Identifying and synchronizing incompatibilities between a portable computer and a docking station

• US 20020184297A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Krancher, Robert E., Saunders, Scott P.
• Granted Patent: US 6,799,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

The present invention comprises a system and method for insuring that a notebook computer and a docking station are compatible. This determination is made by each of the notebook and docking station communicating via a serial communication pathway. Each of these devices reads a product code and a ROM date associated with the other device, and then independently determine whether the other device may be safely communicated with or “docked.” The systems and methods also take into account that two devices may be docked, but that only minimum functionality can exist between them based on differences in software revisions. In this case, the systems and methods allow the two devices to dock, but the computer system user is notified of the differences in software revisions.

Claims

1. A computer system, comprising:

a notebook computer having an expansion bus;

a docking station having an expansion bus; and

a communication pathway coupling the notebook computer and the docking station;

wherein each of the notebook computer and docking station communicate across the communication pathway to determine whether the notebook computer and docking station are compatible devices prior to coupling the expansion bus of the notebook computer to the expansion bus of the docking station.

2. The computer system as defined in claim 1 wherein said communication pathway further comprises a serial communication pathway.

3. The computer system as defined in claim 2 wherein the serial communication pathway further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

4. The computer system as described in claim 1 wherein the notebook computer further comprises:

a microprocessor;

a system main memory;

a first bridge logic device coupling said microprocessor and system main memory;

a second bridge logic device coupled to the first bridge logic device by way of a primary expansion bus;

a notebook docking connector coupled to the bus bridge by way of the expansion bus of the notebook computer, the expansion bus being a secondary expansion bus;

an input/output device coupled to the second bridge logic device by way of a secondary expansion bus, and wherein said input/output device is configured to communicate across the communication pathway to determine whether the docking station is compatible with the notebook computer; and

wherein said communication pathway is a notebook computer serial bus coupled between the docking connector and the input/output device.

5. The computer system as defined in claim 4 wherein the notebook computer serial bus further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

6. The computer system as defined in claim 4 wherein said docking station further comprises:

a docking station docking connector;

a bus bridge coupled to the docking station docking connector, wherein said bus bridge bridges the secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to an expansion bus of the docking station;

a docking station serial bus coupled to the docking station docking connector;

a microcontroller coupled to the docking station serial bus, and wherein said microcontroller is configured to communicate across the communication pathway to determine whether the notebook computer is compatible with the docking station;

7. The computer system as defined in claim 6 wherein the serial communication pathway further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

8. The computer system as defined in claim 6 further comprising:

a read only memory device (ROM) coupled so the second bridge logic device of said notebook computer;

a serial electrically programmable read only memory device (EPROM) coupled to the docking station serial bus;

wherein the input/output device of said notebook computer is further adapted to read information from the serial EPROM across the docking station serial bus as part of determining whether the docking station is compatible with the notebook computer; and

wherein the microcontroller of the docking station is further adapted to read information from said notebook computer ROM across the notebook computer serial bus as part of determining whether the notebook computer is compatible with the docking station.

9. The computer system as defined in claim 4 wherein the notebook computer further comprises:

said notebook computer serial bus having a plurality of conductors;

said secondary expansion bus having a plurality of conductors;

a plurality of electrically controlled switches coupled one each between the docking connector and each of the plurality of conductors of the serial bus and the secondary expansion bus; and

said input/output device having a plurality of digital output signals coupled to the plurality of electrically controlled switches, said output signals configured to selectively activate the plurality of electrically controlled switches.

10. The computer system as defined in claim 9 wherein the input/output device is configured to activate the digital output signals coupled to the electrically controlled switches of the serial bus to allow the notebook computer and the docking station to communicate when determining whether the notebook computer and the docking station are compatible.

11. The computer system as defined in claim 9 wherein the input/output device is configured to activate the digital output signals coupled to the electrically controlled switches of the secondary expansion bus after a determination that the notebook computer and docking station are compatible.

13. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein transferring information between the notebook computer and the docking station further comprises:

establishing a serial communication pathway between the notebook computer and the docking station;

transferring information about the docking station across the serial communication pathway to the notebook computer; and

transferring information about the notebook computer across the serial communication pathway to the docking station.

14. The as defined in claim 13 wherein establishing the serial communication pathway further comprises closing a plurality of electrically controlled switches coupling the serial communication pathway between the notebook computer and the docking station.

15. The method as defined in claim 13 wherein transferring information across the serial communication pathway further comprises transferring information across an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

16. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein determining whether the notebook computer and the docking station are compatible further comprises:

executing a program in the notebook computer which program determines whether the docking station is compatible with the notebook computer;

executing a program in the docking station which determines whether the notebook computer is compatible; and

communicating a message by said docking station to said notebook computer, the message being one of approval and disapproval of electrically coupling the secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to the bus bridge in the docking station.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein executing the program in the notebook computer further comprises comparing information transferred about the docking station to a table containing information about a plurality of docking stations.

18. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein executing the program in the docking station further comprises comparing information transferred about the notebook computer to a table containing information about a plurality of notebook computers.

19. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining whether software in said docking station enables maximum functionality with the notebook computer; and

if not,

notifying a computer system user of a need to upgrade the docking station software.

20. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining whether software in the notebook computer enables maximum functionality with the docking station; and

if not,

notifying a computer system user of a need to upgrade the notebook computer software.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein the determining step further comprises:

p1 determining whether software in said docking station enables maximum functionality with the notebook computer; and

if not,

notifying a computer system user of a need to upgrade the docking station software.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein notifying the computer system user further comprises sending a message across a serial communication pathway to notify the computer system user.

23. The method as defined in claim 12 wherein electrically coupling the secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to the bus bridge in the docking station further comprises closing a plurality of electrically controlled switches coupling the secondary expansion bus of the notebook to the bus bridge of the docking station.

25. The notebook computer as described in claim 24, further comprising:

the Super I/O device having a set of general purpose output signals;

a first plurality of quick switch devices coupled between the docking connector and the secondary expansion bus;

a second plurality of quick switch devices coupled between the docking connector and the serial bus;

said first and second plurality of quick switch devices selectively couple the secondary expansion bus and the serial bus to the docking connector; and

said general purpose output signals coupled to each of the first and second plurality of quick switch devices, and wherein the Super I/O is configured to selectively activate the general purpose output signals associated with the quick switch devices of the secondary expansion bus based on the Super I/O'"'"'s determination as to the compatibility of the notebook computer and the laptop.

26. The notebook computer as defined in claim 24 wherein the serial bus further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

28. The docking station as defined in claim 27 wherein the serial bus is an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

30. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein coupling the serial bus to the docking station further comprises:

coupling the serial bus of the notebook computer to a plurality of electrically controlled switches, which switches selectively couple the serial bus of the notebook to a serial bus of the docking station;

activating the plurality of electrically controlled switches;

by

asserting an output signal of a device within the notebook computer.

31. The method as defined in claim 30 wherein asserting an output signal of a device within the notebook computer further comprises asserting a general purpose digital output signal of a Super Input/Output controller.

32. The method as defined in claim 29 wherein coupling the secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to the docking station further comprises:

coupling bus conductors of the secondary expansion bus to a plurality of electrically controlled switches, which switches selectively couple the secondary expansion bus to the docking station;

activating the plurality of electrically controlled switches;

by

asserting an output signal of a device within the notebook computer.

33. The method as defined in claim 32 wherein asserting an output signal of a device within the notebook computer further comprises asserting a general purpose digital output signal of a Super Input/Output controller.

34. The method as defined in claim 29 further comprising generating a message for a computer system user if said docking station requires a software update.

36. The method as defined in claim 35 further comprising sending a message across the communication pathway which invokes a message to the notebook computer user indicating the need to upgrade software of the notebook computer.

37. The method as defined in claim 36 wherein sending the message across the communication pathway further comprises sending the message across an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I²C) bus.

12. A method of docking a notebook computer to a docking station, the method comprising:

coupling the notebook computer to the docking station;

transferring information between the notebook computer and the docking station;

determining whether the notebook computer and the docking station are compatible based on the information; and

if so,

electrically coupling a secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to a bus bridge in the docking station.

24. A notebook computer for docking to a docking station, the notebook comprising:

a CPU;

a first bridge logic device coupled to the CPU;

a second bridge logic device coupled to the first bridge logic device by way of a primary expansion bus;

a docking connector coupled to second bridge logic device by way of a secondary expansion bus;

a Super input/output (Super I/O) device coupled to the docking connector by way of a serial bus; and

wherein the Super I/O is configured to determine the compatibility of the docking station by communicating with the docking station over the serial bus prior to coupling the secondary expansion bus to the docking station.

27. A docking station for docking to a notebook computer, the docking station comprising:

a docking station docking connector;

a bus bridge coupled to the docking station docking connector, wherein said bus bridge bridges the secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to an expansion bus of the docking station;

a docking station serial bus coupled to the docking station docking connector; and

a microcontroller coupled to the docking station serial bus, said microcontroller configured to determine the compatibility of the notebook computer by communicating with the notebook over the docking station serial bus.

29. A method of operating a notebook computer being docked to a docking station, the method comprising:

coupling a serial bus to the docking station;

transferring information about the docking station across the serial bus to the notebook computer;

determining the compatibility of the notebook computer based on the transferred information; and

if the notebook computer is compatible with the docking station,

coupling a secondary expansion bus of the notebook computer to the docking station.

35. A method of operating a docking station for docking with a notebook computer, the method comprising:

transferring information about the notebook computer across a communication pathway;

determining the compatibility of the docking station with the notebook computer based on the information; and

, based on that determination,

sending a message across said communication pathway indicating one of the docking station'"'"'s approval or disapproval of further electrically coupling the docking station to the notebook computer.