A method and a device for booting a computer at a programmed time

Claim 2

The booting method of claim 1, comprising the following steps: - setting a non-volatile task pending bit (TP x ) accessible through said bus (B) and signalling that a corresponding task (x) is pending when the time indicated by the clock (RTC) reaches the programmed time (PT(x)); - detecting the active state of the task pending bit, and powering-on the microcomputer; and - resetting the task pending bit as soon as the task is completed.

Claim 3

The booting method of claim 1, comprising the following steps: - storing in a non-volatile file number register (ID(x)) accessible through said bus (B), a number of the startup file associated with said pending task; - storing in a non-volatile network boot bit (NB(x)) accessible through said bus (B), a value indicating whether, for the pending task, the operating system should be loaded through the network (N); - if the network boot bit is set, sending through the network a load request (RQ), passing as a parameter the startup file number (ID(x)) associated with said pending task (x), a server then providing the microcomputer with an operating system and a startup file, both associated with the startup file number (ID(x)); and, - if the network boot bit is not set, loading an operating system from a local media (18).

Claim 4

The booting method of claim 3, wherein, if said network boot bit (NB(x)) is not set, the method comprises the following steps: - replacing, on the local media (18), the current startup file with a startup file associated with said startup file number (ID(x)); - booting the microcomputer again, whereby the startup file associated with the startup file number is executed; and - restoring the initial startup file.

Claim 5

The booting method of claim 3, comprising the following steps carried out by a modified Power On Self Test (POST) program: - checking whether the microcomputer has been manually powered and, if not, continuing according to the following steps; - writing in an identification register (ID) accessible through said bus (B) an information indicating that a task is pending; and - loading the operating system through the network or from a local media, in accordance with the state of the network boot bit (NB(x)).

Claim 6

The booting method of claim 5, comprising the following steps carried out by a default startup file on a local media: - reading the identification register (ID); - if the identification register indicates a pending task, replacing the current startup file with a startup file associated with the pending task (x) and warm booting the microcomputer.

Claim 7

The booting method of claim 5, comprising the following steps carried out by a startup file, different from the default startup file, provided by the network: - executing user-selected programs; - initializing the identification register (ID); and - resetting the task pending bit (TP x ).

Claim 8

The booting method of claim 6, comprising the following steps carried out by a startup file loaded through a local media, different from the default startup file: - executing user-selected programs; - restoring the default startup file; - initializing the identification register (ID); and - resetting the task pending bit (TP x ).

Claim 9

A microcomputer including a permanently powered Real Time Clock (RTC) and a power supply block (26) that is controlled by a logic signal, including: - a first set of non-volatile registers (40) accessible through a bus (B) of the microcomputer, including a task pending register (TP), each bit (TP x ) of which indicates whether a corresponding task (x) is pending or not; - a set of non-volatile registers (42) specific to each pending task and accessible through the bus, each specific register set including a specific startup file number register (ID(x)) and a register storing the programmed time (PT(x)) of the task; - means for comparing the content of the programmed time registers with the time indicated by the RTC and for setting a task pending bit (TP x ) if the RTC time reaches a corresponding programmed time; and - means for detecting the set state of any one of the task pending bits and for then powering-on the microcomputer.

Claim 10

The microcomputer of claim 9, wherein the first register set (40) includes a current startup file number register (ID) in which, each time the microcomputer is powered-on by a pending task (x), is written the number (ID(x)) of the specific startup file associated with the pending task (x), and wherein each specific register set (42) includes a network boot bit (NB(x)) indicating whether an operating system should, for the associated task, be loaded through a network (N) or from a local media (18).