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:
Jun. 04, 2002
Filed:
Jan. 12, 1999
Frank L. Wu, Austin, TX (US);
Dell USA, L.P., Round Rock, TX (US);
Abstract
A computer systems implemented with I O devices having no Option ROM associated therewith needs to boot an OS from such an I O device without restricting the arrangement of the system BIOS boot sequence. A Virtual Option ROM is integrated into the system BIOS boot sequence code so that the BIOS can detect an I O device, and then get instructions from the Virtual Option ROM to initialize an I O Platform of an I O subsystem, wherein the I O device resides. Once the communication between the I O subsystem and the BIOS is subsequently achieved, the OS can be booted from the I O device. Further, by implementing the Virtual ROM, an I O device having no real Option ROM attached thereto can also be identified and used as a system boot device in a selective boot process. The initialization process of an IOP is skipped if a non-I O bootable device has been found before the detection of an I O device during the Power On Self Test.