BIOS Reboot Diagnostics for Post-Accident IHS Health Checks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile Information Handling Systems (IHSs) face increased support burdens due to undetectable accidents, such as hard disk failures, which complicate diagnosis and warranty determination, and existing systems lack efficient post-accident health assurance mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) that executes diagnostics routines during reboot upon detecting an accident, using an accident flag or register, and stores results in an ACPI Platform Health Assessment Table (PHAT), with the Operating System (OS) determining further diagnostics and sending results to a remote service.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If mobile IHSs are used to increase convenience and versatility, then user mobility and accessibility are improved, but the risk of accidents and hidden damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by detecting accidents through sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes) and setting accident flags before the user or technician becomes aware of potential damage. This early detection enables proactive diagnostic routines to be executed during reboot, identifying hidden damage before it manifests as operational failures.
2Ease of repair
If traditional diagnostic methods are used after accidents, then diagnosis can be performed, but diagnostic time and support burden increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system executes diagnostic routines automatically during reboot immediately after an accident is detected, performing diagnostics preliminarily before the device is fully operational. This eliminates the need for lengthy post-accident diagnostic sessions, as the system has already assessed component health and prepared a report.
Solution Approach 2:
The IHS performs self-diagnosis by automatically executing diagnostic routines, collecting data from sensors and system components, and generating accident reports without requiring technician intervention. This self-service capability significantly reduces support burden and diagnostic time.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive diagnostics are executed after every accident, then accurate damage assessment is achieved, but system complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by setting accident flags and executing diagnostics selectively based on the specific accident context. Rather than uniformly diagnosing all components after every accident, the system identifies which components may be affected by the accident type and severity, focusing diagnostic efforts where needed while reducing unnecessary complexity.
4Reliability
If accident detection and diagnostic routines are implemented, then post-accident health assurance is improved, but firmware complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The firmware is segmented into distinct functional modules: accident detection routines, accident flag management, diagnostic routine execution, and report generation. This segmentation allows each component to be independently managed and optimized, reducing overall firmware complexity while maintaining comprehensive post-accident health assurance capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for post-accident health assurance in an Information Handling System (IHS) are described. In some embodiments, an IHS may include a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, where the memory comprises program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) to execute a diagnostics routine during a reboot in response to a determination that the IHS suffered an accident prior to the reboot.