System for automatically determining I/O connector configuration
View Patent ↗A system for automatically determining a configuration of an I/O connector panel is disclosed. The system provides information about the capabilities of the connector card to a memory within the connector card, examining the information in the memory. The system further downloads at least one driver to a system coupled to the I/O connector panel based upon the examined information. The I/O capabilities of a platform (as determined by an I/O panel or other hardware that contains some identification mechanism that defines the I/O capabilities) is within the connector card. This mechanism is then used to determine what software to “preload” into a system so that as new I/O devices are added in the field, the required software for these devices has already been preloaded.
1. An input/output (I/O) connector panel comprising:
a plurality of I/O connectors; and
a memory containing information describing capabilities of the I/O connector panel, prior to connecting one or more peripherals to the I/O connector panel, wherein the information further comprises combinations of different types of connectors, wherein each connector provides a connection point between an I/O device and the system, wherein the information is examined in the memory, wherein at least one driver is downloaded from a network to a system coupled to the I/O connector panel based upon the examined information, wherein the at least one driver works with a device capable of being supported by the I/O connector panel, wherein the I/O device function is determined based on the information about the capabilities contained in the memory.
2. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein software that is independent of the type of I/O connector panel downloads the at least one driver.
3. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein the system comprises a core PC function block that is configured independently of the I/O connector panel.
4. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein the information comprises attributes of a type of the I/O connector panel, each connector installed on the I/O connector panel, and attributes of connector logic that links the I/O connector panel to the system.
5. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein the memory contains attributes of the I/O connector panel and attributes of each connector installed on the connector panel.
6. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein the memory comprises an electronically erasable read-only memory (EEROM).
7. The connector panel of claim 1 further comprising connector logic coupled to the memory for I/O distribution.
8. The connector panel of claim 1 wherein the system is a point of sale (POS), and the device is any one of printer, display, and keyboard.
9. A processing system comprising:
a core PC function block; and
at least one input/output (I/O) connector panel coupled to the core PC function, the at least one connector panel comprising:
a plurality of I/O connectors; and
a memory containing information describing capabilities of the I/O connector panel, prior to connecting one or more peripherals to the I/O connector panel, wherein the information further comprises combinations of different types of connectors, wherein each connector provides a connection point between an I/O device and the system, wherein the information is examined in the memory, wherein at least one driver is downloaded from a network to a system coupled to the I/O connector panel based upon the examined information, wherein the at least one driver works with a device capable of being supported by the I/O connector panel, wherein the I/O device function is determined based on the information about the capabilities contained in the memory.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein software that is independent of the type of I/O connector panel downloads the at least one driver.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the core PC function block is configured independently of the I/O connector panel.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the information comprises attributes of a type of the I/O connector panel, each connector installed on the I/O connector panel, and attributes of connector logic that links the I/O connector panel to the system.
13. The system of claim 9 wherein the memory contains attributes of the I/O connector panel and attributes of each connector installed on the connector panel.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the memory comprises an electronically erasable read-only memory (EEROM).
15. The system of claim 9 further comprising connector logic coupled to the memory for I/O distribution.
16. The processing system of claim 9 wherein the system is a point of sale (POS), and the device is any one of printer, display, and keyboard.