US Patent No: 6,944,854
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
Method and apparatus for updating new versions of firmware in the background
Stats
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Sep 13, 2005
Issued date -
Nov 30, 2000
filing date -
09/726,290
serial no -
In Force
status
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Abstract
A method, system, and computer program for updating firmware in a data processing system as a background operation allowing a user to utilize the computer for other purposes during the update process is provided. In one embodiment, after an operating system has been loaded and control has been transferred from the service processor to the host, the service processor determines whether the level of a firmware copy on a system component, such as an SPCN card, matches the current level of firmware stored on a non-volatile memory accessible to the service processor. If the level of the firmware copy in the component is different from the current level, the service processor transfers the current level of firmware from the non-volatile memory accessible to the service processor to the system component.
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First Claim
Related Publications
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International Classification(s)
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Cited Art
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| 5,568,641 Powerfail durable flash EEPROM upgrade | 105 | 1995 | |
| 6,189,050 Method and apparatus for adding or removing devices from a computer system without restarting | 67 | 1998 | |
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| 5,822,692 Data communication device | 55 | 1996 | |
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| 5,339,450 Computer system including a terminal operable as a service processor and a work station | 6 | 1992 | |
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| 5,729,675 Apparatus for initializing a multiple processor computer system using a common ROM | 20 | 1996 | |
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| 5,935,252 Apparatus and method for determining and setting system device configuration relating to power and cooling using VPD circuits associated with system devices | 67 | 1997 | |
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| 6,374,353 Information processing apparatus method of booting information processing apparatus at a high speed | 30 | 1999 | |
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| 6,357,021 Method and apparatus for updating firmware | 66 | 1999 | |
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| 6,640,334 Method and apparatus of remotely updating firmware of a communication device | 60 | 1999 | |
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| 6,003,065 Method and system for distributed processing of applications on host and peripheral devices | 187 | 1997 | |
Patent Citation Ranking
Maintenance Fees
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee | due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 Year Payment | $3600.00 | $1800.00 | $900.00 | Mar 13, 2013 |
| 11.5 Year Payment | $7400.00 | $3700.00 | $1850.00 | Mar 13, 2017 |
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surcharge - 7.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge - 11.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unavoidable | $700.00 | $350.00 | $175.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unintentional | $1,640.00 | $820.00 | $410.00 |