Self-configuring computer system

Claim 2

A self-configuring data processing system comprising a processor unit, at least one mass-storage disk and a video display, the system comprising: a. a first set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of an operating system on a different hardware platform; b. a second set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of video displays; c. a third set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of hardware accessories; d. an interrogation module for interrogating the system to determine parameters associated with at least one disk, the video display and system accessories; and e. a startup module for permanently designating a subset of each of the first, second and third sets of discrete files for automatic selection each time the processor is actuated based on the interrogation, the startup module establishing the size of at least one disk based on the disk parameters determined by the interrogation module and creating at least one logical drive including uncompressed disk files and a compressed volume file to facilitate disk compression.

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the processor loads the permanently selected files into a volatile system memory each time the processor is actuated.

Claim 4

The system of claim 1 wherein the interrogation module is adapted for scanning at least one disk for files executable by the processing unit and having names conforming to a predetermined identification pattern.

Claim 5

The system of claim 1 wherein the file subsets are designated by identifying them to a startup file.

Claim 6

The system of claim 4 wherein the file subsets are designated in the CONFIG.SYS file using the INSTALL instruction.

Claim 7

The system of claim 1 wherein the file subsets are designated by renaming them to conform to generic identifications in a startup file.

Claim 8

The system of claim 1 wherein the interrogation module examines the contents of ports, registers and chip settings.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 wherein the startup module erases undesignated files in at least one of the first, second and third sets of discrete files.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1 wherein the second set of discrete files contains multiple drivers, each designed to function with a different system memory size, for a display device.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 wherein the startup module partitions at least one disk.

Claim 12

The system of claim 1 wherein the interrogation means determines whether the system includes multimedia hardware, and further wherein the startup module installs drivers to support multimedia hardware whose presence is determined by the interrogation means.

Claim 13

The system of claim 1 wherein the system further comprises an operating system and a volatile system memory, and the mass-storage disk contains executable instructions corresponding to the functions of the interrogation module and the startup module, the operating system being configured to load into volatile memory and facilitate the execution of the instructions upon system startup.

Claim 14

A self-configuring data processing system comprising: a. a processor unit; b. at least one mass-storage disk; c. a video display; d. a position-sensing device; e. a keyboard; f. a first set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of an operating system on a different hardware platform; g. a second set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of video displays; h. a third set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of hardware accessories; i. an operating system; j. an interrogation module for interrogating, in cooperation with the operating system, the data-processing system to determine parameters associated with at least one disk, the video display and system accessories; and k. a startup module for permanently designating, in cooperation with the operating system, a subset of each of the first, second and third sets of discrete files for automatic selection each time the processor is actuated based on the interrogation, the startup module establishing the size of at least one disk based on the disk parameters determined by the interrogation module and creating at least one logical drive including uncompressed disk files and a compressed volume file to facilitate disk compression.

Claim 15

A self-configuring data processing system comprising: a. a processor unit; b. at least one mass-storage disk; c. a video display; d. a position-sensing device; e. a keyboard; f. a first set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of an operating system on a different hardware platform; g. a second set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of video displays; h. a third set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk, each file containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of hardware accessories; i. an operating system; j. an interrogation module for interrogating, in cooperation with the operating system, the data-processing system to determine parameters associated with at least one disk, the video display and system accessories; and k. a startup module for permanently designating, in cooperation with the operating system, a subset of each of the first, second and third sets of discrete files for automatic selection each time the processor is actuated based on the interrogation, the startup module establishing the size of at least one disk based on the disk parameters determined by the interrogation module and creating at least one logical drive including uncompressed disk files and a compressed volume file to facilitate disk compression.

Claim 16

A self-configuring data processing system comprising a processor unit, at least one mass-storage disk and a video display, the system comprising: a. a set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk; b. an interrogation module for interrogating the system to determine parameters associated with at least one disk, the video display and system accessories; and c. a startup module for permanently designating subsets of the discrete files for automatic selection each time the processor is actuated based on the interrogation, the file subsets each containing processor instructions for operating one of the disk, the video display and the system accessories identified by the interrogation module, the file subsets being designated to a startup file and the startup module erasing undesignated files from the set of discrete files.

Claim 17

A self-configuring data processing system comprising a processor unit, at least one mass-storage disk and a video display, the system comprising: a. a set of discrete files electronically stored on a disk; b. an interrogation module for interrogating the system to determine parameters associated with at least one disk, the video display and system accessories; and c. a startup module for permanently designating subsets of the discrete files for automatic selection each time the processor is actuated based on the interrogation, the file subsets each containing processor instructions for operating one of the disk, the video display and the system accessories identified by the interrogation module, the file subsets being designated to a startup file and the startup module erasing undesignated files from the set of discrete files.

Claim 18

The system of claim 14 wherein the discrete files include a first set of files each containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of an operating system on a different hardware platform; a second set of files each containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of video displays; and a third set of files each containing processor instructions capable of directing the operation of a plurality of hardware accessories.

Claim 19

The system of claim 14 wherein the processor loads the permanently selected files into a volatile system memory each time the processor is actuated.

Claim 20

The system of claim 14 wherein the interrogation module is adapted for scanning at least one disk for files executable by the processing unit and having names conforming to a predetermined identification pattern.

Claim 21

The system of claim 14 wherein the startup module establishes the size of at least one disk based on the disk parameters determined by the interrogation module.

Claim 22

The system of claim 18 wherein the startup module creates at least one logical drive including uncompressed disk files and a compressed volume file to facilitate disk compression.

Claim 25

The method of claim 20 wherein the designation step causes the processor to load the permanently selected files into a volatile system memory each time the processor is actuated.

Claim 26

The method of claim 20 wherein the interrogation step includes the substep of scanning at least one disk for files executable by the processing unit and having names conforming to a predetermined identification pattern.

Claim 27

The method of claim 20 wherein the file subsets are designated by identifying them to a startup file.

Claim 28

The method of claim 23 wherein the file subsets are designated in the CONFIG.SYS file using the INSTALL instruction.

Claim 29

The method of claim 20 wherein the file subsets are designated by renaming them to conform to generic identifications in a startup file.

Claim 30

The method of claim 20 wherein the interrogation step entails examining the contents of ports, registers and chip settings.

Claim 31

The method of claim 20 wherein the second set of files contains multiple drivers, each designed to function with a different system memory size, for a display device.

Claim 32

The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of establishing the size of at least one disk based on the disk parameters determined during the interrogation step.

Claim 33

The method of claim 28 further comprising the step of creating at least one logical drive including uncompressed disk files and a compressed volume file to facilitate disk compression.

Claim 34

The method of claim 20 further comprising the step of partitioning at least one disk.

Claim 35

The method of claim 20 wherein the interrogation step includes the substep of determining whether the system includes multimedia hardware, and further comprising the step of installing drivers to support multimedia hardware whose presence is determined during the interrogation step.