Personal computer employing reset button to enter ROM-based diagnostics
Patent 5398333 Issued on March 14, 1995. Estimated Expiration Date: 
March 22, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.
March 22, 2013. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.Patent ReferencesComputer system having system feature extension software containing a self-describing feature table for accessing I/O devices according to machine-independent format Patent #: 5291585 InventorsAssigneeApplicationNo. 034056 filed on 03/22/1993US Classes:714/36, Test sequence at power-up or initialization713/1, DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM INITIALIZATION OR CONFIGURATION (E.G., INITIALIZING, SET UP, CONFIGURATION, OR RESETTING)713/2Loading initialization program (e.g., booting, rebooting, warm booting, remote booting, BIOS, initial program load (IPL), bootstrapping)ExaminersPrimary: Canney, Vincent P.Attorney, Agent or FirmInternational ClassG06F 009/00AbstractDisclosed are a system and method for providing user-invocable, non disk-based diagnostics routines for a personal computer. The method comprises the steps of (1) storing a diagnostics routine capable of performing diagnostic tests on portions of the personal computer in ROM, (2) monitoring a status of a reset button coupled to the personal computer and (3) executing the diagnostics routine if the reset button is pressed twice within a preselected period of time. The disclosed system and method allow a user to control the invocation of a diagnostics routine that needs a minimum of functioning computer hardware to execute. | |
