BIOS Upgrade Control Using Power Button Interruption Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

BIOS upgrade failures often occur in personal computers due to users pressing the power button during the upgrade process, leading to reduced upgrade rates and potential hardware or software damage.

Innovation Solution

A method that monitors the power button state and battery conditions during the BIOS upgrade process, suspending the upgrade if the power button is pressed for an extended period or if battery power is insufficient, ensuring the upgrade only proceeds when the power button is not pressed and sufficient power is available.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the BIOS upgrade process allows the power button to be pressed during upgrading, then the user can interrupt the upgrade if needed, but the upgrade may be forcibly interrupted causing upgrade failure and potential hardware or software damage

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser control during upgradeVSAvoidupgrade success rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of the power button state before initiating the BIOS upgrade process. By checking whether the power button is pressed before starting the upgrade, the system prevents forced interruptions during critical upgrade phases, thereby improving upgrade reliability while still allowing user control through proper shutdown procedures

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If the BIOS upgrade process does not detect power button state, then the upgrade process is simpler, but the upgrade may be forcibly interrupted when user presses power button reducing upgrade rate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupgrade process complexityVSAvoidBIOS upgrade rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring the power button state during the BIOS upgrade process. When the power button is detected as pressed, the system provides feedback by displaying prompt information to the user and suspending the upgrade process, preventing forced interruptions and improving the overall BIOS upgrade rate

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If the system suspends upgrade when power button is pressed for long duration, then upgrade failure is prevented, but the upgrade process takes longer due to monitoring

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupgrade completion rateVSAvoidupgrade process time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial monitoring by detecting the power button state at key checkpoints during the BIOS upgrade process rather than continuously throughout. This approach prevents forced interruptions that would cause upgrade failure while minimizing the additional time consumed by monitoring, achieving a balance between reliability and time efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4394585B1Upgrade method based on basic input output system (BIOS) and terminal device
Publication Date: 2026.02.25 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4394585B1 patent drawingFigure 1a~1b
  • EP4394585B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4394585B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

This application provides a basic input output system BIOS-based upgrade method and a terminal device, to improve a BIOS upgrade rate. The method includes: downloading a target BIOS version of a terminal device from a server; restarting the terminal device; obtaining a state of a power button of the terminal device during power-on of the terminal device; and suspending upgrade if the power button is in a pressed state and a pressed time period exceeds a preset time length; or upgrading the terminal device based on the target BIOS version if the power button is not in a pressed state or a pressed time period of the power button does not exceed a preset time length. In this application, when the power button is in the pressed state and the pressed time period exceeds the preset time length, the upgrade is suspended to prevent an upgrade process from being interrupted forcibly, thereby reducing a probability of the BIOS upgrade failure.