Patent Publication Number: US-2023153118-A1

Title: Computer system and booting method thereof

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial No. 110142430, filed on Nov. 15, 2021. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of the specification. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to a computer system, and in particular, to a booting method of the computer system. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     When a graphics card is installed on a mainboard of a conventional computer system, signal attenuation is easily caused because a connection interface between the mainboard and the graphics card is unstable or an extension cord is used. Consequently, there is no image displayed on a display. 
     To resolve the problem, a user changes a connection manner between the graphics card and the mainboard, or enters a basic input/output system (BIOS) to modify settings of the graphics card. However, these operations are quite complex, and it is difficult for the user to enter the BIOS to modify the settings when the display fails to display. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The disclosure provides a booting method, applied to a computer system. The computer system includes a transmission interface, a power key, and a trigger element. The transmission interface includes a transmission specification and is electrically connected to a graphics card, and the power key is used for driving the computer system to perform a booting procedure. The booting method includes: detecting, in the booting procedure, whether the trigger element is triggered or not; and lowering the transmission specification and restarting the computer system when the trigger element is triggered. 
     The disclosure further provides a computer system. The computer system includes a mainboard, a trigger element, and a power key. The mainboard includes a transmission interface. The transmission interface includes a transmission specification and is electrically connected to a graphics card. The trigger element is electrically connected to the mainboard. The power key is electrically connected to the mainboard, and is used for driving the computer system to perform a booting procedure. The mainboard detects, in the booting procedure, whether the trigger element is triggered or not, and lowers the transmission specification and restarts when the trigger element is triggered. 
     By using the computer system and the booting method thereof provided in the disclosure, when there is no image displayed on a display, a user presses the trigger element to display the graphics card normally, thereby facilitating simplification of a debugging procedure of the user when the display fails to display normally. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system according to the disclosure; 
         FIG.  2    is a flowchart of an embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure; 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart of another embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure; and 
         FIG.  4    is a flowchart of still another embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     More detailed descriptions of specific embodiments of the disclosure are provided below with reference to the schematic diagrams. The advantages and features of the disclosure are described more clearly according to the following descriptions and claims. It should be noted that all of the drawings use very simplified forms and imprecise proportions, only being used for assisting in conveniently and clearly explaining the objective of the embodiments of the disclosure. 
       FIG.  1    is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a computer system according to the disclosure. The computer system  10  is a computer host, or a notebook computer, or another electronic device in which a graphics card is installed for a user to operate. 
     As shown in the figure, the computer system  10  includes a mainboard  12 , a keyboard module  14 , and a power key  16 . 
     The mainboard  12  includes a processing unit  121 , a transmission interface  122 , an input interface  124 , and a memory  126 . In an embodiment, the processing unit  121  is a central processing unit (CPU). The transmission interface  122  is configured to be electrically connected to a graphics card  20 . The input interface  124  is configured to be connected to the keyboard module  14 . A basic input/output system (BIOS)  1262  is stored inside the memory  126 . The processing unit  121  is electrically connected to the transmission interface  122 , the input interface  124 , and the memory  126 . 
     In an embodiment, the transmission interface  122  is a PCI-E interface. A transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  is a transmission specification under a PCI-E standard, such as PCI-E 5.0, PCI-E 4.0, or PCI-E 3.0. In an embodiment, the input interface  124  is a universal serial bus (USB) interface. The memory  126  is an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM) or another read only memory still remaining a record after a power outage. 
     The keyboard module  14  is electrically connected to the mainboard  12 , to function as a user to control the input interface of the computer system  10 . In an embodiment, the keyboard module  14  includes a trigger element  142 , and the trigger element  142  is a functional key such as a functional key F9 that is not given a specific function for a booting procedure. 
     In an embodiment, the trigger element  142  is a switch, or a jumper, or another electronic element that produces a variety of different outputs. The switch is a push-button switch, a multi-section switch, a toggle switch, a membrane switch, or the like. In addition to being disposed on the keyboard module  14 , the trigger element  142  is alternatively disposed on the mainboard  12  or another input interface, or is disposed independently. 
     In an embodiment, the trigger element  142  further provides an auxiliary function by being used with a piezoelectric element, a light-emitting element, a vibration element, a sound-emitting element, or the like. In an embodiment, when the trigger element  142  is triggered, a ray of light is emitted through the light-emitting element, to prompt a successful trigger to a user. 
     The power key  16  is electrically connected to the mainboard  12 , and is configured to be connected to a power supply, to cause the computer system  10  to perform the booting procedure. In an embodiment, the power key  16  is an independent key. 
     After the booting procedure is started, the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12  loads the BIOS  1262  first, and detects whether the trigger element  142  is triggered or not through the input interface  124 . When it is detected in the booting procedure that the trigger element  142  is triggered, the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12  lowers the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  and restarts. 
     In an embodiment, if the transmission interface  122  is a PCI-E interface and supports a highest transmission specification of PCI-E 4.0, the mainboard  12  lowers the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  from PCI-E 4.0 to PCI-E 3.0 when the trigger element  142  is triggered. 
     In another embodiment, if the transmission interface  122  is a PCI-E interface and supports a highest transmission specification of PCI-E 5.0, the mainboard  12  lowers the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  from PCI-E 5.0 to PCI-E 4.0, or PCI-E 3.0, or PCI-E 2.0 when the trigger element  142  is triggered. 
