Dell USA L P

Dell Products Inc.

Roderick W Stone

Richard W Finch

Robert W McReynolds

Josef Zeevi

A method performed by a computer system is provided. The method includes detecting a test module interface associated with a test module and calling a function identified by the test module interface to cause a test configuration of the test module to be created.

Diagnostic architecture for use with an interface between an operating system and platform firmware

A software system uses virtual functions to control communication between independent software modules configured in an architecture which includes a parent process and one or more independent child processes. Communication is established by the parent process which creates, loads and unloads both a child process and an object that describes the functions that are accessed by the child process. The parent process creates and loads the child process, then passes a pointer which designates the object to the child process. The child process completes a communication path by creating an object and granting access to the object to the parent process by passing a pointer designating the object to the parent process. A child process is associated to both objects created by the child process and to a virtual table of pointers which designate the objects. The parent process controls memory allocation so that the child process can be unloaded from memory while the objects created by the child process and the virtual table associated to the child process are retained. In this manner, a software module is implemented as a loadable child process which is independent from other software modules.

Method and system for communicating between independent software modules

A software system facilitates the translation of text strings into multiple languages. The software system includes a macro which substitutes for a text string and a message collection and source update utility which scans the source code, locates the macro in the source code, derives a key relating to the text string and updates a database with the text string and key. The macro is included into a source code.

Dynamic multi-lingual software translation system

Dynamic multi-lingual software module system

A software system and corresponding method of operation represents physical devices as software objects that are derived from a generic base class. A diagnostic system operating on a processor includes a base class operating on the processor, a physical device connected to the processor and a diagnostic device object derived from the base class and having an encapsulated device characteristic definition corresponding to physical characteristics of the physical device so that the diagnostic device object is associated with the device. The base class is a generic class that serves as a template for other classes. A method of performing a diagnostic operation relating to a physical device in a computing system includes the steps of creating a generic base class, deriving a software object from a generic base class and representing the physical device as the derived software object.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Roderick W Stone