Docking station for portable computer

• US 20040148445A1
• Filed: 10/07/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Il-Han, Lee, Cheon-Moo
• Granted Patent: US 7,143,198 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A network connection state can be conveniently changed to a wired or a wireless connection state according to whether a portable computer body is attached to a docking station including an Access Point part or not.

Claims

1. A docking station for a portable computer, which is detachably attached to a portable computer body, and which includes a wired network adapter and a wireless network adapter, the docking station comprising:

a network connection part into which a network signal is inputted;

an Access Point part to generate a wireless network signal for a wireless network connection according to the network signal provided from the network connection part;

a switching part allowing the network signal provided from the network connection part to be transmitted to the wired network adapter or the Access Point part provided in the portable computer body according to an attachment or detachment state of the portable computer body and the docking station.

2. The docking station for the portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the switching part allows the network signal provided from the network connection part to be transmitted to the wired network adapter provided in the portable computer body when the portable computer body is attached to the docking station.

3. The docking station for the portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the switching part allows the network signal provided from the network connection part to be transmitted to the Access Point part when the portable computer body is detached from the docking station.

4. The docking station for the portable computer according to claim 3, wherein the Access Point part transmits the wireless network signal generated by a transmitted network signal to the wireless network adapter provided in the portable computer body when the portable computer body is detached from the docking station.

5. The docking station of claim 2, wherein the switching part allows the network signal provided from the network connection part to be transmitted to the Access Point part when the portable computer body is detached from the docking station.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

7. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the network is an Internet.

8. A system comprising:

a network;

a portable computer, comprising;

a wired network adapter, and

a wireless network adapter; and

a docking station to physically connect to the portable computer, comprising;

a network connecting unit to receive a network signal from the network,

a switching unit to transmit the network signal from the network connecting unit to an access point unit when the portable computer is not physically connected to the docking station and to transmit the network signal from the network connecting unit to the wired network adapter when the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station, and

the access point unit to generate a wireless network signal from the network signal and to wirelessly transmit the wireless network signal to the wireless network adapter when the portable computer is not physically connected to the docking station.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the network is an Internet.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the docking station further comprises:

a docking port having a ground connection pin,

wherein the switching unit determines whether the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station based on a state of the ground connection pin of the docking port.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the state of the ground connection pin changes according to attachment/detachment of the portable computer to/from the docking station.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving a network signal from a network;

determining whether a portable computer is physically connected to a docking station;

transmitting the network signal to a wired network adapter that is included in the portable computer if the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station; and

generating a wireless network signal from the network signal and wirelessly transmitting the wireless network signal to a wireless network adapter that is included in the portable computer if the portable computer is not physically connected to the docking station.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the network is an Internet.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the docking station comprises a docking port, the method further comprising:

determining whether the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station based on a state of a ground connection pin of the docking port.

17. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a network signal from a network;

determining whether a portable computer is physically connected to a docking station;

transmitting the network signal to a wired network adapter that is included in the portable computer if the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station; and

generating a wireless network signal from the network signal and wirelessly transmitting the wireless network signal to a wireless network adapter that is included in the portable computer if the portable computer is not physically connected to the docking station.

18. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network is a local area network (LAN).

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the network is an Internet.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the docking station comprises a docking port, the operations further comprising:

determining whether the portable computer is physically connected to the docking station based on a state of a ground connection pin of the docking port.