Powerquest Corporation

Corda Technologies, Inc.

Derrick S Shadel

Val Arbon

Mardell Cheney

Andy Vincent Lawrence

Troy Millett

Jonathan Ludwig

Paul E Madden

Roy M Jenevein

Heidi S Kramer

The invention provides tools and techniques for running pre-boot code on a computer from a file stored in a file system on the computer. The pre-boot code may include an operating system which is not otherwise installed on the system. For instance, the pre-boot code may be used to boot a DOS operating system on a computer which lacks a DOS hard disk partition. The pre-boot code may contain code to perform operations that are difficult to perform after the operating system is booted, such as code for monitoring the boot process to help debug it. The pre-boot code is obtained from the file without using booted file system code, and is then executed. The code may be obtained by redirecting floppy drive I/O to read the pre-boot code from a copy in memory, or to read it as needed from one or more files on the hard disk.

Booting an operating system or running other pre-boot code from a file stored under a different operating system

A system and method for dynamically generating a textual description for a visual data representation is provided. The method accesses a data set and visual template associated with a visual data representation. A textual description template is also accessed. The visual template is interpreted using the textual description template and data from the data set. As the visual template is interpreted, a textual description is generated corresponding to the visual data representation. The system and method may be initiated by a user request or a command based on some other event such as the passage of time, a change to data in the data set, or the like. The textual description may be generated dynamically in response to a request or previous to, and in anticipation of, a request from a user.

System and method for dynamically generating a textual description for a visual data representation

The invention provides systems and methods for storing and recovering images in a computer partition, and more particularly to tools and techniques for placing and extracting images to and from the same partition that is imaged. Both a factory image and a user-updateable image may be stored on the same partition. Copies of a portion of the partition data and/or the system data for the imaged partition can be stored at a specified location within the imaged partition, in a separate partition, or on a removable recovery medium, thereby allowing images to be recovered after disruption of the imaged partition's system data. The image may be stored contiguously or non-contiguously. The image may also be stored as a system file or as an image container which comprises one or more than one image file. To speed restoration time and to assist recovery, the image may be stored at or near the end of the partition. Familiar or novel image formats may be used. By storing one or more partition images in the imaged partition, the invention eliminates consumer confusion between bootable partition size and disk size, without sacrificing the advantages provided by imaging.

Storing a computer disk image within an imaged partition

Growing community of inventors

South Jordan, UT, United States of America

Derrick S Shadel