System and method for generating ACPI machine language tables

• US 20040243534A1
• Filed: 05/28/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valtrus Innovations Limited (f/k/a Dolya Holdco 9 Limited) (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Culter, Bradley G., Spinhirne, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 7,502,803 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

An ACPI-compatible system is provided that comprises a database for storing a device-specific descriptor for a hardware device. The system further comprises an ACPI agent operable to autonomously construct an ACPI table entry for the hardware device using the device-specific descriptor. Also, a method for an ACPI-compatible system autonomously constructing an ACPI table entry for a hardware device is provided. The method comprises receiving from firmware associated with the hardware device, a device-specific descriptor for such hardware device, and an ACPI agent executing on the ACPI-compatible system using the device-specific descriptor to autonomously construct an ACPI table entry for the hardware device.

Claims

1. An ACPI-compatible system comprising:

database for storing a device-specific descriptor for a hardware device; and

ACPI agent operable to autonomously construct an ACPI table entry for said hardware device using said device-specific descriptor;

2. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 1 wherein said ACPI agent is operable to autonomously construct AML code that is included in said ACPI table entry.

3. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 1 further comprising:

device-specific firmware associated with said hardware device, wherein said device-specific firmware comprises said device-specific descriptor.

4. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 1 wherein said device-specific descriptor comprises AML code for said hardware device.

5. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 1 further comprising:

an ACPI-compatible operating system, wherein said operating system is operable to access said ACPI table entry to acquire a description of said hardware device.

6. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one flag associated with said device-specific descriptor, wherein said operation of said ACPI agent in autonomously constructing said ACPI table entry is controlled by said at least one flag.

7. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 2 further comprising:

at least one flag associated with said device-specific descriptor, wherein said operation of said ACPI agent in autonomously constructing said AML code is controlled by said at least one flag.

8. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 7 wherein said at least one flag comprises

a build mask flag that specifies whether AML code for implementing a given functionality is to be constructed by said ACPI agent.

9. A method for an ACPI-compatible system autonomously constructing an ACPI table entry for a hardware device, said method comprising:

receiving from firmware associated with said hardware device, a device-specific descriptor for said hardware device; and

an ACPI agent executing on said ACPI-compatible system using said device-specific descriptor to autonomously construct an ACPI table entry for said hardware device.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

storing said device-specific descriptor to a database accessible by said ACPI agent.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said device-specific descriptor comprises AML code for said hardware device.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said ACPI agent constructs AML code that is included in said ACPI table entry.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

an ACPI-compatible operating system executing on said ACPI-compatible system accessing said ACPI table entry to acquire a description of said hardware device.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

said ACPI agent determining the type of information to include in said ACPI table entry based at least in part on at least one flag associated with said device-specific descriptor.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

said ACPI agent determining the AML code to construct based at least in part on at least one flag associated with said device-specific descriptor.

16. An ACPI-compatible system comprising:

means for storing a device-specific descriptor for a hardware device; and

means for autonomously generating AML code for said hardware device using said device-specific descriptor.

17. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 16 wherein said means for autonomously generating said AML code is operable to autonomously construct an ACPI table entry for said hardware device.

18. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 17 wherein said ACPI table entry comprises said AML code.

19. The ACPI-compatible system of claim 16 wherein said device-specific descriptor comprises said AML code for said hardware device.

20. Computer-executable code stored to a computer-readable medium, said computer-executable code comprising:

code for receiving from firmware associated with a hardware device, a device-specific descriptor for said hardware device; and

code for autonomously constructing an ACPI table entry for said hardware device using the received device-specific descriptor.