Method and apparatus for capturing display characteristic information to achieve faster boot and resume of an information handling system

• US 7,082,529 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Dunlap, Geoffrey, Lo, Yuan-Chang, Stedman, Roy W., Goodart, Joe E., Cantwell, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Chun
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US10/423,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 710/104, 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4418 Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake

Abstract

An information handling system (IHS) stores display characteristics information of the last display coupled to the IHS prior to a boot or suspend/resume operation. Upon receipt of a boot or resume command, time is saved by the IHS using the last display characteristics information to activate the current display if the current display characteristics information is the same as the last display characteristics information. Otherwise, the display is reinitialized which consumes more time in the boot or resume process.

Claims

1. A method of operating an information handling system (IHS) comprising:

retrieving current display characteristics information from a current display;

comparing the current display characteristics information with last display characteristics information from a last display employed in prior operation of the IHS; and

activating the current display using the last display characteristics information if the last display characteristics information is the same as the current display characteristics information via a first path in which the current display is activated quickly, and otherwise via a second path in which tests are performed before the current display is activated.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving a boot command prior to the retrieving step.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display capability information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display identification information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are EDID information.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the current display and the last display are different.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the current display and the last display are the same.

8. A method of operating an information handling system (IHS) comprising:

entering, by the IHS, a suspend state in response to an event;

retrieving, by the IHS, current display characteristics information from a display currently coupled to the IHS;

comparing, by the IHS, the current display characteristics information with last display characteristics information from a last display coupled to the IHS prior to entering the suspend state; and

resuming operation of the display using the last display characteristics information if the last display characteristics information is the same as the current display characteristics information via a first path in which the current display is activated quickly, and otherwise via a second path in which tests are performed before the display is activated.

9. The method of claim 8 further including receiving a resume command prior to the retrieving step.

10. The method of claim 8 further including storing, by the IHS, last display characteristics information in a nonvolatile memory.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display capability information.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display identification information.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are EDID information.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising receiving, by the IHS, a resume command and in response performing the retrieving, comparing and activating steps.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein the nonvolatile memory is a media drive.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the nonvolatile memory is solid state storage device.

17. The method of claim 8 wherein the suspend state is a standby state.

18. The method of claim 8 wherein the suspend state is a hibernate state.

19. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

nonvolatile storage, coupled to the processor, for storing current display characteristics information from a display currently coupled to the IHS and for storing last display characteristics information from a display previously coupled to the IHS; and

executable code stored in the nonvolatile storage for comparing the current display characteristics information with the last display characteristics information and for activating the current display using the last display characteristics information if the last display characteristics information is the same as the current display characteristics information via a first path in which the current display is activated quickly, and otherwise via a second path in which tests are performed before the current display is activated.

20. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the IHS executes the executable code in response to a boot command.

21. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the nonvolatile storage is a hard disk drive.

22. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the nonvolatile storage is a FLASH memory.

23. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display capability information.

24. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display identification information.

25. The information handling system of claim 19 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are EDID information.

26. An information handling system (IHS) comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor;

nonvolatile storage, coupled to the processor, for storing current display characteristics information from a display currently coupled to the IHS and for storing last display characteristics information from a display coupled to the IHS before a suspend event; and

executable code stored in the nonvolatile storage for causing the IHS to enter a suspend state in response to the suspend event and in response to a resume event resuming operation of the display using the last display characteristics information if the last display characteristics information is the same as the current display characteristics information via a first path in which the current display is activated quickly, and otherwise via a second path in which the tests are performed before the current display is activated.

27. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the suspend event is a timeout.

28. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the suspend event is actuation of an actuator by a user.

29. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the resume event is the actuation of an actuator by a user.

30. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display capability information.

31. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are display identification information.

32. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the current display characteristics information and the last display characteristics information are EDID information.

33. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the suspend state is a standby state.

34. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the suspend state as a hibernate state.

35. The information handling system of claim 26 wherein the suspend state includes a display low power state.