BIOS Boot Specification Extension for Device Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The BIOS Boot Specification has limitations, including a restricted number of supported devices, inflexible reordering of entries, inability to designate absent devices as placeholders, and a lack of discrimination between bootable device variations.
Innovation Solution
The BIOS Boot Specification is extended to accommodate up to 256 bootable devices, allowing identification of default boot orders, differentiation between onboard and add-in devices, and using placeholder entries for unsupported devices, enhancing granularity and flexibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the BIOS Boot Specification is extended to accommodate more bootable devices, then the number of supported devices increases, but the complexity of the specification increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bootable device list is segmented into multiple tables (first bootable device table and second bootable device table) that can be independently managed. This segmentation allows the system to handle a larger number of devices without overwhelming the specification structure, as each table can be processed and managed separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional dimension to the device identification system by adding device type fields and placeholder status fields to the existing bootable device entries. This dimensional expansion allows for more detailed classification and management of devices without requiring a complete restructuring of the base specification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If placeholder entries are added for absent devices, then the ability to designate absent devices is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Placeholder entries are created in advance for devices that may be added later. These placeholder entries pre-allocate space and structure in the bootable device tables, allowing the system to immediately recognize and accommodate new devices without requiring specification changes when devices are added.
Solution Approach 2:
Placeholder entries act as intermediaries between the current system state and future device additions. These placeholders maintain the structural integrity of the bootable device tables while indicating that specific device slots are reserved but currently unoccupied, facilitating smooth device addition without system reconfiguration.
3Measurement precision
If additional device type information is included, then the discrimination between device variations is improved, but the data processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Device type information is added as localized fields within specific entries of the bootable device tables rather than requiring global changes to the specification structure. Each bootable device entry contains specific type identifiers that provide detailed classification without affecting the overall data structure or requiring complex processing changes elsewhere in the system.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is disclosed for extending the BIOS Boot Specification. The specification is extended to accommodate the identification of a greater number of bootable devices. The specification is also extended so that the identifier for each bootable device identifies the default boot order of the device. The specification is also extended to provide additional information about the type of each bootable device and whether each bootable device is an onboard or add-in device. The extension of the BIOS Boot Specification also allows for the designation of certain entries as placeholders for devices that that are supported by the computer system, but not present in the computer system.