Patent Publication Number: US-2005144432-A1

Title: Method for updating BIOS setting

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      This invention generally relates to a method for updating BIOS setting, and more particularly to a method for simplification of updating BIOS setting.  
      2. Description of Related Art  
      As the technology advances, the data processing device have been widely applied to every field and provide more versatile functions. However, almost all data processing devices require the BIOS (Basic Input Output System).  
       FIG. 1  shows the interaction between the conventional BIOS firmware and the CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) hardware. Referring to  FIG. 1 , BIOS of a computer system will read or write RAM (random access memory) made of CMOS. BIOS can read/write on the CMOS to obtain the current configuration of the computer system, or record the setting of the configuration of the computer system (e.g., the time of the system) to the CMOS memory and set the proper environment for turning on the system.  
       FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are flow charts of the conventional BIOS when turning on the system. First, when the power of the system is turned on, a data processing device will perform a power-on self test (POST) (step  100 ). The data processing device will subsequently check the keyboard status and perform specific key-in commands (step  110 ). Then the data processing device detects the memory thereof and the setting status of the memory (step  120 ), and detects the peripheral devices thereof and the setting statuses of the devices (step  130 ). The data processing device will determine whether to enter into the BIOS setup menu (step  140 ). If the BIOS setup menu is not entered, the BIOS setup procedure ends and the flow is finished; otherwise, if the BIOS setup menu is not entered, the user interface of the setup menu will be shown and the flow goes to the setup procedure (step  150 ). After the foregoing procedure, it will determine whether to exit from the setup menu (step  160 ). If not, step  150  is repeated. If yes, then it will re-confirm whether the setting is saved (step  170 ). If the user chooses not to save the setting, the flow is finished. If the user chooses to save the setting, the BIOS setting will be saved to a CMOS (step  180 ) and the flow is then finished.  
      As shown in  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , a computer system after power-on will perform a POST via BIOS, and check and set the statuses of the system. If the user chooses not to enter into the BIOS setup menu, BIOS completes the procedure for turning on the computer. On the other hand, if the user chooses to enter into the BIOS setup menu, the BIOS will enter into the setup procedure so that the user can change the configuration of the computer system and save the change to the CMOS memory and choose to exit from the setup menu. Upon exiting from the setup menu, BIOS will automatically reset and restart the system to effect the change.  
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are conventional flow chart for updating the BIOS setting. First, when power of the system is turned on, a data processing device will perform a POST (step  200 ). The data processing device will subsequently check the keyboard status and perform specific key-in commands (step  210 ). Then the data processing device detects the memory thereof and the setting status of the memory (step  220 ), and detects the peripheral devices thereof and the setting statuses of the devices (step  230 ). The data processing device will determine whether to enter into the BIOS setup menu (step  240 ). If the BIOS setup menu is not entered, the BIOS setup procedure ends and the flow is finished; otherwise, if the BIOS setup menu is entered, the user interface of the setup menu will be shown and the flow goes to the setup procedure (step  250 ). Then the user changes the BIOS setting (step  260 ). After the foregoing procedure, it will be determined whether to exit from the setup menu (step  270 ). If not, step  250  is repeated. If yes, then it will re-confirm whether the setting is saved (step  280 ). If the user chooses not to save the setting, the flow is finished. If the user chooses to save the setting, the BIOS setting will be saved to a CMOS (step  290 ) and the flow is then finished.  
      As described in the foregoing, to change the BIOS setting, the user has to enter into the setup menu and manually changes each item, which wastes a lot of time (at least 35 seconds) and causes the inconvenience of the user. Hence, how to effectively and flexibly update the BIOS setting is an important issue.  
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
      In the light of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for updating BIOS setting allowing the user to change the setting in a few second after power-on in order to save the time and make it more convenient for the user to update the BIOS setting.  
      The present invention provides a method for updating a basic input output system (BIOS), comprising the following steps: providing a memory to store at least one system configuration setting; performing a power-on self testing by a data processing device; the data processing device checking a keyboard status, performing specific key-in commands, and determining whether the set of system configuration settings is triggered; the data processing device detecting the memory thereof and a setting status of the memory; the data processing device detecting peripheral devices thereof and a setting status of the peripheral devices; determining whether to enter into a setup menu of the BIOS; displaying a user interface of the setup menu and functions of the system configuration setting selected by the user; determining whether to exit from the setup menu; confirming whether to save a change of the system configuration setting; and saving the change of the system configuration setting into a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS).  
      It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
      The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
       FIG. 1  shows the interaction between the conventional BIOS firmware and the CMOS hardware.  
       FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b  are flow charts illustrating the conventional BIOS when turning on the system.  
