Systems and methods for automating pre-boot soft keyboard behavior based on system context
An information handling system may include a processor, a display device communicatively coupled to the processor, and a basic input/output system (BIOS) communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to cause the processor to, during a pre-boot environment of the information handling system, collect contextual information regarding the information handling system, based on the contextual information, determine whether to enable soft keyboard functionality, and responsive to a determination to enable soft keyboard functionality, cause display of soft keyboard functionality to the display device.
1. An information handling system comprising:
a processor;
a display device communicatively coupled to the processor; and
a basic input/output system (BIOS) communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to cause the processor to, during a pre-boot environment of the information handling system:
register a soft keyboard driver, configured to analyze a system context of information handling system and determine whether to enable soft keyboard functionality, with a consplitter driver configured to handle user I/O interactions during the pre-boot environment;
collect contextual information indicative of the system context, wherein the contextual information includes information indicative of whether the information handling system has experienced a boot failure during a recent boot attempt;
based on the contextual information, determine, by the soft keyboard driver, whether to enable soft keyboard functionality; and
responsive to a determination to enable soft keyboard functionality, cause display of an interactive soft keyboard icon to the display device during the pre-boot environment.
2. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the interactive soft keyboard icon enables entry of information in response to user interaction with the soft keyboard icon.
3. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a physical keyboard is communicatively coupled to an input/output subsystem of the information handling system.
4. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether any input/output errors have been detected in connection with execution of the BIOS.
5. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a process executing on the processor is presently seeking user input.
6. The information handling system of claim 1 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether user presence detection logic of the information handling system detects the presence of a user at the information handling system.
7. A method comprising, in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of an information handling system during a pre-boot environment of the information handling system:
registering a soft keyboard driver, configured to analyze a system context of information handling system and determine whether to enable soft keyboard functionality, with a consplitter driver configured to handle user I/O interactions during the pre-boot environment;
collecting contextual information indicative of the system context, wherein the contextual information includes information indicative of whether the information handling system has experienced a boot failure during a recent boot attempt;
based on the contextual information, determining, by the soft keyboard driver, whether to enable soft keyboard functionality; and
responsive to a determination to enable soft keyboard functionality, causing display of an interactive soft keyboard icon to a display device of the information handling system during the pre-boot environment.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the interactive soft keyboard icon enables entry of information in response to user interaction with the soft keyboard icon.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a physical keyboard is communicatively coupled to an input/output subsystem of the information handling system.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether any input/output errors have been detected in connection with execution of the BIOS.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a process executing on the processor is presently seeking user input.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether user presence detection logic of the information handling system detects the presence of a user at the information handling system.
13. An article of manufacture comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium; and
computer-executable instructions carried on the computer readable medium, the instructions readable by a processor, the instructions, when read and executed, for causing the processor to, in a basic input/output system (BIOS) of an information handling system during a pre-boot environment of the information handling system:
register a soft keyboard driver, configured to analyze a system context of information handling system and determine whether to enable soft keyboard functionality, with a consplitter driver configured to handle user I/O interactions during the pre-boot environment;
collect contextual information indicative of the system context, wherein the contextual information includes information indicative of whether the information handling system has experienced a boot failure during a recent boot attempt;
based on the contextual information, determine, by the soft keyboard driver, whether to enable soft keyboard functionality; and
responsive to a determination to enable soft keyboard functionality, cause display of an interactive soft keyboard icon to the display device during the pre-boot environment.
14. The article of claim 13 , wherein the interactive soft keyboard icon enables entry of information in response to user interaction with the soft keyboard icon.
15. The article of claim 13 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a physical keyboard is communicatively coupled to an input/output subsystem of the information handling system.
16. The article of claim 13 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether any input/output errors have been detected in connection with execution of the BIOS.
17. The article of claim 13 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether a process executing on the processor is presently seeking user input.
18. The article of claim 13 , wherein the contextual information comprises information indicative of whether user presence detection logic of the information handling system detects the presence of a user at the information handling system.