Automatic concealment of expansion cards in computer system

A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:

• a) previously storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
• b) creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
• c) storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a selected operating system;
• d) determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously selected operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table;
• e) when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the selected operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the selected operating system;
• f) deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the selected operating system;
• g) when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted card information table;
• h) powering off an expansion slot mounted with an unsupported expansion card depending on the second mounted-card information table to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the selected operating system;
• i) storing the second mounted-card information table;
• and
• j) booting up the selected operating system based on the second mounted-card information table.

A computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising:

• a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
• a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
• a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
• a computation device for determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards mounted is supported by the designated operating system, based on identification information supported by a designated operating system;
• and
• a power controller for powering off an expansion slot mounted with an expansion card that is not supported by the designated operating system to conceal it from the designated operating system.

A computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising:

• a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
• a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
• a first memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
• a second memory for storing a first mounted-card information table created upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
• a third memory for storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a designated operating system;
• a computation device for determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information,
• wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously designated operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table,
• wherein, when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, the computation device determines an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system,
• wherein the computation device deletes an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system;
• wherein, when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, the computation device uses a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted-card information table, and
• wherein the computation device stores the second mounted-card information table, and boots up the selected operating system based on the second mounted-card information table;
• and
• a power controller for powering off an expansion slot mounted with an unsupported expansion card depending on the second mounted-card information table to conceal the unsupported expansion card from the selected operating system.

A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:

• a) previously storing supported card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
• b) detecting a physically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
• c) determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards is supported by the selected operating system, based on identification information supported by a selected operating system;
• d) updating the physically mounting status by logically deleting an unsupported expansion card from the physically mounting status to produce a logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
• and
• e) booting the selected operating system based on the logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards.

A method for controlling concealment of a plurality of expansion cards mounted in a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems, comprising the steps of:

• a) previously storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems;
• b) detecting a physically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
• c) storing startup information including the physically mounting status and setting information of a selected operating system;
• d) determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously selected operating system and a previously stored physically mounting status;
• c) when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining whether each of the plurality of expansion cards is supported by the selected operating system, based on supported-card identification information supported by the selected operating system;
• f) updating the physically mounting status by logically deleting an unsupported expansion card from the physically mounting status to produce a logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards;
• g) when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored logically mounting status as the logically mounting status;
• h) booting the selected operating system based on the logically mounting status of the plurality of expansion cards.

A basic input/output system code for a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems comprising:

• a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
• a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
• a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems,
• the basic input/output system code comprising the steps of:
• creating a first mounted card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
• determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of a designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system;
• deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a secured mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system;
• and
• setting a control register depending on the second mounted-card information table, wherein the control register is used to individually perform power-on/off control of the expansion slots to conceal a unsupported expansion card from the designated operating system.

A basic input/output system code for a computer system selectively operable in a plurality of operating systems comprising:

• a terminal device for designating a startup operating system from the plurality of operating systems;
• a plurality of expansion slots for mounting a plurality of expansion cards;
• a memory device storing supported-card identification information, wherein the supported-card identification information identifies types of expansion cards supported by respective ones of the operating systems,
• the basic input/output system code comprising the steps of:
• creating a first mounted-card information table upon system startup, wherein the first mounted-card information table contains entries for respective ones of the plurality of expansion cards mounted in the computer system, wherein each of the entries includes mounted-card identification information for a corresponding expansion slot;
• storing startup information including the first mounted-card information table and setting information of a designated operating system;
• determining whether the startup information is different from previous-startup information, wherein the previous-startup information includes previous setting information of a previously designated operating system and a previously stored first mounted-card information table;
• when the startup information is different from previous-startup information, determining an unsupported expansion card among the plurality of expansion cards based on the first mounted-card information table and supported-card identification information of the designated operating system, wherein the unsupported expansion card is not supported by the designated operating system;
• deleting an entry for the unsupported expansion card from the first mounted-card information table to produce a second mounted-card information table for operation of the designated operating system;
• when the startup information is identical to the previous-startup information, using a previously stored second mounted-card information table as the second mounted-card information table;
• setting a control register depending on the second mounted-card information table, wherein the control register is used to individually perform power-on/off control of the expansion slots to conceal a unsupported expansion card from the designated operating system;
• and
• storing the second mounted-card information table.