Method for expanding PC functionality while maintaining reliability and stability

• US 20050190536A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Jason Michael, Westerinen, William Jefferson, Stufflebeam, Kenneth W. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/787,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20050190536A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for providing a computing system have a base unit and an expansion unit. The base unit has a fixed configuration and includes a CPU, a power supply, a removable media drive and expansion slots. The expansion unit has a power supply, removable media drive, and expansion slots. Additional components are added to the expansion unit in order to maintain stability in the base unit and the expansion unit is connected to the base unit by a high speed external connection. This configuration provides for an expansion path for the computing system that maintains overall stability of the base unit.

Claims

1. A computing system, comprising:

a base unit having a CPU, a power supply, a removable media drive and expansion slots; and

an expansion unit having a power supply, removable media drive, and expansion slots,

wherein said base unit has a fixed configuration and additional components are added to said expansion unit, and wherein said expansion unit is connected to said base unit by a high speed external connection.

2. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said base unit and said expansion unit are connected via a PCI Express connection.

3. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said base unit includes an expansion slot for a video card.

4. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said expansion unit includes card slots and server I/O slots.

5. The computing system of claim 1, wherein said expansion unit further comprises a docking connector to dock a mobile computer to said expansion unit.

6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein said expansion unit comprises a video card, said video card providing outputs for a computer monitor and a television.

7. The computing system of claim 5, wherein said expansion unit comprises a CPU, and wherein said expansion unit is adapted to perform computing functions without being connected to said base unit.

8. A computing system, comprising:

a base unit having a CPU, a power supply, a removable media drive, expansion slots and a PCI Express bus; and

a processor module having a CPU, north bridge, fixed memory, and a PCI Express bus,

wherein external connections are provided via said PCI Express connection to said processor module.

9. The computing system of claim 8, wherein a display adapter is provided via said PCI Express bus to said processor module.

10. The computing system of claim 8, further comprising an expansion unit having a power supply, removable media drive, and expansion slots, wherein said expansion unit is connected to said processor module via said PCI Express bus.

11. The computing system of claim 10, wherein said base unit is bootable and said expansion unit is provided with a hard disk drive and a CPU, and wherein said expansion unit is adapted to perform computing functions without being connected to said processor module.

12. The computing system of claim 10, further comprising a docking connector.

13. The computing system of claim 8, wherein said base unit comprises a gaming console.

14. A method of providing expanding a computing system having a base unit, comprising:

fixing a configuration of said base unit;

providing a high speed external connection to an expansion unit from said base unit; and

adding additional components to said expansion unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said high speed external connection comprises a PCI Express connection.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising providing a docking connector to dock a mobile computer to said expansion unit.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said expansion unit comprises a video card, said method further comprising providing a video out for a computer monitor and a television.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing a CPU within said expansion unit; and

performing computing functions within said expansion unit without being connected to said base unit.