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US 7,127,531 B2Granted
System and method for processing computer I/O port post codes
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, I.P.
InventorsKent Biggs, Juan Ignacio Martinez, Scott Mark Wiginton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A preferred embodiment of the invention enables I/O port POST codes to be accessed via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port of the computer system: BIOS writes an I/O port POST code to a USB port. A device coupled to the USB port reads the I/O port POST code and presents the code on a display.
Claims5
A method for processing an I/O port POST code generated by BIOS executing in a computer, comprising:
- in the BIOS:
- causing a system management interrupt;
- in a system management interrupt handler:
- determining a target USB port to which the I/O port POST code should be written;
- and
- writing the I/O port POST code to the target USB port;
- and
- in a device coupled to the USB port:
- reading the I/O port POST code;
- and
- presenting the I/O port POST code on a display.
8 more elements
A method for processing an I/O port POST code generated by a POST routine executing in a computer, comprising:
- in the POST routine:
- causing a system management interrupt whose purpose is to forward the I/O port POST code to a USB port;
- and
- in a system management interrupt handler:
- determining a target USB port to which the I/O port POST code should be forwarded;
- and
- writing the I/O port POST code to the target USB port.
4 more elements
A computer system, comprising:
- means for generating an I/O port POST code;
- means for causing a system management interrupt identifying the I/O port POST code;
- and
- means, responsive to the system management interrupt, for determining a target USB port to which the I/O port POST code should be written and to write the I/O port POST code to the target USB port.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.