Wireless host with improved roustness and boot capabilities

A wireless host apparatus for use with a computer having a BIOS, an operating system, a serial bus interface coupled with the BIOS, the wireless host operating under a protocol that functions only in the presence of a corresponding wireless communications driver in the operating system, the BIOS characterized in that keyboard information received via the serial bus interface is made available to the operating system by means other than the wireless communications driver, the host apparatus comprising:

• a receiving antenna;
• first means for testing for presence of the wireless communications driver in the operating system;
• second means operatively coupled with the first means for responding to receipt of keyboard information via the receiving antenna by passing the received keyboard information to the wireless communications driver if the wireless communications driver is present, and by passing the received keyboard information via the serial bus interface to the operating system by means other than the wireless communications driver, the means operatively coupled with the second means, if the wireless communications driver is not present.

A wireless host apparatus for use with a computer having a BIOS, an operating system, a serial bus interface coupled with the BIOS, the wireless host operating under a protocol that functions only in the presence of a corresponding wireless communications driver in the operating system, the BIOS characterized in that keyboard information received via the serial bus interface is made available to the operating system by means other than the wireless communications driver, the host apparatus comprising:

• a receiving antenna;
• first means for receiving keyboard information via the receiving antenna and for determining whether the received keyboard information is indicative of an escape sequence;
• second means operatively coupled with the first means for responding to the receipt of the received keyboard information by passing the received keyboard information to the wireless communications driver if the received keyboard information is indicative of an escape sequence, and by passing the received keyboard information via the serial bus interface to the operating system by means other than the wireless communications driver, the means operatively coupled with the second means, if the received keyboard information is not indicative of an escape sequence.

A wireless interface apparatus for use with a computer comprising a serial bus, a BIOS, and an emulated 8042 interface, and connected with the computer by means of the serial bus, the wireless interface apparatus also for use with a wirelessly coupled keyboard, the wireless interface apparatus comprising:

• first means responsive to an interrogation of the serial bus by the computer for setting a flag, internal to the wireless interface apparatus, indicative of communication with the BIOS;
• and
• second means operatively coupled with the first means and responsive to the condition of the flag being set, for receiving keyboard information from the keyboard and providing the information to the serial bus in a format causing the BIOS to provide the information to the computer through the emulated 8042 interface.

A wireless interface apparatus for use with a computer comprising a serial bus, a BIOS, and an emulated 8042 interface, and connected with the computer by means of the serial bus, the wireless interface apparatus also for use with a wirelessly coupled keyboard, the wireless interface apparatus comprising:

• first means responsive to receipt of an escape sequence from the keyboard for setting a flag, internal to the wireless interface apparatus, indicative of communication with the BIOS;
• and
• second means operatively coupled with the first means and responsive to the condition of the flag being set, for receiving keyboard information from the keyboard and providing the information to the serial bus in a format causing the BIOS to provide the information to the computer through the emulated 8042 interface.