Remote control of a linked computer

A computer system, comprising:

• a ROM to store a package of executable instructions;
• a processor operable to execute instructions in said package to identify to a command in a video frame communicated from a remote computer and execute the command according to coordinates of data bits of the command in the video frame to produce an output when said processor is not running an operating system, said processor operable to produce an output video frame representative of said command and said output in two separate fields;
• a first buffer to store data for said output video frame;
• a second buffer to store data for another output video frame that is generated sequentially in time after said output video frame;
• a video sampler circuit to compare data in said second buffer to data in said first buffer;
• and
• a communication port to send each data in said another output video frame that is changed from said output video frame to the remote computer, wherein, without running said operating system in said processor, said processor instructed by said package is operable to make two separate fields having different coordinates such that data bits representing said command are in a command field and data bits representing a response are in a response field, and said processor is also operable to extract said command from said data bits in said command field for execution according to coordinates of said data bits.

A method, comprising:

• operating a basic input and output system (BIOS) in a first computer in absence of a running operating system;
• connecting a second computer to said first computer to send a command to said first computer in a video frame in a terminal emulator data format which has a designated command field and a separate designated result field that have different coordinates;
• placing data bits representing said command in said designated command field in said video frame;
• using said BIOS in said first computer to extract said command from said data bits in said designated command field in said video frame according to coordinates of said data bits;
• using said BIOS in said first computer to execute said command to produce a response;
• using said BIOS of said first computer to generate a new video frame to represent said command in a designated command field and said response in a separate result field;
• sending data for said video frame to said second computer;
• and
• extracting said response from said new video frame in said second computer according to coordinates of data bits for said response in said new video frame.

An information processing device comprising a machine-readable storage medium having executable instructions that enable the device prior to running an operating system to:

• communicate with a linked computer via a video frame delivered over a communication link, wherein each video frame includes a command field carrying data bits for a command and a response field;
• identify a command received in a video frame from the linked computer according to coordinates in the command field;
• extract the data bits in the received command in the video frame according to the coordinates;
• execute the command received from the linked computer to produce a response;
• generate a video frame to represent said command and said response in two separate fields within said video frame;
• and
• send said video frame to the linked computer.