     In addition to lowering the transmission specification, the mainboard  12  alternatively lowers a data transmission rate, or a bandwidth, or the number of channels of the transmission interface  122  when the trigger element  122  is triggered. 
     In an embodiment, the user presses the power key  16  to cause the computer system  10  to start to perform the booting procedure. In another embodiment, a specific key of the keyboard module  14  is pressed, or the computer system  10  is controlled by a software program to start the booting procedure. 
     The transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  is recorded in the BIOS  1262 . In an embodiment, if the transmission interface  122  is a PCI-E interface and supports a highest transmission specification of PCI-E 4.0, all transmission specifications that are supported downward and below PCI-E 4.0 are recorded in the BIOS  1262 . 
     In an embodiment, current settings of the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  are recorded in the BIOS  1262 . When the trigger element  142  is triggered, the settings of the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  in the BIOS  1262  are modified, and then the booting procedure is continued according to the modified transmission specification. Due to characteristics of the memory  126 , the modified transmission specification remains even if the computer system  10  is powered off. 
     In an embodiment, to help the user to determine a running state of the booting procedure, a time point at which the trigger element  142  is pressed to reduce the transmission specification is learned. The mainboard  12  further includes an indicator light  128 . The indicator light  128  indicates a current state of the computer system  10  using a signal, for example, the computer system  10  is in the booting procedure, or the computer system  10  fails to boot, or the computer system  10  completes the booting procedure. 
       FIG.  2    is a flowchart of an embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure. The booting method is applicable to the computer system  10  shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     First, as described in step S 120 , the booting procedure is entered. In this step, the user presses the power key  16  to cause the computer system  10  to start the booting procedure. In another embodiment, a specific key of the keyboard module  14  is pressed, or the computer system  10  is controlled by a software program to start the booting procedure. 
     Then, as described in step S 140 , whether the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered or not is determined. In other words, in this step, whether the transmission interface  122  is set to transmit by a highest transmission specification or not is determined. In an embodiment, in step S 140 , whether the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered to a secondary or lower transmission specification or not is determined by the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12  through the BIOS  1262  of the mainboard  12 . 
     When the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered, this process goes to step S 150  of continuing the booting procedure according to the lowered transmission specification. 
     When the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has not been lowered, this process goes to step S 160  of detecting whether the trigger element  142  is detected or not. In an embodiment, in step S 160 , whether the trigger element  142  on the keyboard module  14  is triggered or not is determined by the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12  through the input interface  124 . 
     When the trigger element  142  is not triggered, this process goes to step S 170  of performing the booting procedure according to the transmission specification before being lowered. 
     When the trigger element  142  is triggered, this process goes to step S 180  of lowering the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122 . Then, this process goes back to step S 120  of reentering the booting procedure according to the settings in the BIOS  1262  after the transmission specification is lowered. Step S 180  is performed by the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12 . 
     In an embodiment, in step S 180 , the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  is lowered to the secondary transmission specification from the highest transmission specification supported by the transmission interface  122 . In an embodiment, if the transmission interface  122  is a PCI-E interface and supports a highest transmission specification of PCI-E 4.0, in step S 180 , the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  is lowered from PCI-E 4.0 to PCI-E 3.0. In an embodiment, in step S 180 , the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  is lowered downward by one level from the current setting. 
     It should be noted that, step S 160  needs to be performed in the booting procedure of the computer system  10 . If the trigger element  142  is still not triggered after the booting procedure is completed, this process goes to step S 170  of performing the booting procedure according to the transmission specification before being lowered. 
       FIG.  3    is a flowchart of another embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure. The booting method is applicable to the computer system  10  shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     Compared with the booting method in  FIG.  2   , in the booting method of this embodiment, after step S 180  of lowering the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122 , step S 285  of displaying a prompt image is performed, to inform the user that the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered. Then, with the lowered transmission specification, this process goes back to step S 120  of reentering the booting procedure. Step S 285  is performed by the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12 . 
     Other steps of this process are similar to those in the embodiment in  FIG.  2   , and details are not described herein. 
       FIG.  4    is a flowchart of still another embodiment of a booting method according to the disclosure. The booting method is applicable to the computer system  10  shown in  FIG.  1   . 
     Compared with the booting method in  FIG.  2   , in the booting method of this embodiment, after step S 140  of determining that the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered, step S 345  of displaying a prompt image is performed, to inform the user that the transmission specification of the transmission interface  122  has been lowered. Then, this process goes to step S 150  of continuing the booting procedure according to the lowered transmission specification. Step S 345  is performed by the processing unit  121  of the mainboard  12 . 
     Other steps of this process are similar to those in the embodiment in  FIG.  2   , and details are not described herein. 
     Conventionally, for the problem of no display caused by an unstable transmission interface between the mainboard and the graphics card or signal attenuation, the user needs to change a connection manner between the graphics card and the mainboard, or enter the BIOS to modify the settings of the graphics card. However, these operations are quite complex. By comparison, by using the computer system  10  and the booting method thereof provided in the disclosure, when there is no image displayed on a display, the user presses the trigger element  142  to display the graphics card  20  normally, thereby facilitating simplification of a debugging procedure of the user when the display fails to display normally. 
     The above are merely preferred embodiments of the disclosure, and do not constitute any limitation on the disclosure. Any form of equivalent replacements or modifications to the technical means and technical content disclosed in the disclosure made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the technical means of the disclosure still falls within the content of the technical means of the disclosure and the protection scope of the disclosure.