PORTABLE COMPUTER WITH SHARED HARDWARE RESOURCES

• US 20090044028A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.), Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: YU, Lei-Tong, CHUANG, Tsung-Jen, WEN, Yu-Zhang, WONG, Shih-Fang
• Granted Patent: US 8,051,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/266 Arrangements to supply power to external peripherals either directly from the computer or under computer control, e.g. supply of power through the communication port, computer controlled power-strips
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence

Abstract

The invention provides a portable computer with shared hardware resources that can be used by other computers. The portable computer includes an interface converter, a control module, a power management module, and a power path switch. When the portable computer is powered off and connected with a computer host through a serial bus interface, the shared hardware resources of the portable computer obtain power from the computer host through the serial bus interface. The interface converter converts data between a shared hardware resource interface format and a serial bus interface format, and enables the shared hardware resources to communicate with the computer host and therefore are employed by the computer host. In one embodiment, the shared hardware resources include a keyboard. In another embodiment, the shared hardware resources include a keyboard and a display.

Claims

1. A portable computer capable of sharing hardware resources with a computer host, the portable computer comprising:

a power module for powering on and keeping the portable computer operable;

a shared hardware resource;

a serial bus interface having a data pin and a power pin, the data pin being capable of transmitting data between the shared hardware resource and the computer host and the power pin being capable of receiving power from the computer host;

an interface converter connected between the shared hardware resource and the data pin of the serial bus interface, and capable of converting the data between a shared hardware resource interface format and a serial bus interface format;

a power management module capable of obtaining power from the power pin of the serial bus interface and distributing the power to the shared hardware resource and the interface converter;

a power path switch capable of continuing or discontinuing the power from the serial bus interface to the power management module; and

a control module capable of controlling the power path switch to discontinue the power when the portable computer is powered on and controlling the power path switch to supply the power when the portable computer is powered off;

wherein, when the portable computer is powered on, the control module switches off the power path switch and discontinues the power to the power management module, the power management module discontinues the power to the shared hardware resource and the interface converter and disables the interface converter; and

wherein, when the portable computer is powered off, the control module switches on the power path switch and continues the power from the power pin of the serial bus interface to the power management module, the power management module distributes the power to the shared hardware resource and the interface converter, then enabling the shared hardware resource to communicate with the computer host via the interface converter.

2. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the shared hardware resource is a keyboard, the interface converter is a keyboard interface converter which is configured for converting keyboard interface format data to serial bus interface format keyboard data.

3. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the shared hardware resource is a display, the interface converter is a display interface converter which is configured for converting serial bus interface format display data to display interface format data.

4. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the control module is constituted by a resistor having a first terminal connected to ground and a second terminal connected both with the power path switch and the power module, when the portable computer is powered on, the second terminal of the control module is at a high voltage and switches off the power path switch, when the portable computer is powered off, the second terminal of the control module is at a low voltage and switches on the power path switch.

5. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the portable computer further comprising a data switch to connect or disconnect the shared hardware resource from the interface converter, the data switch being switched off by the control module when the portable computer is powered on, and being switched on when the portable computer is powered off.

6. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the power path switch is a p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (PMOSFET).

7. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the power path switch is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) BJT.

8. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the serial bus interface is a USB interface.

9. The portable computer of claim 1, wherein the serial bus interface is an IEEE 1394 interface.

10. A portable computer capable of sharing hardware resources with a computer host, the portable computer comprising:

a power module for powering on and keeping the portable computer operable;

a plurality of shared hardware resources;

a serial bus interface having a data pin and a power pin, the data pin being capable of transmitting data between the shared hardware resources and the computer host, and the power pin being capable of receiving power from the computer host;

a plurality of interface converters each of which is connected between the corresponding shared hardware resource and the data pin of the serial bus interface respectively and capable of converting the data between the shared hardware resource interface format and a corresponding serial bus interface format;

a power management module capable of obtaining power from the power pin of the serial bus interface and distributing the power to the shared hardware resources and the interface converters;

a power path switch capable of continuing or discontinuing the power from the serial bus interface to the power management module; and

a control module capable of controlling the power path switch to discontinue the power when the portable computer is powered on and controlling the power path switch to supply the power when the portable computer is powered off;

wherein, when the portable computer is powered on, the control module switches off the power path switch and discontinues the power to the power management module, the power management module discontinues the power to the shared hardware resources and the interface converters and disables the interface converters; and

wherein, when the portable computer is powered off, the control module switches on the power path switch and continues the power to the power management module, the power management module distributes the power to the shared hardware resources and the interface converters, then enabling the shared hardware resources to communicate with the computer host via the interface converters.

11. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the shared hardware resources include a keyboard and a display, the interface converters include a keyboard interface converter and a display interface converter, the keyboard interface converter is configured for converting a keyboard interface format data to a serial bus interface format keyboard data and the display interface converter is configured for converting a serial bus interface format display data to a display interface format data.

12. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the portable computer further comprising a data flow control module connected between the serial bus interface and the plurality of interface converters, which is configured to control the data flow between the interface converters and the serial bus interface.

13. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the portable computer further comprising a data switch connected between each pair of a shared hardware resource and its corresponding interface converter and capable of connecting or disconnecting the shared hardware resource from the interface converter, the data switch being switched off by the control module when the portable computer is powered on, and being switched on when the portable computer is powered off.

14. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the power path switch is a p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (PMOSFET).

15. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the power path switch is a negative-positive-negative (NPN) BJT

16. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the serial bus interface is an USB interface.

17. The portable computer of claim 10, wherein the serial bus interface is an IEEE 1394 interface.