The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 22, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 15, 1998
Dell U.S.A. L.P., Roundrock, TX (US);
Abstract
An automatic IR port detection device is provided in a portable computer including a first and a second transceiver data port. An external device is adjacent the computer and includes at least one external transceiver data port. An IR port detection and scanning program in the computer is actuated by an initiating key combination. A controller in the computer generates a systems management interrupt in response to the initiating key combination being actuated. An IR scan timer is initiated in response to the systems management interrupt being generated. A system BIOS in the computer actuates the first transceiver data port to scan for an external IR signal and sequentially actuates the second transceiver data port to scan for the external IR signal in response to the absence of the external IR signal received by the first transceiver data port. The IR scan timer is resettable in the absence of the IR signal being received from the external transceiver data port by either of the first and second transceiver data ports.