Methods and apparatuses for allowing users to dynamically interact with configurable devices or hardware during a preboot stage
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a configurable device;
a processor, coupled to said configurable device; and
a memory, coupled to said processor, having stored therein a first set instructions which when executed causes said processorto retrieve configuration information for said configurable device from a buffer, said configuration information being resident in said buffer during a preboot stage of said computer system wherein a device driver for said configurable device exports a set of said configuration information that includes information enabling a callback operation to said device driver, which enables an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device,to generate and present a homepage to said operator, said homepage being generated based on said configuration information in said buffer and further includes a configuration menu for said configurable device from which said operator can make configuration selections, andto communicate configuration selections obtained via said homepage using said callback operation to said device driver to enact said configuration selections.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses of configuring a computer system. During a runtime stage or a preboot stage, a device driver for a configurable device exports a set of the configuration information that is resident the buffer during the preboot stage of the computer system. The configuration information is retrieved. The configuration information for said configurable device includes information enabling a callback operation, which allows an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device. A homepage including a configuration menu for said configurable device is generated and presented to the operator to make configuration selections. The homepage is generated based on the information contained in the buffer. The configuration selections are communicated to the device driver. The configuration selections for said configurable device in a nonvolatile storage module included within said computer system.
18 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a configurable device; a processor, coupled to said configurable device; and a memory, coupled to said processor, having stored therein a first set instructions which when executed causes said processor to retrieve configuration information for said configurable device from a buffer, said configuration information being resident in said buffer during a preboot stage of said computer system wherein a device driver for said configurable device exports a set of said configuration information that includes information enabling a callback operation to said device driver, which enables an operator to dynamically interact with said configurable device, to generate and present a homepage to said operator, said homepage being generated based on said configuration information in said buffer and further includes a configuration menu for said configurable device from which said operator can make configuration selections, and to communicate configuration selections obtained via said homepage using said callback operation to said device driver to enact said configuration selections. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of a computer system, comprising
retrieving configuration information for a plurality of configurable devices of the computer system from a buffer that retains the configuration information between a preboot stage and a runtime stage of the computer system, generating a preboot interface based upon the configuration information stored in the buffer, presenting the preboot interface to an operator at the computer system to permit the operator to make configuration selections for the plurality of configurable devices during the preboot stage, generating a runtime interface based upon the configuration information stored in the buffer, and presenting the runtime interface to an operator at the computer to permit the operator to make configuration selections for the plurality of configurable devices during the runtime stage.
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19. A tangible machine readable medium to configure a device of a computer system, comprising
preboot code, that when executed by the computer system during a boot up stage, causes the computer system to transfer configuration information for the device to a buffer that persists between the boot up stage and a runtime stage of the computer system, to generate, based upon the configuration information, a preboot user interface to change a configuration parameter of the device, and to present the preboot user interface to an operator at the computer system during the boot up stage, and runtime code, that when executed by the computer system during a runtime stage, causes the computer system to retrieve the configuration information from the buffer, to generate, based upon the configuration information, a runtime user interface to change the configuration parameter of the device, and to present the runtime user interface to the operator at the computer system during the runtime stage.
Specification