US Patent 7376944 Hardware ROM upgrade through an internet or intranet service

An on-line service is automatically accessed by the computer as it boots up to determine if a ROM update exists for the system. If so, the updated ROM code is downloaded to the system and the ROM is flashed. The operator of the system is generally uninvolved in this process and the process is preferably performed each time the system initializes. In this manner, the system's ROM is nearly always up to date proactively and the operator or IT administrator need not spend time and energy reacting to a problem, determining whether a ROM update exists, finding the updated ROM, downloading the new ROM code and flashing the ROM him or herself.