Efficient handling of embedded controller I/O
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsIbrahim Sayyed, Anand Prakash Joshi, Michael A. Phillips, Adolfo S. Montero
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An information handling system may include at least one central processing unit (CPU); a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS); and an embedded controller (EC). The information handling system may be configured to: execute an operating system (OS) via the at least one CPU; execute an OS device driver for the EC, wherein the OS device driver is configured to provide non-blocking input/output (I/O) operations on the EC without the execution of a system management interrupt (SMI); and allow access to the EC from an application program via the device driver.
Claims16
An information handling system comprising:
- at least one central processing unit (CPU);
- a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS);
- and
- an embedded controller (EC);
- wherein the information handling system is configured to:
- execute an operating system (OS) via the at least one CPU;
- execute an OS device driver for the EC, wherein the OS device driver is configured to provide non-blocking input/output (I/O) operations on the EC without the execution of a system management interrupt (SMI);
- and
- allow access to the EC from an application program via the OS device driver;
- wherein the OS device driver is a Plug and Play (PnP) device driver, and wherein the BIOS is configured to present the EC as a PnP device to the OS in response to occurrence of a trigger event selected from the group consisting of:
- a first power-on of the information handling system, a first boot of the OS, a recovery of a crash associated with the OS, and a repair of the OS.
A method comprising:
- an information handling system that includes a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) executing an operating system (OS) via a central processing unit (CPU) thereof;
- the information handling system executing an OS device driver for an embedded controller (EC) thereof, wherein the OS device driver is a Plug and Play (PnP) device driver that provides non-blocking input/output (I/O) operations on the EC without the execution of a system management interrupt (SMI);
- the information handling system allowing access to the EC from an application program via the OS device driver;
- the information handling system monitoring for a trigger event selected from the group consisting of:
- a first power-on of the information handling system, a first boot of the OS, a recovery of a crash associated with the OS, and a repair of the OS;
- the information handling system detecting the trigger event;
- and
- the BIOS presenting the EC as a PnP device to the OS upon detection of the trigger event.
An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon that are executable by a processor of an information handling system that includes a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) for:
- executing an operating system (OS);
- executing an OS device driver for an embedded controller (EC) of the information handling system, wherein the OS device driver is configured to provide non-blocking input/output (I/O) operations on the EC without the execution of a system management interrupt (SMI);
- and
- allowing access to the EC from an application program via the OS device driver;
- wherein the OS device driver is a Plug and Play (PnP) device driver, and wherein the BIOS is configured to present the EC as a PnP device to the OS in response to occurrence of a trigger event selected from the group consisting of:
- a first power-on of the information handling system, a first boot of the OS, a recovery of a crash associated with the OS, and a repair of the OS.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.