Displaying images during boot-up and shutdown

• US 6,373,498 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kinglite Holdings Inc.
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Abgrall, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Jankus, Almis R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUNNINGHAM, GREGORY F
• Application Number:
  US09/336,003
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 345/133, 345/24, 345/592, 345/619, 345/765, 345/778, 345/811, 711/205, 711/207, 713/1, 713/2, 714/36
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to display an image during a transition of an operating system in a computer system. An image having an image format compatible with the operating system is obtained. Content of a system file corresponding to the transition of the operating system is created using the image in a system directory.

Claims

1. A method to display an image during a transition of an operating system in a computer system, the method comprising:

obtaining the image having an image format compatible with the operating system; and

,

creating content of a system file using the image, the system file to be accessed during the transition of the operating system, said image to correspond to a user profile.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

saving the system file in a directory.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating system is compatible with a Windows operating system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the image format is a bitmap format.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the image has a resolution compatible with the operating system.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition is a boot-up sequence.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the system file is a LOGO.SYS file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transition is a shut-down sequence.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the system file is one of a LOGOW.SYS file and a LOGOS.SYS file.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the directory is located on a storage compatible with the operating system.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein said image corresponds to data stored in a BIOS memory.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said data is updated during execution of said operating system.

43. The method of claim 1, wherein creating content of a system file comprises creating content of a system file during said transition using the image.

44. The method of claim 1 wherein creating content of a system file comprises creating content of a system file before said transition using the image.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein to display an image during a transition of an operating system in a computer system, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code for obtaining an image having an image format compatible with the operating system; and

computer readable program code for creating content of a system file using the image, the system file to be accessed during the transition of the operating system, said image to correspond to a user profile.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 further comprising:

computer readable program code for saving the system file in a directory.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the operating system is compatible with a Windows operating system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the image format is a bitmap format.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the image has a resolution compatible with the operating system.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the transition is a boot-up sequence.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the system file is a LOGO.SYS file.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the transition is a shut-down sequence.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the system file is one of a LOGOW.SYS file and a LOGOS.SYS file.

20. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the directory is located on a storage compatible with the operating system.

21. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

a graphic display code segment to display an image during a transition of an operating system in a computer system, the graphic display code segment comprising;

an image obtaining code segment for obtaining an image having an image format compatible with the operating system; and

a content creation code segment for creating content of a system file using the image, the system file to be accessed during the transition of the operating system, said image to correspond to a user profile.

22. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the graphic display code segment further comprising:

a save code segment for saving the system file in a directory.

23. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the operating system is compatible with a Windows operating system.

24. The computer data signal of claim 23 wherein the image format is a bitmap format.

25. The computer data signal of claim 24 wherein the image has a resolution compatible with the operating system.

26. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the transition is a boot-up sequence.

27. The computer data signal of claim 26 wherein the system file is a LOGO.SYS file.

28. The computer data signal of claim 21 wherein the transition is a shut-down sequence.

29. The computer data signal of claim 28 wherein the system file is one of a LOGOW.SYS file and a LOGOS.SYS file.

30. The computer data signal of claim 22 wherein the directory is located on a storage compatible with the operating system.

31. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory containing program code to display an image during a transition of an operating system, the program code when executed by the processor causing the processor to;

obtain the image having an image format compatible with the operating system, and

create content of a system file using the image, the system file to be accessed during the transition of the operating system, said image to correspond to a user profile.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the program code when executed by the processor further causing the processor to:

save the system file in a directory.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the operating system is compatible with a Windows operating system.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the image format is a bitmap format.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the image has a resolution compatible with the operating system.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the transition is a boot-up sequence.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the system file is a LOGO.SYS file.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein the transition is a shut-down sequence.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the system file is one of a LOGOW.SYS file and a LOGOS.SYS file.

40. The system of claim 32 wherein the directory is located on a storage compatible with the operating system.

45. The method of claim 31, wherein said program code further causes said processor to generate said image corresponding to data stored in a BIOS memory, said image to be generated during the transition.