IP Library Patent Application 13302215
Patent Application
App. No. 13/302,215

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR UPDATING BIOS PROGRAM FOR COMPUTER SYSTEM

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
13/302,215
Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and a device for updating a BIOS program for a computer system. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: determining whether the computer system enters an update mode; enabling a network device if the computer system enters the update mode; connecting to a BIOS server via a network; downloading BIOS update information to the computer system from the BIOS server, and updating the BIOS program of the computer system based on the BIOS update information.

Claims (28)

1 . A method for updating a BIOS program for a computer system, comprising the steps of:

determining whether the computer system enters an update mode;

activating a network device if the computer system enters the update mode;

connecting to a BIOS server via a network;

downloading BIOS update information to the computer system from the BIOS server; and

updating the BIOS program of the computer system based on the BIOS update information.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether the computer system enters the update mode further comprises a detecting step to detect whether the updated BIOS program is normal, and if the updated BIOS program is not normal, the computer system enters the update mode.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , before the step of activating the network device, further comprising a selection step to select one of a plurality of download methods of the BIOS update information.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the download methods of the BIOS update information comprise a network download method and an external storage device download method.

5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein the external storage download method uses at least one external storage device to store the BIOS update information for downloading to the computer system.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , after the step of connecting to the BIOS server, further comprising a verifying step to provide related verifying information of the computer system to the BIOS server, wherein the BIOS server verifies the related verifying information of the computer system.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , after the step of downloading the BIOS update information, further comprising a check step to check the legality and correctness of the BIOS update information.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of determining whether the computer system enters the update mode further comprises an active update step in the manufacturing stage of the computer system to enable the computer system to actively enter the update mode.

9 . A device for updating a BIOS program for a computer system, comprising:

an update mode driving device for determining whether the computer system enter the update mode, and generating an update mode signal;

a network device connecting to the update mode driving device, wherein the network device is activated based on the update mode signal, then the network device connects to a BIOS server via a network and downloads BIOS update information from the BIOS server;

a memory for storing the BIOS update information; and

a controller for updating the BIOS program of the computer system based on the BIOS update information.

10 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the update mode driving device further comprises a detecting module to detect whether the BIOS program of the computer system is normal and if the updated BIOS program is not normal, the computer system enters the update mode.

11 . The device according to claim 9 , further comprising a selection module to provide a plurality of BIOS update information download options, wherein user can select one of the BIOS update information download options.

12 . The device according to claim 11 , wherein the BIOS update information download options comprise a network download option and a download option of an external storage device.

13 . The device according to claim 12 , further comprising at least one external storage device interface to communicate at least one external storage device to download and store the BIOS update information of the at least one external storage device.

14 . The device according to claim 13 , further comprising an update file driving device to select the BIOS update information from the at least one external storage device.

15 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the network device comprises a safety stack driving device to provide the related verifying information of the computer system to the BIOS server, wherein the related verifying information of the computer system is verified by the BIOS server.

16 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the network device further comprises a network driving device, a network stack driving device and a network storage driving device, the network driving device activates the network device based on the update mode signal, the network stack driving device generates data packet based on a network protocol, and the network storage driving device communicates with the BIOS server.

17 . The device according to claim 9 , further comprising a check module to check the legitimacy and correctness of the BIOS update information.

18 . The device according to claim 9 , wherein the update model driving device further comprises an active update module to enable the computer system to actively enter the update mode.

19 . The device according to claim 9 , further comprising a simulation interface module to communicate with the network device.

Assignments (2)
IP SECURITY AGREEMENT - PATENTS Recorded Sep 30, 2013
From: PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
To: CERBERUS BUSINESS FINANCE, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031315/0700 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2011
From: LIN, FENG YUN
To: PHOENIX TECHNOLOGIES LTD.
Reel/Frame 027266/0666 →