US 7,890,741 B2 · Low power digital audio decoding/playing system for computing devices

Abstract

A computer system includes a system CPU responsive to a control signal to load a first operating system or a second operating system. The first operating system is run by the computer system in a first operation mode and the second operating system is run by the computer system in a second entertainment mode. A PC operating in an entertainment mode may operate a variety of entertainment software applications. A quick boot process is also provided. The quick boot process may include an accelerated BIOS boot process that defers and delays appropriate tasks. The quick boot process may also include: detecting a condition; performing a BIOS boot process; loading an image file associated with the condition; and executing the image file associated with the condition. The condition may be that associated hardware is unchanged from a previous boot. A parental control system is also disclosed.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of operating a PC, said method comprising:

detecting a condition which indicates whether a hardware configuration change from a previous boot occurs;
performing a BIOS boot process;
loading an image file according to said condition;
executing said image file;
generating a second image file to be utilized in a subsequent boot if said condition indicates that said hardware configuration change from said previous boot occurs;
operating said PC in an entertainment mode by a mini-OS (operating system);
receiving at least one control command from a system memory in said entertainment mode by a special purpose circuit coupled between a south bridge and a codec;
and
transferring audio data according to said at least one control command if said PC operates in said entertainment mode.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/406,949Filed 3 Apr 2003 · continuation in part

Priority

1 Dec 2000

Published

US 2004/0006690 A18 Jan 2004

Granted

15 Feb 2011

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

G06F 9/441
Loading of operating system: multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded
G06F 3/16
Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for…: sound…
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application60/250,899Us provisional application · filed 1 Dec 2000

Application60/265,466Us provisional application · filed 30 Jan 2001

Application09/921,171Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Aug 2001

Application09/969,060Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 2 Oct 2001

Application10/208,728Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 30 Jul 2002

Application10/272,740Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 17 Oct 2002

US 2004/0006690 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jan 2004

US 7,522,966 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,522,965 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,522,964 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 7,526,349 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part

US 2002/0068988 A1Published application

US 2002/0077713 A1Published application

US 2003/0060911 A1Published application

US 2003/0088326 A1Published application

US 7,822,956 B2Related patent

US 7,890,741 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Low power digital audio decoding/playing system for computing devices

Life of this patent

Low power digital audio decoding/playing system for computing devices

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims14