Packaging and cooling structure for the personal processor module

• US 5,550,710 A
• Filed: 09/09/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Computer Products America Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Computer Products America Incorporated (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rahamim, Uriel, Chahrour, Ahmad A., Ben-Zur, Raanan, Minobe, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US08/303,318
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 361/687, 361/699, 361/707-709
• US Class Current: 361/679.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/184 Mounting of motherboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/187 Mounting of fixed and removable disk drives
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438

Abstract

A housing and cooling structure for a personal processor module (PPM) is provided which includes a case which is sealed and will fit within both a desktop sized docking station and a smaller notebook sized docking station. Within the case, the components which make up the PPM are located in such a way as to minimize the size of the printed circuit boards. In addition, a cooling mechanism is provided which cools all of the components within the case. Also, the PPM has structure for converting 3.3 volt signals into 5 volt signals and for permitting easy upgrades.

Claims

1. A computer system module having high performance and transportability, known as a personal processor module (PPM), for use with any one of a plurality of external clocking stations, each said docking station providing necessary computer system components not provided by said PPM so that said PPM and said docking station when coupled together form an operational computer system, said PPM being operable solely when coupled with one of said docking stations, said necessary computer system components provided by said docking station comprising a power supply, an input device, and an output device;

said docking station further comprising a docking station connector for electrically connecting said docking station to said PPM, said PPM comprising;

a case having a top and bottom wall, a pair of side walls and a front and back wall;

a docking connector which is securely attached to one of said walls of said case;

at least one printed circuit board (PCB) which fits within said case and is electrically connected to said docking connector and has components of said PPM attached to and electrically connected to said PCB, said components including a processor and related logic including a memory;

a mass storage device which fits within said case and is electrically connected to said printed circuit board and which provides data storage for said processor and related logic;

cooling means adjacent said at least one printed circuit board within said case and also adjacent to one of said walls of said case for transferring heat away from said components of said PPM to said walls of said case;

wherein said components of said PPM further comprise a bridge device for coupling a bus in said PPM in said docking station via said docking connector, said bridge device providing PPM bus to docking station bus communication and bus signal conditioning including bus signal isolation and bus signal voltage conversion when required, said bridge device being adaptable to alter said communication and said bus signal conditioning in response to modifications to said PPM components so that said PPM is easily upgradeable and retains compatibility with unmodified ones of said docking station;

said processor, said related logic, and said mass storage device being driven by said power supply of said docking station and exchanging data with said docking station only via said docking connector.

2. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said mass storage device is electrically connected to said at least one printed circuit board by a flex-circuit.

3. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said case is made of aluminum and is sealed.

4. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said case is made of magnesium and is sealed.

5. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said case has a maximum height of about one inch such that said case with said PPM inside fits within a docking station of a notebook computer.

6. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said mass storage device is a 2.5" hard disc drive.

7. The computer system module of claim 6 wherein said docking connector is 32 bits wide.

8. The computer system module of claim 6 wherein said docking connector is 64 bits wide.

9. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said docking connector has a plurality of electrical pins whereby both 5 volt signals and 3.3 volt signals are transferable, and wherein said system supports the coexistence of 3.3 volt and 5 volt devices.

10. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said docking station is provided in a desktop computer which includes means within said docking station for forcefully moving air over the exterior surface of said PPM case when said PPM case is docked in said docking station;

and wherein said cooling means further comprises;

liquid heatsink means in contact with said at least one printed circuit board within said case and an interior surface of one of said walls for transferring heat from said components on said PCB to said case;

whereby said forcefully moving air moves over an exterior surface of said sealed case and transfers heat from said case to said moving air.

11. The computer system module of claim 10 wherein said means for forcefully moving air is a fan.

12. The computer system module of claim 1 wherein said docking station is provided in a notebook computer, and wherein said cooling means further comprises:

liquid heatsink means in contact with said at least one printed circuit board within said case and one an interior surface of one of said walls for transferring heat from said components on said PCB to said case; and

power management means for reducing the power dissipated by said PPM so that no external means of cooling said case is required to maintain said PPM within an operationally acceptable temperature range.

13. The computer system module of claim 12, wherein said power management means includes means for reducing the clock rate of said processor.

14. The computer system module of claim 13 wherein said power management means further includes a stop clock system management mode (SMM) means coupled to an oscillator, wherein said oscillator in combination with said SMM provides timing signals to said processor to control the processing execution speed of said processor and thereby controls the heat generated by said processor.

15. The computer system module in claim 1, wherein said mass storage device is a disk drive having a storage capacity of at least about 200 megabytes.

16. The computer system module in claim 1, wherein said bridge device comprises a bridge application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), said PPM bus is a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, and wherein said bridge ASIC effectively divides said PMM PCI bus into two parts including a first part of said PCI bus in said PPM which couples to said processor, and a second part of said PCI bus in said docking station which couples to peripheral devices.

17. The computer system module in claim 16, wherein said bridge ASIC has a PPM interface coupled to said docking connector which PPM interface is configurable to provide alternative voltage signaling across said interface depending upon the requirements of said docking station to which said PPM is docked.

18. The computer system module in claim 17, wherein said alternative voltage signaling includes providing either 5 volt or 3.3 volt signaling depending upon the requirements of said docking station to which said PPM is docked;

and wherein said bridge ASIC providing automatic conversion from 5 volt to 3.3 volt signals and from 3.3 volt to 5 volt signals as required to maintain compatibility.

19. The computer system module in claim 17, wherein said interface is automatically configured to provide compatible signal voltages in response to an identification information communicated to said bridge ASIC from either of said PMM or said docking station.

20. The computer system module in claim 1, wherein said bridge device comprises:

a bridge application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), said bridge ASIC being operative to control the impedances of said bus lines, and to increase the number of connectable devices to said bus without violation of said bus device loading specifications.

21. The computer system module in claim 1, wherein said cooling means comprises conductive cooling means for conducting heat generated by components within said case to the surface of said case, and power management means to reduce the heat generated by electrical components within said case to predetermined limits.

22. The computer system module in claim 1, wherein said cooling means comprises a liquid heatsink disposed adjacent said PCB and between said PCB and an internal surface of one of said walls of said case.

23. The computer system module in claim 22, wherein said cooling means further comprises a thermally conductive case material for transferring heat generated proximate said PCB from said liquid heatsink material to the external surface of said case.

24. The computer system module in claim 23, wherein said cooling means comprises power management means for reducing the heat generated within said case in response to predetermined control signals.

25. The computer system module in claim 24, wherein said power management means comprises means for reducing a processor system clock rate so that power consumption and heat generation by said processor and related logic are reduced.

26. The computer system module of claim 25, wherein said power management means further includes a stop clock system management mode (SMM) means coupled to an oscillator, wherein said oscillator in combination with said SMM provides timing signals to said processor to control the processing execution speed of said processor and thereby controls the heat generated by said processor.

27. The computer system module of claim 1, wherein said case is completely sealed to eliminate air flow into or out of said case so that said components are not adversely affected by atmospheric contaminants and if fabricated from a material having a high thermal conductivity so that heat generated within said case is efficiently conducted to said case material.

28. The computer system module of claim 1, wherein said PPM further comprises a second bridge device coupled between a processor main bus and said PCI bus,

said first and said second bridge devices acting to decouple said processor main bus from said docking stations by two configurable bridge devices so that said processor and components of said PPM may be upgraded by modifying said bridge devices without affecting other architecture within said PPM.

29. The computer system module of claim 28, wherein said bridge ASIC couples to said docking station PCI bus portion, to said PPM PCI bus portion, and to an ATA (IBM at attachment) bus;

and wherein said ATA bus coupled to said bridge ASIC electrically connects said bridge ASIC to said mass storage device.

