Patent · US Expired

Method for limiting diagnostic testing duration

US6839867B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
6References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 8, 2001
Grant dateJan 4, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 11, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/2284
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for limiting the duration of EIDE hard drive diagnostic testing to a predetermined length of time is described. When queried by the BIOS to acquire the testing capabilities of an EIDE hard drive in a computer, the support or non-support of extended diagnostic testing and the length of time needed to complete such testing is returned to the BIOS. In a preferred embodiment, upon receipt of the aforementioned information, the BIOS examines the length of time needed to complete the testing and then allows the testing to begin only if the length of time is less than some predetermined length of time, e.g., one hour. If the length of time is greater than the predetermined length of time, the user is informed that the extended diagnostic testing would take longer than the predetermined length of time and the test is aborted.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.