Appeal No. 1999-0246
Application 08/641,629
A. The invention
The invention relates to apparatus for and a method of
remotely placing a computer in a service mode and then
returning it to a normal operational mode.
Referring to appellants' Figure 1, physical key 114,
which is located at the site of the computer system, has three
possible positions: normal/run, secure, and service. The
status of this physical key is stored in register 111 in NVRAM
110, which has another register 112 for storing an electronic
key received via port S2 from remote terminal 120. This
electronic key likewise has three possible states: normal/run,
secure, and service.
The electronic key is effective to remotely place the
computer system in the normal operational mode, service mode,
or secure mode only when the physical key at the site of
computer system is in the normal operational mode
(Specification at 4).
When the physical key is in the serve mode or the secure mode,
the electronic key is essentially deactivated (id.).
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