HANDHELD COMPUTING UNIT BACK-UP SYSTEM

• US 20090198798A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 08/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: ROFOUGARAN, AHMADREZA (REZA), MARKISON, TIMOTHY W.
• Application Number:
  US12/326,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20090198798A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations

Abstract

A computing device includes a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit. The extend computing unit stores a digital replica of an operational handheld computing unit. When the handheld computing unit is operably coupled to the extended computing unit and is in a configure mode, the handheld computing unit retrieves the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit and configures itself in accordance with the digital replica the operational handheld computing unit.

Claims

1. A computing device comprises:

a handheld computing unit; and

an extended computing unit, wherein the extend computing unit stores a digital replica of an operational handheld computing unit and wherein, when the handheld computing unit is operably coupled to the extended computing unit and is in a configure mode, the handheld computing unit retrieves the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit and configures in accordance with the digital replica the operational handheld computing unit.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the digital replica the operational handheld computing unit comprises at least one of:

a digital replica of memory of the operational handheld computing unit;

a digital replica of software the operational handheld computing unit; and

a digital replica of hardware the operational handheld computing unit.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the digital replica of the memory comprises one or more of:

a virtual memory map;

a physical memory map;

a virtual memory to physical memory;

memory capabilities;

memory capacity;

memory hierarchical configuration; and

paging information.

4. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the digital replica of the hardware comprises one or more of:

register sizes;

register names,

processor capabilities;

peripheral component interface configuration;

input/output (IO) configuration;

core architecture; and

video graphics configuration.

5. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the digital replica of the software comprises one or more of:

user application file names;

user application file size;

system application file names;

system application file size;

copies of user applications;

copies of system applications; and

status of swapped applications.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the handheld computing unit reconfigures in accordance with the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit further comprises:

comparing attributes of the handheld computing unit with attributes of the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit;

when an attribute of the attributes of the handheld computing unit compares unfavorably with a corresponding attribute of the attributes of the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit, adjusting a portion of the digital replica associated with the corresponding attribute based on the attribute of the handheld computing unit to produce an adjusted digital replica; and

configuring the handheld computing unit in accordance with the adjusted digital replica.

7. The computing device of claim 1 further comprises:

the extended computing unit receiving the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit from a previous handheld computing unit.

8. The computing device of claim 1 further comprises:

the extended computing unit receiving the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit from a previous version of the handheld computing unit.

9. The computing device of claim 1 further comprises:

the handheld computing unit including;

a handheld processing module;

handheld main memory;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

handheld input/output (I/O) components;

a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, and the handheld I/O components;

a handheld connection structure coupled to one or more of;

the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the handheld bus structure, and at least one of the handheld I/O components; and

the extended computing unit that includes;

an extended processing module;

extended main memory;

a memory controller;

an I/O controller;

extended I/O components coupled to the I/O controller;

an extended bus structure coupled to the extended processing module, the extended main memory, the extended memory controller, and the I/O controller;

an extended connection structure coupled to one or more of;

the memory controller, the I/O controller, and the extended bus structure, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode where the handheld and extended processing modules function as a multiprocessing module and the handheld and extended main memories function as combined main memory and, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is not coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode where the extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active.

10. The computing device of claim 1 further comprises:

the handheld computing unit including;

a handheld processing module;

handheld main memory;

a memory controller;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

handheld input/output (I/O) components;

a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, the memory controller, and the handheld I/O components;

a handheld connection structure coupled to the memory controller; and

the extended computing unit that includes;

an extended processing module;

extended main memory;

an I/O controller;

extended I/O components coupled to the I/O controller;

an extended bus structure coupled to the extended processing module, the extended main memory, the extended memory controller, and the I/O controller;

an extended connection structure coupled to one or more of;

the I/O controller, the extended processing module, and the extended main memory, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode where the memory controller communicates with the handheld and extended processing modules as a multiprocessing module and communicates with the handheld and extended main memories function as a combined main memory and, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is not coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode where the extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active.

11. A handheld computing unit comprises:

a handheld processing module;

handheld main memory;

a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data;

a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream;

handheld input/output (I/O) components;

a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, and the handheld I/O components; and

a handheld connection structure coupled to one or more of;

the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the handheld bus structure, and at least one of the handheld I/O components, wherein the handheld connection structure provides coupling of the handheld computing unit to an extended computing unit, wherein when the handheld computing unit is coupled to the extended computing unit, the handheld computing unit utilizes a processing module of the extended computing unit as a co-processor or in a multiprocessing module mode with the handheld processing module.

12. The handheld computing unit of claim 11 is further operable to:

when the handheld computing unit is operably coupled to the extended computing unit and is in a configure mode, the handheld computing unit retrieves a digital replica of an operational handheld computing unit and configures in accordance with the digital replica the operational handheld computing unit.

13. The handheld computing unit of claim 12, wherein the digital replica the operational handheld computing unit comprises at least one of:

a digital replica of memory of the operational handheld computing unit;

a digital replica of software the operational handheld computing unit; and

a digital replica of hardware the operational handheld computing unit.

14. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the digital replica of the memory comprises one or more of:

a virtual memory map;

a physical memory map;

a virtual memory to physical memory;

memory capabilities;

memory capacity;

memory hierarchical configuration; and

paging information.

15. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the digital replica of the hardware comprises one or more of:

register sizes;

register names,

processor capabilities;

peripheral component interface configuration;

input/output (IO) configuration;

core architecture; and

video graphics configuration.

16. The handheld computing unit of claim 13, wherein the digital replica of the software comprises one or more of:

user application file names;

user application file size;

system application file names;

system application file size;

copies of user applications;

copies of system applications; and

status of swapped applications.

17. The handheld computing unit of claim 12, wherein the handheld computing unit reconfigures in accordance with the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit further comprises:

comparing attributes of the handheld computing unit with attributes of the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit;

when an attribute of the attributes of the handheld computing unit compares unfavorably with a corresponding attribute of the attributes of the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit, adjusting a portion of the digital replica associated with the corresponding attribute based on the attribute of the handheld computing unit to produce an adjusted digital replica; and

configuring the handheld computing unit in accordance with the adjusted digital replica.

18. The handheld computing unit of claim 11 further comprises:

providing the digital replica of the operational handheld computing unit to the extended computing unit.