Method and system for enabling an auxiliary system to retrieve system information from a computing device

• US 8,051,279 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 11/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Lin, Chia-Ching, Huang, Chung-Yuan, Toorians, Arman, Yeh, Chien-Ting, Frid, Aleksandr, Chiu, Ming-Lung
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNOLLY, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/964,996
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/300, 713/320
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/328 Computer systems status display G06F11/327 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for enabling an auxiliary system to retrieve the system information from a computing device are disclosed. Specifically, one embodiment of the present invention sets forth a method, which includes the steps of requesting for the system information from an embedded controller of the computing device through a first bi-directional data bus if the computing device is shut down, requesting for the system information from the computing device through the first bi-directional bus during the boot-up sequence of the computing device, and requesting for the system information from the computing device through a general purpose input/output (GPIO) after the computing device completes the boot-up sequence.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a computing device configured with a feature-rich operating system, wherein the computing device further includes a plurality of components capable of obtaining system information; and

an auxiliary system configured with a built-in gadget that requests the system information from the computing device through a first bi-directional data bus even when the computing device is in a shut down state,

wherein the computing device initiates communication with the built-in gadget by sending power-on self-test (POST) data to the built-in gadget through the first bi-directional data bus during a boot-up sequence of the computing device, and the auxiliary system displays a POST procedure to enable a user to choose whether to suspend the POST procedure when an error condition is encountered.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget sends a command to the computing device for execution through the first bi-directional data bus.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget communicates with an embedded controller in the computing device to retrieve the system information even if the feature-rich operating system of the computing device fails to operate normally.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget communicates with an embedded controller in the computing device to retrieve the system information even when the computing device is in the shut down state.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget is capable of suspending the boot-up sequence if an error is detected during the boot-up sequence.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget communicates with the computing device by asserting a signal through a general purpose input/output (GPIO) after the computing device completes the boot-up sequence.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the computing device further connects to the auxiliary system through a second data bus.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the built-in gadget requests the system information from the computing device irrespective of the operating state of the feature-rich operating system.

9. An auxiliary system, comprising:

a processing unit; and

a display device, wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions for a built-in gadget, which when executed, causes the processing unit to request system information of a computing device coupled to the auxiliary system via a first bi-directional data bus even when the computing device is in a shut down state,

wherein the auxiliary system receives power-on self-test (POST) data through the first bi-directional data bus from the computing device during a boot-up sequence of the computing device, and the auxiliary system displays a POST procedure to enable a user to choose whether to suspend the POST procedure when an error condition is encountered.

10. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein when the instructions for the built-in gadget are executed, causes the processing unit to send a command to the computing device through the first bi-directional data bus for execution.

11. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein when the instructions for the built-in gadget are executed, causes the processing unit to communicate with an embedded controller in the computing device to retrieve the system information even if the feature-rich operating system of the computing device fails to operate normally.

12. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein when the instructions for the built-in gadget are executed, causes the processing unit to communicate with an embedded controller in the computing device to retrieve the system information even when the computing device is in the shut down state.

13. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein when the instructions for the built-in gadget are executed, causes the processing unit to communicate with the computing device by asserting a signal through a general purpose input/output (GPIO) after the computing device completes the boot-up sequence.

14. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein the auxiliary system further connects to the computing device through a second data bus, and the auxiliary system is configurable to retrieve the system information from the computing device regardless of whether a connection between the computing device and the auxiliary system is established through the second data bus.

15. The auxiliary system of claim 9, wherein when the instructions for the built-in gadget are executed, causes the processing unit to retrieve the system information irrespective of the operating state of a feature-rich operating system running on the computing device.

16. A method for enabling a auxiliary system to retrieve system information from a computing device, comprising:

requesting the system information from an embedded controller of the computing device through a first bi-directional data bus even when the computing device is shut down, wherein the system information is obtained by a plurality of components of the computing device; and

receiving, by the auxiliary system, the system information from the computing device,

wherein the auxiliary system receives power-on self-test (POST) data through the first bi-directional data bus from the computing device during a boot-up sequence of the computing device, and the auxiliary system displays a POST procedure to enable a user to choose whether to suspend the POST procedure when an error condition is encountered.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

requesting the system information from the computing device through the first bi-directional bus during the boot-up sequence of the computing device; and

requesting the system information from the computing device through a general purpose input/output (GPIO) after the computing device completes the boot-up sequence.