit from a diagnostic mode. The system includes an information appliance connected to a diagnostic appliance. Once an information appliance is powered up, the information appliance monitors its power button for a press which indicates a request to enter a diagnostic mode. Absent a press of the power button, the system continues to be under control of the information appliance and never enters a diagnostic mode. However, if a press of the power button is detected, the system enters a diagnostic mode. Once in a diagnostic mode the system provides an exit therefrom by interpreting a power button press as a request to exit. The window of time to make such an exit closes once the diagnostic appliance achieves communication with the information appliance. If the power button is pressed during this window of time, then the system ends its diagnostic mode and control of the system returns to the information appliance. If the power button is pressed after the window of time has closed, then the diagnostic appliance retains control of the information appliance and maintains its ability to execute diagnostic type commands thereon. The illustrative system is particularly useful when incorporated into devices with limited interface connections such as legacy-free information appliances. The system allows for a standard existing button on the information appliance to serve diagnostic purposes, avoiding the need for initializing peripherals requiring substantial execution space.

Claims

1. A method of using a power button of an information appliance to control entry into a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already powered up at system startup by an initial press of the power button, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the power button of the information appliance to detect a first subsequent press of the power button;

entering a diagnostic mode upon detection of the first subsequent press of the power button by the monitoring step; and

bypassing a diagnostic mode absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

2. The method of claim 1, the monitoring step comprising the steps of:

polling the power button when a timer reaches a predetermined time; and

exiting the diagnostic mode when the polling of the power button indicates a second subsequent pressed state.

3. The method of claim 1, the entering a diagnostic mode step comprising step of:

initializing the information appliance in preparation for a communication between the information appliance and a diagnostic information source.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

continuing execution of BIOS code of the information appliance absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the power button step occurs during execution of BIOS boot block code.

6. A method of using a power button of an information appliance to control execution in a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the power button of the information appliance to detect a second subsequent press of the power button;

monitoring an interface of the information appliance to detect communication from a diagnostic information source;

continuing in a diagnostic mode when a detection of communication from a diagnostic information source occurs before detection of the second subsequent press of the power button; and

exiting a diagnostic mode when a detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

establishing a connection between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source; and

providing a diagnostic command from the diagnostic information source to the information appliance.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the diagnostic command is a command to update the BIOS code of the information appliance.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

continuing execution of BIOS code when detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

11. A method of using a power button of an information appliance to control execution in a diagnostic mode of the information appliance, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, comprising the steps of:

monitoring the power button of the information appliance to detect a second subsequent press of the power button;

exiting a diagnostic mode of the information appliance upon detection of the second subsequent press of the power button by the monitoring step.

12. An information appliance adapted for a power button to control entry into a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already powered up by an initial press of the power button, comprising:

a processor;

a power button; and

code;

wherein the processor executes code to perform the following steps;

monitoring the power button to detect a first subsequent press of the power button;

entering a diagnostic mode upon detection of the first subsequent press of the power button by the monitoring step; and

bypassing diagnostic mode absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

13. The information appliance of claim 12, the processor running code to perform the monitoring step including the further steps of:

polling the power button when a timer reaches a predetermined time; and

exiting the diagnostic mode when the polling of the power button indicates a second subsequent pressed state.

14. The information appliance of claim 12, the processor running code to perform the entering the diagnostic mode step including the further step of:

initializing the information appliance in preparation for a connection of the information appliance with a diagnostic information source.

15. The information appliance of claim 12, the processor running code to perform the entering the diagnostic mode step including the further steps of:

beeping a speaker of the information appliance; and

initializing the information appliance in preparation for a connection of the information appliance with a diagnostic information source after the beeping step.

16. The information appliance of claim 12, the processor running code to perform the further step of:

continuing execution of BIOS code of the information appliance absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

17. The information appliance of claim 12, wherein the monitoring of the power button step occurs during execution of BIOS boot block code.

