# US 7,613,952 B2 · Method for facilitating BIOS testing

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- Number: US 7,613,952 B2
- Document ID: US7613952B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 11/648,268
- Filed: 2006-12-29
- Published: 2008-07-03
- Granted: 2009-11-03
- Earliest claimed: 2006-12-29
- Assignees: Inventec Corporation
- Inventors: Chien-Hsing Ko; Chia-I Hsiao; Chung-Chien Lin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7613952B2

## CPC

- G06F 11/3688: {for test execution, e.g. scheduling of test suites}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A method for facilitating basic input and output system (BIOS) testing is provided. In the method, a BIOS program code to be tested is loaded into a memory unit by a BIOS debugging card to execute a boot operation testing. The method of BIOS testing utilizes an uninterruptible power supply memory disposed on the motherboard. The uninterruptible power supply memory is powered with a battery, thus it can store the data of a command in executing during shutdown. By using this characteristic of the uninterruptible power supply memory, the tester can still obtain the debugging code last stored during the previous boot from the uninterruptible power supply memory when rebooting, thus preventing the debugging code generated in the BIOS debugging flow from disappearing due to the abnormal shutdown and resulting in the failure to get the source of the problem for the tester, increasing the efficiency of debugging.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for facilitating basic input and output system (BIOS) testing, by loading a BIOS program code to be tested into a memory unit of a motherboard by a BIOS debugging card to execute a boot operation testing, the motherboard further including an uninterruptible power supply memory, the BIOS program code being composed of a plurality of commands, the method comprising:
storing a data of one of the commands from the BIOS program code to be executed in the uninterruptible power supply memory; and
executing the stored command to proceed the boot operation testing of the motherboard,
wherein the uninterruptible power supply memory includes an instant code field, an error code field, and a boot complete bit for storing the data, the BIOS testing further comprising:
setting the boot complete bit to be a boot incomplete status before the boot task being complete; and
checking the boot complete bit, if the boot complete bit being in the boot incomplete status, the data stored on the instant code field being stored to the error code field.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the uninterruptible power supply memory is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor random access memory (CMOS memory) power-supplied by a battery.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored data is a command series number.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stored data is a command code.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BIOS program code is a motherboard boot program code.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the BIOS testing further comprising:
setting the boot complete bit to be a boot complete status when the boot task being completed; and
checking the boot complete bit, if the boot complete bit being in the boot complete status, the boot complete bit being cleaned.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 6, wherein the BIOS debugging card further including a display unit, the BIOS testing further comprising:
displaying data of the command to be executed in the display unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 7, wherein the BIOS testing further comprising:
displaying the data stored on the error code field from the display unit when re-executing the boot operation testing and the boot complete bit being in the boot incomplete status.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 8, wherein the uninterruptible power supply memory is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor random access memory (CMOS memory) power-supplied by a battery.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 9, wherein the stored data is a command series number.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 9, wherein the stored data is a command code.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method for facilitating BIOS testing as claimed in claim 9, wherein the BIOS program code is a motherboard boot program code.