System and method for determining if a display device configuration has changed by comparing a current indicator with a previously saved indicator

• US 6,721,881 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 04/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Huber, Gary D., Curley, Joe, Bian, Buming
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US09/676,745
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 710/104
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

The present invention speeds display device detection during system boot by utilizing the simple boot flag register and an additional indicator to determine the display device configuration detected during the previous system boot. If the display configuration has changed since the previous boot, then the changes are noted and, when appropriate, recorded for use during subsequent boots. If the configuration has not changed, then the display device configuration from the previous boot is still accurate, and it is therefore not necessary to query each output port during the current system boot.

Claims

1. A method of detecting the display device configuration in a computer system, comprising:

determining whether a previous system boot was successful by accessing a booting indicator;

if the previous system boot was successful, accessing a CRT indicator to determine a previous display device configuration;

determining whether the previous display device configuration has been modified; and

modifying the CRT indicator to reflect a current display device configuration if the previous display device configuration has been modified.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the modifying the indicator further comprises modifying the CRT indicator to reflect a current display device configuration that includes one or more plug-and-play devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining whether a previous system boot was successful further comprises determining the contents of a simple boot flag register.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

initializing one or more display devices.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprises:

determining whether a simple boot flag register is available; and

performing, if the simple boot flag register is not available, a full video display detection routine.

6. A computer system that detects display device configuration, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a module that determines whether a previous system boot was successful using a booting indicator;

a module that accesses a CRT indicator to determine a previous display device configuration, if the previous system boot was successful;

a module that determines whether the previous display device configuration has been modified; and

a module that modifies the indicator to reflect a current display device configuration if the previous display device configuration has been modified.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the module that modifies the indicator further comprises a module that modifies the CRT indicator to reflect a current display device configuration that includes one or more plug-and-play devices.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein:

the module that determines whether a previous system boot was successful further comprises a module that determines the contents of a simple boot flag register.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprises:

a module that initializes one or more display devices.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprises:

a module that determines whether a simple boot flag register is available; and

a module that performs, if the simple boot flag register is not available, a full video display detection routine.

11. A computer-readable medium having a computer program accessible therefrom, the computer program comprising one or more instructions for:

determining whether a previous system boot was successful using a booting indicator;

if the previous system boot was successful, accessing a CRT indicator to determine a previous display device configuration;

determining whether the previous display device configuration has been modified; and

modifying the indicator to reflect a current display device configuration if the previous display device configuration has been modified.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the computer readable medium includes any of a magnetic storage medium, including disk and tape storage medium;

an optical storage medium, including compact disk memory and a digital video disk storage medium;

a nonvolatile memory storage memory;

a volatile storage medium; and

data transmission medium including packets of electronic data and electromagnetic waves modulated in accordance with the instructions.

13. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions for modifying the indicator further comprise one or more instructions for modifying the CRT indicator to reflect a current display device configuration that includes one or more plug-and-play devices.

14. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more instructions for determining whether a previous system boot was successful further comprise one or more instructions for determining the contents of a simple boot flag register.

15. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the computer program further includes one or more instructions for initializing one or more display devices.

16. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the computer program further includes instructions for:

determining whether a simple boot flag register is available; and

performing, if the simple boot flag register is not available, a full video display detection routine.