Abstract: An in-shoe monitoring system has a shoe insert including a flexible substrate, force sensors secured to the flexible substrate, a position sensor and a motion sensor. A microcontroller is secured to the flexible substrate and is operational to receive sensor data from the force sensors, the position sensor, and the motion sensor. A wireless transceiver on the flexible substrate is operational to transmit sensor data from the force sensors, the position sensor, and the motion sensor. A portable computing device is operational to receive the sensor data from the wireless transceiver.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method to boot up a server using a target storage device over a network is provided. In this embodiment, the method includes installing an operating system onto a server by storing the operating system in the target storage device located on the network. The location of the target device is designated by an internet protocol (IP) address. The method also includes using data block transfers in conjunction with the IP address to access the operating system on the target storage device.

Abstract: An invention is provided for authenticating software associated with an embedded device on a motherboard. An embodiment includes executing an option ROM BIOS for the embedded device. If a bit pattern read from a first memory located on the host card does not match a predetermined bit pattern, the option ROM BIOS is terminated. In another embodiment, a first memory address is provided to the address lines of a memory device located on the host card and a first set of data is output from the memory device, followed by a second memory address to output a second set of data. The second memory address is equal to the first memory address plus the maximum addressable size of the memory device. The first set of data is compared to the second data, and the option ROM BIOS is terminated if the first and second sets of data do not match.

Abstract: Various embodiments are provided for authenticating an embedded device on a motherboard. An exemplary embodiment includes generating a unique authentication code (UAC) based on a serial number for a motherboard, and providing the UAC to a computer system having the motherboard. A determination is then made as to whether the provided UAC is correct for the motherboard, and an option ROM BIOS designed for the embedded device is executed when the provided UAC is correct for the motherboard.

Abstract: A method for managing use of a fixed memory space of a computer system is provided. The computer system interfaces with controllers for managing operation of devices that operate with the computer system. The method includes determining whether sufficient memory is allocated in the fixed memory space for initializing code for the controllers, and jumping to swappable portion of the fixed memory space. The method also includes executing code in the swappable portion of the fixed memory space. The method further includes loading additional code needed to initialize the controllers from an external memory chip to the fixed memory space where the additional code is executed to complete initialization of the controllers of the computer system.

Abstract: An invention is provided for authenticating software associated an embedded device on a motherboard having an IOP is disclosed. The method includes generating a unique authentication code (UAC) based on a serial number for a motherboard. The UAC is provided to a computer system having the motherboard, and a determination is made as to whether the provided UAC is correct for the motherboard. When the provided UAC is correct for the motherboard, the IOP is allowed to execute program instructions for the embedded device.

Abstract: A method for recovering boot-up data in a computer system is provided. The method includes storing boot up data in a first container that is accessible by an operating system and copying the boot up data from the first container to a second container that is inaccessible by the operating system. If boot up using the boot up data from the first container fails, the method further includes copying the boot up data from the second container to the first container and booting up the computer system using the boot up data copied into the first container from the second container.

Abstract: A method to increase data transmission over a SCSI bus is provided including assigning a voltage level to each one of a plurality of bit combinations, and generating a signal level having the voltage level corresponding to one of the plurality of bit combinations sought to be transmitted. The method also includes transmitting the signal level to a receiver to send one of the plurality of bit combinations during a data transmission interval.

Abstract: A method is provided for managing multiple functions of a multi-channel SCSI chip. The method includes hiding a first function of a multi-channel SCSI chip from an operating system, wherein the first function corresponds to a first channel of the multi-channel SCSI chip. The method also includes unhiding a second function of the multi-channel SCSI chip from the operating system, wherein the second function corresponds to a second channel of the multi-channel SCSI chip. The method also includes managing the first function and the second function with a single driver.

Abstract: A method to boot up a server using a target storage device over a network is provided. The method includes installing an operating system by storing the operating system and a dynamic configuration program in the target storage device on the network where the location of the target device is designated by an internet protocol (IP) address. The method also includes accessing the operating system on the target storage device using the IP address and the dynamic configuration program, the accessing occurring through data block transfers.

Abstract: A method for managing use of a fixed memory space of a computer system is provided. The computer system interfaces with controllers for managing operation of devices that operate with the computer system. The method includes determining whether sufficient memory is allocated in the fixed memory space for initializing code for the controllers, and jumping to swappable portion of the fixed memory space. The method also includes executing code in the swappable portion of the fixed memory space. The method further includes loading additional code needed to initialize the controllers from an external memory chip to the fixed memory space where the additional code is executed to complete initialization of the controllers of the computer system.

