Wireless communications validation system and method

• US 20070092080A1
• Filed: 10/26/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Lagnado, Isaac, Neill, Timothy, Merkel, Harold, Jeansonne, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,488,792 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2258 used with computer equipment

Abstract

A wireless communications validation system comprises a validation module configured to determine an identity of an antenna disposed in a computer system and an identity of a wireless module disposed in the computer system, the validation module configured to validate permissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

Claims

1. A wireless communications validation system, comprising:

a validation module configured to determine an identity of an antenna disposed in a computer system and an identity of a wireless module disposed in the computer system, the validation module configured to validate permissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a general purpose input/output (GPIO) system configured to interface with the validation module for determining the identity of the antenna.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation module is disposed in a basic input/output system (BIOS).

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a GPIO system coupled to the antenna.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a GPIO system configured to receive an input from the antenna indicative of the identity of the antenna.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a module configured to measure a voltage signal response of the antenna to determine the identity of antenna.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inter-integrated circuit (I²C) module configured to interface with the validation module for determining the identity of the antenna.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the validation module is configured to disable wireless communications of the computer system in response to determining an impermissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises a portable computer system.

10. A wireless communications validation method, comprising:

determining an identity of an antenna of a computer system;

determining an identity of a wireless module of the computer system; and

validating, by a validation module, permissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising a interfacing a general purpose input/output (GPIO) system with the validation module for determining the identity of the antenna.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising disposing the validation module in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the computer system.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising coupling a GPIO system to the antenna.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving an input from the antenna at a GPIO system, the input indicative of the identity of the antenna.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising measuring a voltage signal response of the antenna to determine the identity of the antenna.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring an inter-integrated circuit (I²C) module to interface with the validation module to determine the identity of the antenna.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising disabling wireless communications of the computer system in response to determining an impermissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising disposing the validation module in a portable computer.

19. A wireless communications validation system, comprising:

means for determining an identity of an antenna of a computer system;

means for determining an identity of a wireless module of the computer system; and

means for automatically validating permissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for disabling wireless communications of the computer system in response to determining an impermissible combination of the antenna with the wireless module.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for measuring a voltage signal response of the antenna to determine the identity of the antenna.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for receiving an input from the antenna at a general purpose input/output (GPIO) system, the input indicative of the identity of the antenna.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for applying a current to the antenna to obtain a voltage signal response, the voltage signal response indicative of the identity of the antenna.

24. A wireless communications validation system, comprising:

a basic input/output system (BIOS) configured to determine whether a particular antenna of a computer system used with a particular wireless module of the computer system is a permissible combination for wireless communications.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the BIOS is configured to interface with a general purpose input/output (GPIO) system to determine an identity of the antenna.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising a GPIO system configured to receive an input from the antenna indicative of an identity of the antenna.

27. The system of claim 24, further comprising a module configured to measure a voltage signal response of the antenna to determine an identity of the antenna.

28. The system of claim 24, further comprising an inter-integrated circuit (I²C) module interfaced with the BIOS for determining an identity of the antenna.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the BIOS is configured to disable wireless communications of the computer system in response to determining that the use of the particular antenna with the particular wireless module is an impermissible combination.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the BIOS is disposed in a portable computer system.