Patents by Inventor Susan Nunn

Susan Nunn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20060271804
    Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for controlling delivery of electrical power to a circuit board in an information handling system. A power management system is operable to detect an expansion circuit board that is operably coupled to a main system board of an information handling system. The power management subsystem detects the status of a cooling system associated with the expansion circuit board and is operable to control the amount of power delivered to the expansion circuit board based on the status of the cooling system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2005
    Publication date: November 30, 2006
    Inventors: Joshua Alperin, Susan Nunn
  • Patent number: 6988194
    Abstract: An information handling system includes a processor, a storage medium coupled to the processor, and a program stored in the storage medium and executable by the processor. The program is for causing the processor to, in response to a boot event, detect that a device is not present in the information handling system where the device was present in the information handling system during a prior boot event or detect a device that is present but was not present during a prior boot event. The program is also for causing the processor to access a list that indicates a boot order where the list is stored in the storage medium prior to the boot event and including an entry associated with each bootable device. The program is further for causing the processor to store an indicator in the entry where the indicator indicates that the device is dormant or to replace a dormant device in the boot order with a newly present device of the same type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2006
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Susan A. Nunn, Peter A. Woytovech, Lowell B. Dennis, Brian J. Decker
  • Publication number: 20030233535
    Abstract: An information handling system that includes a processor, a storage medium coupled to the processor, and a program stored in the storage medium and executable by the processor. The program is for causing the processor to, in response to a boot event, detect that a device is not present in the information handling system where the device was present in the information handling system during a prior boot event or detect a device that is present but was not present during a prior boot event. The program is also for causing the processor to access a list that indicates a boot order where the list is stored in the storage medium prior to the boot event and including an entry associated with each bootable device. The program is further for causing the processor to store an indicator in the entry where the indicator indicates that the device is dormant or to replace a dormant device in the boot order with a newly present device of the same type.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2002
    Publication date: December 18, 2003
    Applicant: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Susan A. Nunn, Peter A. Woytovech, Lowell B. Dennis, Brian J. Decker
  • Patent number: 6438688
    Abstract: A method and computer for locally and remotely updating a BIOS using one update file that contains a local update program and a BIOS image. To locally update a client's BIOS, the system administrator can run the update file. To locally update program would then write the BIOS image to the client's computer memory thereby completing the local update. If, however, the system administrator wishes to remotely update the client's BIOS, the update file is run using an input parameter (such as a command line switch). This action causes the local update program to create a file containing the BIOS image with a header. Using this file, a remote update program writes the BIOS image to the client's computer memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2002
    Assignee: Dell USA, L.P.
    Inventor: Susan Nunn
  • Patent number: 6317828
    Abstract: A method and computer system for a system setup program includes a routine for displaying a subset of bootable devices from an adapter card, such as a PERC card, on a system from which a user may specify a bootable device to serve as a boot drive, and bootable devices to serve as alternative boot drives. The computer system includes a system Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), a system processor, a system memory coupled to the system processor, at least one expansion slot coupled to the system processor via a bus, at least one adapter coupled to the computer system via the at least one expansion slot, and a system BIOS ROM code. The BIOS ROM code detects a plurality of bootable devices on the computer system, selects from the plurality of bootable devices a preselected number of bootable devices for display, and displays the subset of bootable devices on a setup display. The setup display allows a user to specify a bootable device to serve as a boot drive of the computer system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Dell USA, L.P.
    Inventor: Susan Nunn