Installation and access of a device handler for a peripheral device in a computer
AssigneeLSI Logic Corporation
InventorsDerick G. Moore, Roy W. Wade
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a computer (e.g. an 80×86-compatible personal computer) in which peripheral devices (e.g. hard drives, floppy drives, CD-ROMs, etc.) are accessed through more than one chain of handlers for the peripheral devices (e.g. via interrupts 13h and 40h), an improved device handler for a peripheral device (e.g. a device that complies with the “El Torito” standard) is inserted in both chains (e.g. by “hooking” both interrupts 13h and 40h), so the device handler cannot be bypassed when an access request directed to the device handler is passed through either chain and so the device handler can direct the access request to the next device handler in the correct chain, when appropriate.
Claims3
A method of configuring a computer to use a selected peripheral device and of accessing the selected peripheral device, the computer using multiple peripheral devices accessed through corresponding device handlers arranged in first and second chains of device handlers, selected device handler corresponding to the selected peripheral device, comprising the steps of:
- inserting the selected device handler in the first and second chains of device handlers in front of next first-chain and second-chain device handlers, respectively;
- directing an access request to one of the device handlers for access to a corresponding peripheral device;
- and
- passing the access request to the selected device handler through one of the first and the second chains of device handlers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.