IP Library Granted Patent US 11,461,108
Granted Patent B2
US 11,461,108 · App. 17/067,325 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Use of driver and wired connection to diagnose device using disk image

Inventors: Marcelo da Costa Ferreira (São Paulo, BR); Mauri Carvalho (São Paulo, BR)
Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.
G06F9/4411H04L9/3247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,461,108
App. No.
17/067,325
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one aspect, a first device may include at least one processor and storage accessible to the at least one processor. The storage may include instructions executable by the at least one processor to load a driver responsive to a boot command, where the driver may be loaded prior to the first device loading a guest operating system (GOS) stored at the first device. The instructions may then be executable to use the driver to communicate with a second device to receive a disk image over a wired connection to the second device. The instructions may be further executable to continue booting the first device using the disk image rather than the GOS and to, responsive to the first device being booted using the disk image, communicate with the second device over the wired connection to diagnose one or more issues with the first device.

Claims (39)

1. A first device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

storage accessible to the at least one processor and comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to:

responsive to a boot command, load a driver, the driver being loaded prior to the first device loading a guest operating system (GOS) stored at the first device;

use the driver to communicate with a second device to report one or more parameters of the first device to the second device and to receive a disk image over a wired connection to the second device, the disk image being compatible with the one or more reported parameters, the second device being different from the first device, the one or more parameters relating to one or more of: a type of processor in the first device, a model of processor in the device, a type of random access memory (RAM) in the first device, a make of the first device, a model number of the first device, a serial number of the first device;

continue booting the first device using the disk image rather than the GOS; and

responsive to the first device being booted using the disk image, communicate with the second device over the wired connection to diagnose one or more issues with the first device.

2. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:

responsive to the first device being booted using the disk image, communicate with the second device over the wired connection for diagnosing and fixing the one or more issues with the first device.

3. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the driver is a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver.

4. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the reported system parameters are accessed by the at least one processor from read-only memory of the first device.

5. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more parameters relate at least to the serial number of the first device, and wherein the disk image is an .iso recovery image that is associated with the serial number.

6. The first device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions are executable to:

receive a digital signature signing the received disk image and verify the digital signature using a key; and

responsive to verifying the digital signature signing the disk image, continue booting the first device using the disk image.

7. A method, comprising:

responsive to receiving a boot command at a first device, loading a driver at the first device;

using the driver to communicate with a second device to report one or more parameters of the first device to the second device and to receive a disk image that is compatible with the one or more parameters, the second device being different from the first device, the one or more parameters relating to one or more of: a type of processor in the first device, a model of processor in the device, a type of random access memory (RAM) in the first device, a make of the first device, a model number of the first device, a serial number of the first device;

receiving a digital signature signing the received disk image and verifying the digital signature using a key;

responsive to verifying the digital signature signing the disk image, booting the first device using the disk image rather than a guest operating system (GOS) stored at the first device; and

responsive to the first device being booted using the disk image, communicating with the second device to diagnose one or more issues with the first device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters relate to one or more of: a type of processor in the first device, a model of processor in the device.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters relate to one or more of: a type of random access memory (RAM) in the first device.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters relate to one or more of: a make of the first device, a model number of the first device.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters relate at least to the serial number of the first device, and wherein the disk image is a recovery image that is associated with the serial number.

12. At least one computer readable storage medium (CRSM) that is not a transitory signal, the computer readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by at least one processor to:

detect, at a first device, a wired connection to a second device different from the first device;

present a graphical user interface (GUI) on a display accessible to the at least one processor, the GUI comprising a field to upload a photograph of a serial number of the second device as photographed using a camera on the first device;

search a database to identify an .iso recovery disk image as associated in the database with the serial number indicated via the photograph;

based on identifying the .iso recovery disk image, download the .iso recovery disk image;

based on detecting the wired connection, transmit the .iso recovery disk image to the second device over the wired connection; and

control, from the first device and over the wired connection, execution of the .iso recovery disk image as loaded at the second device to diagnose and attempt to fix one or more problems with the second device;

wherein the first device is a mobile device, wherein the wired connection comprises a universal serial bus (USB) wired connection, and wherein the .iso recovery disk image as transmitted to the second device is digitally signed by the first device.

13. The CRSM of claim 12 , wherein the GUI is a first GUI, and wherein the instructions are executable to:

present a second GUI on the display accessible to the at least one processor, the second GUI comprising at least a first selector and a second selector, the first selector being selectable to navigate to a first type of diagnostic commands to diagnose the second device, the second selector being selectable to navigate to a second type of diagnostic commands to diagnose the second device.

14. The CRSM of claim 13 , wherein the first and second types of diagnostic commands are selected from the group consisting of: diagnostic memory commands, diagnostic processor commands, diagnostic motherboard commands, diagnostic storage area commands.

15. The CRSM of claim 12 , wherein the GUI is a first GUI, and wherein the instructions are executable to:

present a second GUI on the display, the second GUI comprising a selector that is selectable to command the first device to download the .iso recovery disk image and then transmit the .iso recovery disk image to the second device over the wired connection.

16. The CRSM of claim 12 , wherein the .iso recovery disk image is identified by the first device for download based on one or more parameters of the second device as reported by the second device over the wired connection.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
To: LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH
Reel/Frame 070269/0092 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO PC INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 070269/0019 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 12, 2020
From: DA COSTA FERREIRA, MARCELO; CARVALHO, MAURI
To: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 054028/0433 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220113984A1 · Apr 14, 2022