US 12,591,436 B2Granted

Dongle-less wireless human interface device (HID) pairing during data processing system in preboot

AssigneeDell Products L.P.

InventorsAnkit Singh, Shrikant U. Hallur, Naveen Awasthy

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Abstract

Methods and systems for managing data processing systems during a startup process of the data processing systems are disclosed. A human interface device (HID) is paired with a management controller of a data processing system instead of a dongle device is configured as a pair with the HID. No dongle devices are connected or plugged into any external-facing ports of the data processing system. The management controller includes a processor that operates separately and independently from a main processor of the data processing system that is responsible for initiating and executing a bootup sequence of the data processing system. The data processing system, while still in the startup process before an operating system (OS) of the data processing system is fully booted and operational, is controlled by the HID through the management controller instead of the non-existent dongle device.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

obtaining, by a management controller installed within a data processing system and while the data processing system is in a preboot state, input instructions from a human interface device (HID) that is wirelessly paired with the data processing system through the management controller instead of through a dongle device configured for the HID;
and
providing, by the management controller, the input instructions to hardware resources installed within the data processing system to cause the hardware resources to execute the input instructions while the data processing system is in the preboot state, wherein
the hardware resources are configured with first wireless device connection capabilities, the first wireless device connection capabilities being off until the data processing system reaches a fully booted state after completing one or more actions required to be executed during the preboot state, and
the management controller is configured with second wireless device connection capabilities that are separate and independent from the first wireless device connection capabilities, the second wireless device connection capabilities being on while the data processing system is in the preboot state, and the HID is paired with the management controller while the data processing system is in the preboot state using the second wireless device connection capabilities.

2 more elements

A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a management controller installed within a data processing system, cause the management controller to perform operations, the operations comprising:

obtaining, while the data processing system is in a preboot state, input instructions from a human interface device (HID) that is wirelessly paired with the data processing system through the management controller instead of through a dongle device configured for the HID;
and
providing the input instructions to hardware resources installed within the data processing system to cause the hardware resources to execute the input instructions while the data processing system is in the preboot state, wherein
the hardware resources are configured with first wireless device connection capabilities, the first wireless device connection capabilities being off until the data processing system reaches a fully booted state after completing one or more actions required to be executed during the preboot state, and
the management controller is configured with second wireless device connection capabilities that are separate and independent from the first wireless device connection capabilities, the second wireless device connection capabilities being on while the data processing system is in the preboot state, and the HID is paired with the management controller while the data processing system is in the preboot state using the second wireless device connection capabilities.

2 more elements

A data processing system comprising:

hardware resources installed within the data processing system;
and
a management controller installed within the data processing system, wherein the management controller stores instructions that cause the management controller to perform operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining, while the data processing system is in a preboot state, input instructions from a human interface device (HID) that is wirelessly paired with the data processing system through the management controller instead of through a dongle device configured for the HID;
and
providing the input instructions to hardware resources installed within the data processing system to cause the hardware resources to execute the input instructions while the data processing system is in the preboot state, wherein
the hardware resources are configured with first wireless device connection capabilities, the first wireless device connection capabilities being off until the data processing system reaches a fully booted state after completing one or more actions required to be executed during the preboot state, and
the management controller is configured with second wireless device connection capabilities that are separate and independent from the first wireless device connection capabilities, the second wireless device connection capabilities being on while the data processing system is in the preboot state, and the HID is paired with the management controller while the data processing system is in the preboot state using the second wireless device connection capabilities.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.