Abstract: A method for recovering boot-up data in a computer system is provided. The method includes storing boot up data in a first container that is accessible by an operating system and copying the boot up data from the first container to a second container that is inaccessible by the operating system. If boot up using the boot up data from the first container fails, the method further includes copying the boot up data from the second container to the first container and booting up the computer system using the boot up data copied into the first container from the second container.

Abstract: A system and a method for multiplying data throughput in a SCSI bus includes identifying multiple frequencies within a bandwidth of a SCSI bus. A binary value is assigned to each one of the multiple frequencies. One of the multiple frequencies is selected. The assigned binary value of the selected frequency corresponds to a set of bits to be transmitted during a first sampling cycle. The selected frequency is transmitted on the SCSI bus during the first sampling cycle.

Abstract: An Extensible Markup Language (XML) based storage handling controller for a storage medium is provided. The XML based storage handling controller includes storage handling firmware that is in communication with a storage medium. The storage handling firmware is capable of receiving and generating XML based data, which is utilized for configuring the storage handling firmware. In addition, a basic input out input output system (BIOS) is included that is in communication with the storage handling firmware. The BIOS includes a browser capable of presenting XML based data. The browser can provide a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be used to provide configuration commands to the storage handling firmware.

Abstract: An invention is provided for hiding an input/output device from an operating system. A window of time is provided wherein a specific input/output processor (IOP) has exclusive access to a bus. An IOC memory map register, which is utilized by an input/output chip (IOC), is configured during the window of time using the IOP. In addition, a hide indicator is configured to indicate the IOC should be hidden. In this manner, data is communicated between the IOP and the IOC using the IOC memory map register. In one aspect, the hide indicator can be configured, before the window of time, to indicate the IOC should be hidden. In addition, the hide indicator can be configured during the window of time to indicate the IOC should be exposed.

Abstract: A method for configuring channels of a dual channel SCSI chip is provided which includes setting at least one bit in a first configuration space within a first channel control in the dual channel SCSI chip where the first configuration space returns a device identification information when accessed by an operating system. The method also includes setting at least one bit in a second configuration space within a second channel control in the dual channel SCSI chip where the second configuration space returns data indicating that the second configuration space does not contain any device identification information when accessed by the operating system. The first channel control is detected and managed by the operating system, and the second channel control is not detected by the operating system and is managed by a device processor.

Abstract: Methods for optimizing of memory resources during an initialization routine of a computer system which prepares the computer system for loading of an operating system is disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving a request from a system BIOS to locate an amount of conventional memory where the amount of conventional memory accommodates at least a decompressed version of data located in an option ROM BIOS. Then the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS is determined. If the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS is not available, the method continues and system BIOS data located within the conventional memory is read where the system BIOS data occupies at least the amount of conventional memory requested by the system BIOS. After the system BIOS data is read, the system BIOS data is written from the conventional memory to an extended memory, and the system BIOS data located in the conventional memory that has been written into the extended memory is deleted.

Abstract: A method for utilizing a multi-channel SCSI chip capable of controlling different types of devices is disclosed. A first channel control is set and a second channel control is set in the SCSI chip. A first peripheral device type is managed using the first channel control and a second peripheral device type is managed using the second channel control.

Abstract: Methods of conserving memory resources available to a computer system during execution of a system BIOS are provided. The method includes (a) executing the system BIOS; (b) loading the header, runtime code, and memory allocator code associated with the option ROM BIOS chip into the option ROM memory space; (c) passing control to the memory allocator code; (d) executing the memory allocator code to allocate conventional memory of the system RAM; (e) copying the decompressor code from the option ROM BIOS chip to the allocated conventional memory; (f) passing control to the decompressor code; (g) executing the decompressor code to decompress the compressed initialization code directly from the option ROM BIOS chip and thus loading the decompressed initialization code into the conventional memory; and (h) executing the decompressed initialization code to initialize the adapter card or controller.

Abstract: A boot sequence adapted for use with a computer system during execution of system BIOS to ensure compatibility between an option ROM BIOS chip and a chip of interest with which the option ROM BIOS chip is intended to communicate during operation of the computer system is provided. The boot sequence may broadly include the operations of initially locating the chip of interest and then sequentially scanning each of option ROM BIOS chip's images until a determination is made that a match exists between the unique PCI device ID associated with the chip of interest and the image PCI device ID associated with a scanned one of the BIOS images. The boot sequence then ensures that the first BIOS image incorporates the unique PCI device ID associated with the chip of interest, after which the first BIOS image is loaded into system RAM for execution of the BIOS routine.