Arrangement for initiating a re-imaging process for a computer system
View Patent ↗An arrangement which eliminates the need to remove a computer system from its packaging in order to initiate a re-imaging process. Particularly, there is broadly contemplated herein the use of a position-sensitive switching arrangement, such as a mercury switch, that is configured to power selected control circuitry in a computer so as to receive additional information or data as needed to update imaging or other aspects of a computer's operating system.
1. An apparatus comprising:
an arrangement that updates at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of a packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said arrangement further comprising:
a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;
a charged battery;
a wireless interface; and
control circuitry configured to:
upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;
wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and
whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said control circuitry is configured for updating imaging of the packaged computer upon actuation of said position-sensitive switch.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said position-sensitive switch is actuable upon the packaged computer being tilted to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said position-sensitive switch is further actuable to deactivate said control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the packaged computer.
6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein:
said position-sensitive switch is actuable to activate said control circuitry upon the packaged computer being tilted to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and
said position-sensitive switch is actuable to deactivate said control circuitry upon the packaged computer being tilted to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees and the second predetermined angle is at least about 60 degrees.
8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said position-sensitive switch comprises a mercury switch.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the packaged computer is a laptop computer.
11. A method comprising the steps of:
without unpacking a packaged computer, updating at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of said packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said updating further comprising:
providing a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;
providing a charged battery;
providing a wireless interface;
providing control circuitry configured to:
upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;
wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and
whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of a said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said updating step comprises updating imaging of the packaged computer upon actuation of the position-sensitive switch.
13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said altering step comprises tilting the packaged computer to a predetermined angle with respect to horizontal.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the predetermined angle is at least about 45 degrees.
15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
said position-sensitive switch is further actuable to deactivate the control circuitry upon an altered positional state of the packaged computer; and
said method further comprises further altering a positional state of the packaged computer and deactivating the control circuitry.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein
said step of altering comprises: tilting the packaged computer to a first predetermined angle with respect to horizontal; and
tilting the packaged computer to a second predetermined angle with respect to horizontal, the second predetermined angle being greater than the first predetermined angle.
17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the position-sensitive switch comprises a mercury switch.
18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
the wireless interface comprises a wireless NIC; and
the packaged computer is a laptop computer.
19. A program storage device readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps, said method comprising the steps of:
without unpacking a packaged computer, updating at least one pre-configured aspect of a computer operating system of said packaged computer upon alteration of a positional state of said packaged computer, said updating further comprising:
providing a position-sensitive switch, said position-sensitive switch being embodied in a component that is connected to a main body of said packaged computer via a dedicated connector, said position-sensitive switch being actuable upon an altered positional state of said packaged computer;
providing a charged battery;
providing a wireless interface;
providing control circuitry configured to:
upon altering said positional state of said packaged computer and actuating said position-sensitive switch, power on said packaged computer utilizing said charged battery to an extent necessary to activate said wireless interface and a pre-boot execution protocol;
wherein said pre-boot execution protocol comprises accessing at least one server via a wireless connection and downloading at least one aspect of a computer operating system; and
whereby said at least one pre-configured aspect of said computer operating system is updated after altering said positional state of said packaged computer.