Apparatus and method for achieving hot docking capabilities for a dockable computer system
First Claim
1. A dockable computer system capable of assuming at least two states, a docked state and undocked state, said dockable computer system including a notice circuit for providing a notice signal when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state prior to attaining said docked state, said dockable computer system comprising:
- a host station including a host bus coupled with a host connector;
a portable computer including a processor, a computer bus, and a connector bus coupled with a computer connector, said host connector physically coupled with said portable connector when said dockable computer system is in said docked state, said host connector being physically separate from said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state; and
an in-line docking agent coupled between said computer bus and said connector bus, said docking agent having a notice input for receiving said notice signal, said docking agent quieting said computer bus without suspending said processor in said portable computer by obtaining bus mastership of said computer bus and disabling a bus clock signal for said bus in response to said notice signal, said in-line docking agent performing at least one of a buffering function, a voltage level translation function, a filtering function, or a bus driving function on signals being communicated between said computer bus and said connector bus, whereby said portable computer remains powered ON during the transition of the system from said undocked state to said docked state.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A dockable computer system is capable of performing hot docking or warm docking. Hot docking refers to an ability to dock when the portable computer or docking station are running at full power. Warm docking refers to an ability to dock when the portable computer and docking station are running in a reduced power state. The dockable computer system employs a docking agent which is capable of quieting (rendering inactive) the buses of the portable computer and docking station in response to a notice signal. The notice signal is indicative of a change of states from the undocked state to the docked state or from the docked state to the undocked state. The notice signal can be provided from software, a user-actuated switch, or an infrared signal. The docking agent preferably quiets the system bus by idling the system bus or asserting bus ownership or bus mastership over the system bus. The docking agent is able to assert bus ownership or bus mastership over the system bus. Alternatively, the docking agent can perform a software idle subroutine or an interrupt subroutine which idles the system bus. Preferably, the system bus is idled by disabling clock signals to it. Preferably, the docking agent also removes bus ownership requests, interrupt requests, and DMA requests from the station bus and system bus.
-
Citations
21 Claims
-
1. A dockable computer system capable of assuming at least two states, a docked state and undocked state, said dockable computer system including a notice circuit for providing a notice signal when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state prior to attaining said docked state, said dockable computer system comprising:
-
a host station including a host bus coupled with a host connector; a portable computer including a processor, a computer bus, and a connector bus coupled with a computer connector, said host connector physically coupled with said portable connector when said dockable computer system is in said docked state, said host connector being physically separate from said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state; and an in-line docking agent coupled between said computer bus and said connector bus, said docking agent having a notice input for receiving said notice signal, said docking agent quieting said computer bus without suspending said processor in said portable computer by obtaining bus mastership of said computer bus and disabling a bus clock signal for said bus in response to said notice signal, said in-line docking agent performing at least one of a buffering function, a voltage level translation function, a filtering function, or a bus driving function on signals being communicated between said computer bus and said connector bus, whereby said portable computer remains powered ON during the transition of the system from said undocked state to said docked state. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of docking a portable computer having a computer bus with a host station having a host bus, said computer bus being in electrical communication with said host bus through a connector bus when said portable computer is docked with said host station, said portable computer including a processor and an in-line docking agent coupled between the computer bus and the host bus when the portable computer is docked with the host station, the computer bus being separated from said connector bus by said in-line docking agent said method comprising the steps of:
-
providing a notice signal incipient to physically electrically coupling said host bus with said computer bus; quieting said computer bus and said connector bus with said docking agent in response to said notice signal without suspending said processor in said portable computer by obtaining bus mastership of said computer bus and disabling a bus clock signal for said bus; physically coupling said host bus with said connector bus thereby coupling said lost bus with said computer bus through said docking agent and said computer bus; and releasing said computer bus in response to said portable system bus being physically electrically coupled with said docking bus, whereby said portable computer remains powered ON when said portable computer is docked with said host station. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. A computer operable in an undocked state or a docked state with a station having a station bus, said computer including a bus and a computer connector coupled with said bus of said computer, said bus of said computer including a data bus, said station including a station connector coupled with said station bus, said computer connector being coupled with said station connector when said computer is operable in said docked state, said computer connector being separate from said station connector when said computer is operable in said undocked state, said computer comprising:
-
a CPU capable of physical electrical communication with said bus of said computer; and an in-line docking agent coupled with said bus of said computer and between said bus of said computer and said station bus when said computer is in a docked state said in-line docking agent buffering signals communicated between said bus of said computer and said station bus on said data bus, said docking agent ensuring that said bus of said computer is quiet prior to said computer changing states without suspending said CPU in said computer by obtaining bus mastership of said bus and disabling a bus clock signal for said bus, whereby said computer remains powered ON when said computer changes states. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. In a dockable computer system comprised of a host computer station, including a station bus, and a mobile computer unit including a processor, and a unit bus, the unit bus including a data bus, wherein said system is capable of residing in at least two distinct states, a docked state in which said unit is operatively associated with said station and an undocked state in which said unit is physically separate from said station, the improvement comprising an in-line docking agent coupled between said unit bus and said station bus when said system is in said docked state, said docking agent performing at least a buffering function, and voltage translation function on signals on said data bus, said docking agent quieting said unit bus by obtaining bus mastership of said unit bus and disabling a bus clock signal for said bus without suspending said processor in said computer unit when said system changes from said undocked state to said docked state or from said docked state to said undocked state, whereby said mobile computer unit remains powered ON when said system changes from said undocked state to said docked state or from said docked state to said undocked state.
Specification