Safe removal of external device from computing device

• US 20080140873A1
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stemmer, Avener
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

In some embodiments a computing device includes a coupler that is able to be coupled to an external device, and an eject button to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a coupler that is able to be coupled to an external device; and

an eject button to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the external device is at least one of a media device, a portable device, a storage device, a hard drive, a memory device, a flash device, a flash memory device, a USB device, a USB hub, a music device, a video device, or an IEEE 1394 device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the eject button is a physical button on the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is a slot in the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

6. The computing device of claim 5, the computing device to provide a signal to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the signal to the user is provided on at least one of a light on the computing device, a light on the external device, or a display on the computing device.

8. The computing device of claim 1, the computing device further including an operating system to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

9. The computing device of claim 1, the computing device further including an Input/Output Controller Hub to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a USB hub.

11. A method comprising:

providing a signal at a computing device indicating that a user wishes to safely uncouple an external device from the computing device; and

determining that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal is provided in response to a computing device eject button pressed by the user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a signal to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a USB hub.

14. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

an external device;

wherein the external device is able to be coupled to the computing device, the computing device further including a coupler that is able to be coupled to the external device, and an eject button to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, the computing device to determine that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

16. The system of claim 15, the computing device to provide an indication to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the external device is at least one of a media device, a portable device, a storage device, a hard drive, a memory device, a flash device, a flash memory device, a USB device, a USB hub, a music device, a video device, or an IEEE 1394 device.