Arrangement for initiating a re-imaging process for a computer system

• US 7,552,320 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ellison, Brandon J., Merkin, Aaron E., Rhoades, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoynov; Stefan
• Application Number:
  US11/394,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/100, 702/150
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

An arrangement which eliminates the need to remove a computer system from its packaging in order to initiate a re-imaging process. Particularly, there is broadly contemplated herein the use of a position-sensitive switching arrangement, such as a mercury switch, that is configured to power selected control circuitry in a computer so as to receive additional information or data as needed to update imaging or other aspects of a computer'"'"'s operating system.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an arrangement that updates at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of a packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said arrangement further comprising;

a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;

a charged battery;

a wireless interface; and

control circuitry configured to;

upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;

wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and

whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control circuitry is configured for updating imaging of the packaged computer upon actuation of said position-sensitive switch.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position-sensitive switch is actuable upon the packaged computer being tilted to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position-sensitive switch is further actuable to deactivate said control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the packaged computer.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:

said position-sensitive switch is actuable to activate said control circuitry upon the packaged computer being tilted to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and

said position-sensitive switch is actuable to deactivate said control circuitry upon the packaged computer being tilted to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees and the second predetermined angle is at least about 60 degrees.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said position-sensitive switch comprises a mercury switch.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packaged computer is a laptop computer.

11. A method comprising the steps of:

without unpacking a packaged computer, updating at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of said packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said updating further comprising;

providing a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;

providing a charged battery;

providing a wireless interface;

providing control circuitry configured to;

upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;

wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and

whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of a said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said updating step comprises updating imaging of the packaged computer upon actuation of the position-sensitive switch.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said altering step comprises tilting the packaged computer to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

said position-sensitive switch is further actuable to deactivate the control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the packaged computer; and

said method further comprises further altering a positional state of the packaged computer and deactivating the control circuitry.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein

said step of altering comprises:

tilting the packaged computer to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and

tilting the packaged computer to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the position-sensitive switch comprises a mercury switch.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein:

the wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC; and

the packaged computer is a laptop computer.

19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, said method comprising the steps of:

without unpacking a packaged computer, updating at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of said packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said updating further comprising;

providing a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;

providing a charged battery;

providing a wireless interface;

providing control circuitry configured to;

upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;

wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and

whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.