System and method for loading compressed embedded diagnostics
US5530847A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 25, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 14, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F11/0757
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed are a system and method for loading diagnostic routines for execution in a computer system. The method comprises the steps of (1) executing a boot loading routine stored in non-volatile memory within the computer system, the boot loading routine providing an environment in lieu of an operating system of the computer system within which to execute diagnostic routines, the boot loading routine including a decompression routine, (2) decompressing a compressed diagnostic routine stored in the non-volatile memory into video random access memory (RAM) and (3) executing the decompressed diagnostic routine under control of the boot loading routine. The present invention, in its preferred embodiment, allows relatively large diagnostic routines to be stored in electrically erasable programmable read only memory ("EEPROM") and decompressed, as required, into video RAM for execution, without requiring the computer's operating system to function.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.