18. The information appliance of claim 12, wherein the information appliance is a legacy-free computer system.

19. An information appliance adapted for a power button to control execution in a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, comprising:

a processor;

a power button; and

code;

wherein the processor executes code to perform the following steps;

monitoring the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press;

monitoring the information appliance interface connections to detect communication from a diagnostic information source;

continuing in a diagnostic mode when the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source occurs before detection of the second subsequent press of the power button; and

exiting the diagnostic mode when the detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

20. The information appliance of claim 19, the processor running code to perform the further steps of:

establishing the connection between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

21. The information appliance of claim 19, the processor running code to perform the further steps of:

establishing the connection between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source; and

providing a diagnostic command from the diagnostic information source to the information appliance.

22. The information appliance of claim 21, wherein the diagnostic command is a command to update BIOS code of the information appliance.

23. The information appliance of claim 19, the processor running code to perform the further steps of:

continuing execution of BIOS code when detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

24. An information appliance adapted for a power button to control execution in a diagnostic mode of the information appliance, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, comprising:

a processor;

a power button; and

code;

wherein the processor executes code to perform the following steps;

monitoring the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press;

exiting the diagnostic mode of the information appliance upon detection of the second subsequent press of the power button by the monitoring step.

25. A processor readable medium, capable of being read by an information appliance, wherein the information appliance includes a power button and the information appliance is already powered up at system startup by an initial press of the power button, the processor readable medium comprising:

code to monitor the power button of the information appliance;

code to enter a diagnostic mode when a first subsequent press of the power button is detected; and

code to bypass the diagnostic mode absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

26. The processor readable medium of claim 25, the code to monitor a power button comprising:

code to poll the power button when a timer reaches a predetermined time; and

code to exit the diagnostic mode when the polling of the power button indicates a second subsequent pressed state.

27. The processor readable medium of claim 25, the code to enter a diagnostic mode comprising:

code to initialize the information appliance in preparation for communication between the information appliance and diagnostic information source.

28. The processor readable medium of claim 25, further comprising:

code to continue execution of BIOS code of the information appliance absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

29. A processor readable medium, capable of being read by an information appliance, wherein the information appliance includes a power button and the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, the processor readable medium comprising:

code to monitor the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press of the power button;

code to monitor the information appliance interface connections to detect communication from a diagnostic information source;

code to continue in a diagnostic mode when a detection of communication from a diagnostic information source occurs before detection of the second subsequent press of the power button; and

code to exit a diagnostic mode when a detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

30. The processor readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code to establish data communication between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of a diagnostic command.

31. The processor readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code to establish data communication between the information appliance and the diagnostic information source after the detection of a diagnostic command; and

code to generate a diagnostic command from the diagnostic information source to the information appliance.

32. The processor readable medium of claim 31, wherein the diagnostic command is a command to update BIOS code of the information appliance.

33. The processor readable medium of claim 29, further comprising:

code to continue execution of BIOS code when detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

34. A processor readable medium, capable of being read by an information appliance, wherein the information appliance includes a power button and the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, the processor readable medium, comprising:

code to monitor the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press of the power button; and

code to exit the diagnostic mode upon detection of the second subsequent press of the power button.

35. An information appliance adapted for a power button to control entry into a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already powered up by an initial press of the power button, comprising:

a means for monitoring the power button to detect a first subsequent press of the power button;

a means for entering a diagnostic mode upon detection of the first subsequent press of the power button; and

a means for bypassing a diagnostic mode absent detection of the first subsequent press of the power button.

36. An information appliance adapted for an information appliance power button to control the execution of a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, the information appliance comprising:

a means for monitoring the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press of the power button;

a means for monitoring an interface of the information appliance to detect communication from a diagnostic information source;

a means for continuing in a diagnostic mode when a detection of communication from a diagnostic information source occurs before detection of the second subsequent press of the power button; and

a means for exiting a diagnostic mode when a detection of the second subsequent press of the power button occurs before the detection of communication from a diagnostic information source.

37. An information appliance adapted for an information appliance power button to control the execution of a diagnostic mode, wherein the information appliance is already in a diagnostic mode after the detection of a first subsequent press of the power button, the information appliance comprising:

a means for monitoring the information appliance power button to detect a second subsequent press of the power button; and

a means for exiting the diagnostic mode upon detection of the second subsequent press of the power button.