       FIGS. 3   a  and  3   b  are flow charts illustrating conventional procedure of updating the BIOS setting.  
       FIG. 4  is a diagram showing the interaction between the BIOS firmware and the CMOS hardware, after an additional memory is added, of the present invention.  
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are flow charts of the BIOS when turning on the system in accordance with the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  is a flow chart illustrating a method for fast changing the BIOS setting in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       FIG. 4  shows the interaction between the BIOS firmware and the CMOS hardware, after an additional memory is added, of the present invention. After the additional memory is added, additional functions can be added into the conventional BIOS power-on procedure. With those additional functions, more sets of system configuration settings can be saved in order to more conveniently and faster change different system configuration settings.  
      As shown in  FIG. 4 , the present invention uses additional memory to backup the data in CMOS, i.e., the memory is used to store the configuration of the computer system. When the additional memory  30  has sufficient space, a plurality of settings of the CMOS data can be backed up in the memory  30 .  
       FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  are flow charts showing the BIOS when turning on the system in accordance with the method of updating the BIOS of the present invention. The process is described as follows.  
      First, a memory  30  is set to store at least one set of system configuration settings (step  300 ). A power-on self test is performed by a data processing device  30  (step  310 ). Then the data processing device  50  checks the keyboard status and performs specific key-in commands, and determines whether the set of system configuration settings is triggered (step  320 ). If the set of system configuration settings is triggered, then the data processing device  50  further determines which one of the set of system configuration settings is triggered (step  330 ) and the flow returns to the step  310 . If the set of system configuration settings is not triggered, the data processing device  50  detects the computer system memory and the setting status of the memory (step  340 ). Then the data processing device  50  detects the peripheral devices of the data processing device  50  and the setting status of the peripheral devices (step  350 ) in order to determine whether to enter into a setup menu of the BIOS  10  (step  360 ). If the BIOS setup menu is not entered, the BIOS setup procedure ends and the flow is finished. If the BIOS setup menu is entered, a user interface of the setup menu will be displayed to show functions of the system configuration setting selected by the user (step  370 ). After the foregoing procedure, it will be determined whether to exit from the setup menu (step  380 ). If not, the step  370  is repeated. If yes, then it confirms whether to save the change of the BIOS setting (step  390 ). If the user chooses not to save the setting, the flow is finished. If the user chooses to save the setting, the BIOS setting will be saved to a CMOS  20  (step  400 ) and the flow is then finished.  
      The foregoing data processing device  50  can be, for example, a desktop computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a handheld data processing device.  
      The step  320  can be in two modes, i.e., a reset mode and a writing mode. The reset mode refers to resetting a data in the CMOS  20  via an input device. This function allows the user to conveniently clear the CMOS data via an input device without having a switch as required in the prior art.  
      The writing mode refers to writing CMOS data backed up in the memory selected by an input device directly into the CMOS hardware, and the CMOS saving the backup data. This function allows the user to directly write the backup system configuration settings into the CMOS  20  via the input device, so that the user can change the system configuration settings in a few seconds after power-on without entering into the setup menu.  
      The step  370  can be in a backup mode, a loading mode, or a renaming mode. The backup mode refers to backing up data in the CMOS  20  to the memory  30 . This function allows the user to store a plurality sets of system configuration settings for backup purpose.  
      The loading mode refers to loading CMOS  20  data backed up in the memory  30  to the CMOS  20 . Hence, the current system configuration setting is back to the backup system configuration setting.  
      The renaming mode refers to allowing the user to rename the setting displayed in the setup menu. This function allows the user to change the name of each item of the system configuration settings so that the user will understand the purpose of the system configuration setting.  
      The detecting mode will be illustrated as follows.  FIG. 6  is a flow chart that illustrates a method of fast changing the BIOS setting in accordance with the present invention. Upon the user backs up the different sets of system configuration settings shown in the flow charts of  FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b , the writing mode can be used to change between the different sets of system configuration settings. This function allows the user to fast change the system configuration setting in a few seconds after power-on without entering into the setup menu. Hence, it saves the user a lot of time and enables the user more conveniently change the system configuration settings.  
      First, the data processing device  50  performs a power-on self test (step  500 ). Then the data processing device  50  checks a keyboard status, performs specific key-in commands, and determines whether the set of system configuration settings is triggered (step  510 ). If the set of system configuration settings is triggered, the data processing device  50  determines which one of the set of system configuration settings is triggered (step  520 ), and the flow returns to the step  500 . If the set of system configuration settings is not triggered, the data processing device  50  detects a computer system memory and the setting status of the memory (step  530 ), and detects its peripheral devices and a setting status of the peripheral devices (step  540 ), and then the flow is finished.  
      It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention covers modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.