Method for extending the life and utility of an existing personal computer by adding instant-on embedded functions
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of converting, at boot-up, a general purpose host computer system, said host computer system including a resident operating system and host system power-on-self test (POST) code, into an application specific, dedicated system that can operate an interface and by-pass the resident operating system;
- said method comprising;
providing an alternate source of POST code;
substituting at least a portion of the POST code from the alternate source of POST code for, at least, a portion of the host system POST code while keeping the host system unchanged;
substituting the alternate source of POST code as a default boot device,wherein the substituted POST code, obtained from the alternate source of POST code, changes the system'"'"'s start-up sequence and hijacks the system, for one or more subsequent power-on cycles, during a single power-on cycle;
configuring the system, including the system'"'"'s I/O, using the alternate source of POST code as the default boot device; and
loading, from a local or remote source, and running a specific embedded application.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for converting, through add-on hardware and code, any of a variety of types and vintages of general purpose personal, laptop, or notebook computers to be an efficient, secure, dedicated system which run independently of the host system'"'"'s resident operating system.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method of converting, at boot-up, a general purpose host computer system, said host computer system including a resident operating system and host system power-on-self test (POST) code, into an application specific, dedicated system that can operate an interface and by-pass the resident operating system;
- said method comprising;
providing an alternate source of POST code; substituting at least a portion of the POST code from the alternate source of POST code for, at least, a portion of the host system POST code while keeping the host system unchanged; substituting the alternate source of POST code as a default boot device, wherein the substituted POST code, obtained from the alternate source of POST code, changes the system'"'"'s start-up sequence and hijacks the system, for one or more subsequent power-on cycles, during a single power-on cycle; configuring the system, including the system'"'"'s I/O, using the alternate source of POST code as the default boot device; and loading, from a local or remote source, and running a specific embedded application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
- said method comprising;
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7. A method of converting, at boot-up, a general purpose host computer system, said host computer system including a resident operating system and host system power-on-self test (POST) code, into an application specific, dedicated system that can operate an interface and by-pass the resident operating system;
- said method comprising;
providing an alternate source of POST code; substituting at least a portion of the POST code from the alternate source of POST code for, at least, a portion of the host system POST code while keeping the host system unchanged; substituting the alternate source of POST code as a default boot device, wherein the substituted POST code, obtained from the alternate source of POST code, changes the system'"'"'s start-up sequence and hijacks the system, for one or more subsequent power-on cycles, during a single power-on cycle; configuring the system, including the system'"'"'s I/O, using the alternate source of POST code as the default boot device; selecting and running an alternate operating system; and loading, from a local or remote source, and running a specific embedded application. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- said method comprising;
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13. A method of converting, at boot-up, a general purpose host computer system, said host computer system including a resident operating system and host system power-on-self test (POST) code, into an application specific, dedicated system that can operate an interface and by-pass the resident operating system;
- said method comprising;
providing an alternate source of POST code; substituting at least a portion of the POST code from the alternate source of POST code for, at least, a portion of the host system POST code while keeping the host system unchanged; substituting the alternate source of POST code as a default boot device, wherein the substituted POST code, obtained from the alternate source of POST code, changes the system'"'"'s start-up sequence and hijacks the system, for one or more subsequent power-on cycles, during a single power-on cycle; configuring the system, including the system'"'"'s I/O, using the alternate source of POST code as the default boot device; and loading, from a local or remote source, and running a specific embedded application wherein writing to the embedded application residing in read mostly storage mounted on a pluggable card or system board in the computer system is controlled by providing a user invoked manual switch on the pluggable card or system board or elsewhere on the system to give a user an option to either allow or prevent the writing.
- said method comprising;
Specification