Abstract:
The invention discloses a device information collecting method in a computer system including the following steps: booting a computer system and entering an operating system; executing a collecting application program in the operating system for detecting a plurality of device information and settings in the computer system and storing the device information and settings as a log file and building up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a device information collecting method and, more particularly, to a device information collecting method in a computer system and the computer system using thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     As everyone knows, computer manufacturers usually have a maintenance center or a customer service center. When a user has problems in operating a computer system, he or she may contact the maintenance center or the customer service center to solve problems generated in the computer system. 
     When the user cannot bring the computer system to the maintenance center, he or she may state the problem generated in the computer system to the contact staff in telephone. Generally, the contact staff first inquires the device information of the user&#39;s computer system and then builds up a virtual reference computer system whose device information and settings are the same as those of the user&#39;s computer system. Afterwards, the contact staff finds out and solves the problems in the computer system according to the built-up virtual reference computer system and the statement of the user. The device information and settings of the computer system includes the information of a central processing unit (CPU) model, a hard disk model, an interface card model, a memory model and capacitance, basic input/output system (BIOS) settings, a motherboard model and so on. 
     To get the device information and settings of the computer system, the user needs to enter the BIOS to view the settings as well as the device information in the device manager of the operating system. Afterwards, users shall inform the contact staff about the device information and settings through telephone. However, it is time-consuming for a user that is not familiar with computer systems to check the information, and the user may make mistakes to state the device information and settings to the contact staff on phone. As a result, the contact staff is hard to get related information to solve the problem. Moreover, the contact staff has to communicate with the user for many times to ensure the device information and settings of the computer system, which makes the user impatient, and the contact staff may need longer time to solve the problem. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention discloses a device information collecting method in a computer system. The present invention utilizes a collecting application program to store device information and settings of the computer system as a log file, thereby allowing a contact staff to build up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file. 
     The invention discloses a device information collecting method in a computer system. The method includes the steps as follows: booting a computer system and entering an operating system; executing a collecting application program in the operating system to detect a plurality of device information and settings in the computer system and storing the device information and settings as a log file; and building up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file. 
     The invention further discloses a device information collecting method in a computer system including the steps as follows: switching a first connecting port in a first computer system to an embedded controller in the first computer system; connecting the first connecting port to a second connecting port in a second computer system; executing a collecting application program in the second computer system for detecting a plurality of device information and settings in the first computer system and storing the device information and settings as a log file; and building up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file. 
     In addition, the invention further discloses a computer system including a CPU, a BIOS, an embedded controller, a connecting port, a path switching unit connected to the connecting port and the embedded controller and a control chip connected to the CPU, the BIOS, the embedded controller and the path switching unit. When the computer system is not booted, the path switching unit controls the connecting port to connect the embedded controller, thereby allowing another computer system to retrieve data in a memory unit of the embedded controller. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings. 
         FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing the device information collecting method in the computer system in the first embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing the computer system in the second embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing the device information collecting method in the computer system in the second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     According to the first embodiment of the invention, a collecting application program is used to store device information and settings of a computer system as a log file. Then, the user may send the log file to a contact staff by email for the contact staff to build up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file and find out problems quickly. The device information and settings in the log file include the information of a CPU model, a hard disk model, an interface card model, a memory model and capacity, BIOS settings, a motherboard model and so on. 
       FIG. 1  is a flow chart showing the device information collecting method in the computer system in the first embodiment of the invention. As shown in the first embodiment of the invention, the computer system is able to be booted and an operating system also can be executed. In step S 10 , the user boots the computer system and enters the operating system. In step S 12 , the collecting application program is executed to store device information and settings of the computer system as a log file. In step S 14 , the log file is transmitted to the contact staff to build up a virtual reference computer system. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing the computer system in the second embodiment of the invention. The motherboard  200  of the computer system has a CPU  210 , a control chip  215 , a memory  240 , a graphics processing unit (GPU)  250 , an embedded controller  274 , a path switching unit  272 , a USB port  270  and a BIOS  264 . The control chip  215  is connected to the CPU  210 , the BIOS  264 , the embedded controller  274  and the path switching unit  272 . The path switching unit  272  is further connected to the embedded controller  274  and the USB port  270 . In addition, the embedded controller  274  further includes a memory unit  276 , and the embedded controller  274  may retrieve the device information and settings in the BIOS  264  and store them in the memory unit  276 . The memory unit  276  herein is a non-volatile memory. 
     According to the second embodiment of the invention, the path switching unit  272  is a switch disposed on the motherboard  200 . When the computer system is booted and the computer is in a normal operation status, the USB port  270  connects to the control chip  215  controlling by the path switching unit  272 . The USB port  270  connects to a USB device (not shown). The computer system herein can be a USB host for accessing the USB device connected to the USB port  270 . In addition, when the computer system is not booted, the user controls the path switching unit  272  to connect the USB port  270  to the embedded controller  274 . The embedded controller  274  herein may be considered as a USB device, and the USB port  270  may be connected to another computer system (not shown) such as a notebook computer, which is considered as a USB host. Therefore, the other computer system may retrieve data in the memory unit  276  in the embedded controller  274 . 
       FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing the device information collecting method in the computer system in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment, the user&#39;s computer system cannot be booted. In step S 20 , the user controls the path switching unit  272  in the first computer system to connect the USB port  270  to the embedded controller  274 . In step S 22 , the USB port  270  of the first computer system is connected to the USB port of the second computer system. In step S 24 , the collecting application program is executed in the second computer system to store the device information and settings of the first computer system as a log file. In step S 26 , the log file is transmitted to the contact staff to build up a virtual reference computer system. 
     As shown in the above, the collecting application program is executed in the second computer system to retrieve the device information and settings stored in the memory unit  276  in the embedded controller  274 . After executing the collecting application program, the second computer system stores the device information and settings of the first computer system as a log file. 
     Furthermore, the control chip may include a south bridge chip and a north bridge chip. In advanced computer systems, the control chip also may be integrated in the CPU. The ways in which the two types of computer systems are used as the first computer system to obtain log files are the same as that in second embodiment, and it is not illustrated thereto. 
     Therefore, the invention discloses a device information collecting method used in a computer system, which may use a collecting application program to store the device information and settings of the computer system as a log file. Therefore, the contact staff may build up a virtual reference computer system according to the log file. 
     In addition, in the invention, the way of connecting the first computer system and the second computer system is not limited to use USB ports, and a skilled person in the art may use other connecting ports such as an IEEE 1394 port, a network port and so on to achieve the present invention, which is also not limited. 
     Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, the disclosure is not for limiting the scope of the invention. Persons having ordinary skill in the art may make various modifications and changes without departing from the scope. Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiments described above.