Patent · US Expired

Entrypoint discovery techniques in a bios entity

US7143276B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
8References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 28, 2001
Grant dateNov 28, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 13, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F11/006
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The specification discloses a structure and related method for determining whether a particular BIOS routine is supported on a computer system, and if so, the service number for that BIOS routine. This determination is made by a software program accessing a table which correlates unique identification numbers for each BIOS routine with a BIOS call service number. The presence or absence of a unique identification number in the table is an indication to the calling program whether the BIOS implements the desired BIOS routine. If the unique identification number exists in the table, it thus identifies the service number for the particular BIOS routine.

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