Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Philip H Doragh

Craig Walrath

William C Hallowell

Isaac Lagnado

William Caldwell Crosswy

Chrismal R Panditharathne

Jeri L Callaway

Ronald M Schooley

A wireless security authentication system comprises a wireless element configured to determine validity of a user credential to enable use of a computing system, the wireless element powered by inductive coupling.

System and method of wireless security authentication

A family management system provides a family manager with family-related and work-related information. This information may be provided to the family manager in the form of one or more screens depicting calendars, e-mail, and/or other tasks. In particular, family-related and work-related matters may be merged on a single screen so that the family manager can facilitate scheduling better between family-related and work-related matters.

System and apparatus for managing personal and work-related matters

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method comprises transmitting, from a wireless local area network (LAN) device of a host device to an access point of a wireless network, a request to disassociate from the access point, the request to disassociate further comprising a request to monitor for wake events for the host device and switching off a transceiver of the wireless LAN device after transmission of the disassociate request.

System and method for monitoring for wake events in a wireless local area network

A computer system comprises a host computer coupled to a wireless module via a digital interface. The wireless module permits the computer system to communicate with a wireless network. The host computer repeatedly polls the wireless module to determine whether it has received any incoming data from the wireless network, but preferably does not poll the wireless module all of the time. Periodic cessation of polling advantageously helps to extend battery life in the case of a host computer that operates off battery power. This concept, however, can be applied and is useful in the context of desktop electronic systems that operate from AC power.

Reducing power consumption of an electronic system having a communication device

A multi-boot apparatus allows a portable computer to boot from a predetermined list of bootable data storage devices, even if the data storage devices have been relocated during operation. The computer system has a hard disk bay and multi-bay for accepting one or more data storage devices and/or battery packs. During initialization, the invention retrieves a previously entered IPL sequence from a configuration setup table stored in the nonvolatile RAM of the portable computer. Next, the invention queries each bay and determines the device connected to each bay, including the data storage device and the battery pack, if one is present. The invention then determines if a remapping of the data storage drives is necessary to ensure that the device at the beginning of the IPL order is the first drive in the BIOS boot sequence. If so, the invention remaps the drives such that the device is at the first drive in the BIOS boot sequence. After booting, the invention allows the user to modify the IPL sequence using a plug and play application programming interface (PnP API) and to enable/disable the multi-boot functionality if so desired. The invention also determines the disk drive containing a hibernation file by assuming that the hibernation file will reside on the disk in the hard-disk bay because of the chance that the disk will be removed is less than that of a disk located in one of the multi-bay. Thus, by treating the hard disk bay and the multi-bay as devices in accordance with the predetermined IPL order and by performing automatic device sensing and remapping if necessary, the present invention allows the user to dynamically insert and remove data storage devices without requiring the user to update the IPL order.

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Cypress, TX, United States of America

Philip H Doragh