30. A high performance, transportable computer system, comprising:

a personal processor module (PPM); and

a docking station an input device, an output device, a power supply for powering said PPM, and a dock for docking said personal processor module located within said docking station;

said personal processor module being enclosed by a case which fits within said dock and further including;

a docking connector securely attached to said case for electrically connecting said personal processor module to said dock and said docking station;

at least one printed circuit board (PCB) which fits within said case and is electrically connected to said docking connector and has components of said PPM attached to and electrically connected to said PCB, said components including a processor and related logic including a memory, wherein electrical signals between said PPM and said docking station are communicated to said components of said PPM;

a mass storage device, electrically connected to said at least one printed circuit board and located within said case;

first cooling means located within said case adjacent said at least one printed circuit board and also adjacent to one of said walls of said case for transferring heat away from said components of said personal processor module to said case; and

wherein said components of said personal processor module include bridge means for coupling and isolating electrical buses of said personal processor module to and from each other whereby said personal processor module is easily upgradeable;

said processor, said related logic, and said mass storage device being powered by said power supply of said docking station and exchanging data with said docking station via said docking connector.

31. The computer system of claim 30, wherein said bridge means for coupling and isolating includes means for coupling a peripheral component interface bus in said PPM to a peripheral component interface bus within said docking station via said docking connector,

said bridge means providing PPM bus to docking station bus communication and bus signal conditioning including bus signal isolation and bus signal voltage conversion, and

said bridge means is adaptable so that said communication and said bus signal conditioning may be altered in response to modifications to said PPM components so that said PPM is easily upgradeable and retains compatibility with unmodified ones of said docking stations.

32. A method for modularizing an electrical device including a plurality of electrical components on at least one printed circuit board wherein at least one of said components generates heat and for removing said heat from said modularized electrical device, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a thermally conductive case;

mounting said at least one printed circuit board having ones of said electrical components with relatively high thermal emissivity adjacent an internal surface of said case;

mounting a liquid heatsink between said thermally emissive electronic components and said internal surface and in contact with each;

sealing said case to prevent atmospheric contaminants from entering said case;

controlling an activity of at least one of said plurality of electrical components to maintain operation of said modularized electrical device within a predetermined reasonable temperature range.

33. A computer system module for use with any one of a plurality of docking stations, each said docking station providing necessary computer system components not provided by said module so that only when said module and said docking station are coupled together does the combination form an operational computer system;

said necessary computer system components provided by said docking station comprising a power supply, a computer system input device, and a computer system output device;

said docking station further comprising a docking station connector for electrically connecting said docking station to said module, said module comprising;

a sealed case formed in the shape of a box from a thermally conductive material;

a microprocessor mounted to a printed circuit board internal to said case;

thermal conduction means in contact with and extending between said microprocessor and an interior surface of said case for conducting heat generated by said microprocessor to said case material;

a random access memory electrically coupled to said microprocessor mounted internal to said case;

a disk drive mass storage device disposed internal to said case and electrically coupled to said printed circuit board and to said microprocessor;

at least one logic circuit disposed internal to said case and operating in conjunction with said microprocessor, said memory, and said disc drive; and

an electrical connector extending between an interior portion of said case and an exterior portion of said case and communicating electrical signals between said printed circuit board interior to said case and said docking connector exterior to said case;

said microprocessor mounted directly adjacent to a top wall of said case when said case is in operational orientation so that convection of heat generated by said microprocessor to other portions of said case are minimized and in contact with said thermal conduction means so that conduction of said heat to said case is maximized.

34. The computer system module in claim 33, wherein said at least one logic circuit has a relatively lower heat generation than said microprocessor and is disposed adjacent one of said case bottom wall or side wall surfaces, and wherein said disk drive is disposed interior to said top wall mounted printed circuit board and said side wall mounted logic circuit.

35. The computer system module in claim 34, wherein said module further comprises second thermal conduction means in contact with and extending between said logic circuit and said interior side wall surface of said case for conducting heat generated by said logic circuit to said case material.

36. The computer system module in claim 33, wherein said thermal conduction means comprises a liquid heatsink.