Computer system having detachable expansion unit

• US 5,664,118 A
• Filed: 03/24/1995
• Issued: 09/02/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ninomiya, Ryoji, Sakai, Makoto, Nishigaki, Nobutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHUNG TRANS, XUONG MY
• Application Number:
  US08/410,516
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 395/750, 395/283, 395/281, 361/725, 361/683, 361/686
• US Class Current: 710/304
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/206 comprising thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations

Abstract

In a computer system constituted by a portable computer and a deskstation used to expand the function of the portable computer, the portable computer has a communication connector used for communication with the deskstation, in addition to a connector for connecting a system bus in the portable computer to the deskstation. Similarly, the deskstation also has a communication connector. When the portable computer is set at a predetermined position of the deskstation, these connectors are connected to each other before the system bus is connected to an expansion device of the deskstation. By using the communication connectors to perform communication between the portable computer and the deskstation, disconnection between the system bus and an expansion connector or forced suspend processing of the portable computer is executed before the portable computer in a power ON state is mounted in the deskstation. In addition, a lock mechanism is provided to lock the portable computer with the deskstation. The lock mechanism is operated/released by registering/deleting a password. Even when a power supply unit having a plurality of power supply outlets is externally provided to the deskstation, processing for sequentially enabling the power supply outlets is executed. Temperature control in the portable computer is also executed.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a computer main body; and

an expansion unit removably attachable to said computer main body,

wherein said computer main body comprises

first and second connectors,

a system bus,

a communication bus connected to said first connector,

a power supply for generating operating voltages including a back up voltage when said computer main body is in power ON state and for generating the back up voltage when said computer main body is in power OFF state,

a first controller connected to said communication bus and said power supply, for controlling said power supply, said first controller being driven based on the back up voltage,

a gate array, provided between said system bus and said second connector, for switching between electrical connection and disconnection between said system bus and said second connector, and said gate array being set to electrically disconnect said second connector from said system bus in advance of removing said computer main body from said expansion unit, and

a processing portion connected to said system bus, for controlling said gate array,

wherein said expansion unit comprises

a third connector connectable to said first connector and connected to said first connector when said computer main body is set at a mounting position of said expansion unit,

a fourth connector connectable to said second connector and arranged to be free to move between a first position where said fourth connector is disconnected from said second connector and a second position where said fourth connector is connected to said second connector when said computer main body is set at the mounting position,

at least one expansion device connected to said fourth connector for expanding functions of said computer main body,

a loading mechanism for moving said fourth connector between the first position and the second position, and

an expansion unit controller for outputting a dock request signal for connection between said second connector and said fourth connector to said computer through said third connector when said computer is set at the mounting position, controlling said loading mechanism to move said fourth connector from the first position to the second position in response to a dock start signal, and outputting a dock completion signal after completion of movement of said fourth connector to said second position,

said first controller receiving the dock request signal output by said expansion unit controller through said first connector and said communication bus, outputting the dock start signal in response to the dock request signal when said computer main body is in a power OFF state, and outputting a first interrupt signal to said processing portion through said system bus when said computer main body is in a power ON state,

said processing portion outputting a dock permission signal to said first controller in response to the first interrupt signal from said controller,

said first controller outputting the dock start signal to said expansion unit controller in response to the dock permission signal from said processing portion,

said first controller receiving the dock completion signal output by said expansion unit controller through said first connector and said communication bus, and outputting a second interrupt signal to said processing portion, and

said processing portion, in response to the second interrupt signal, controlling said gate array to electrically connect said second connector and said system bus.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said expansion unit includes an expansion unit power supply for generating unit-operating voltages, and said expansion unit controller controls said expansion unit power supply to supply the unit-operating voltages to said expansion device when said computer main body is in a power ON state after completion of movement of said fourth connector to said second position.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said expansion unit controller includes a sensor for detecting that said computer main body is set at the mounting position.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said power supply supplies a predetermined voltage to a predetermined pin of said third connector, and said expansion unit controller monitors a voltage of the predetermined pin and determines that said computer main body is set at the mounting position when said predetermined voltage is detected at the predetermined pin.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said processing portion reads attribute information stored in said expansion device through said system bus after completion of movement of said fourth connector to said second position, the attribute information indicating a configuration of said expansion unit, and updates a system configuration for use of said expansion unit in accordance with the attribute information.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said expansion unit includes an eject switch for initiating an eject sequence of said computer main body from said expansion unit,

wherein said expansion unit controller outputs an eject request signal for detachment of said fourth connector from said computer through said third connector when said eject switch initiates the eject sequence of said computer main body from said expansion unit, and controls said loading mechanism to move said fourth connector from the second position to the first position in response to an eject start signal,

said first controller receiving the eject request signal output by said expansion unit controller through said first connector and said communication bus, outputting the eject start signal in response to the eject request signal when said computer main body is in a power OFF state, and outputting a third interrupt signal to said processing portion through said system bus when said computer main body is in a power ON state,

said processing portion controlling said gate array to electrically disconnect said system bus and said second connector in response to the third interrupt signal, and outputting an elect permission signal to said first controller after an electrical disconnection between said system bus and said second connector, and

said first controller outputting the elect start signal to said expansion unit controller response to the elect permission signal from said processing portion.

7. A system according to claim 6, wherein said expansion unit controller controls said expansion unit power supply to stop applying the unit-operating voltages in response to the elect start signal before start of movement of said fourth connector from the second position to the first position.

8. A system according to claim 6, wherein said processing portion determines, in response to the third interrupt signal, whether one of said expansion devices is being used, outputs the elect permission signal when said expansion devices are not being used, and stops outputting the elect permission signal when one of said expansion devices are being used.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said processing portion informs an operator that said expansion devices are being used when it is determined that one of said expansion devices is being used.

10. A computer system comprising:

a computer main body; and

an expansion unit removably attachable to said computer main body, wherein said computer main body comprises

first and second connectors

a system bus

a nonvolatile memory connected to said system bus,

a communication bus connected to said first connector,

a power supply for generating operating voltages including a back up voltage when said computer main body is in power ON state and for generating the back up voltage when said computer main body is in power OFF state,

a first controller connected to said communication bus and said power supply, for controlling said power supply, said first controller being driven based on the back up voltage, and

a processing portion connected to said system bus, for controlling said computer main body,

wherein said expansion unit comprises

a third connector connectable to said first connector and connected to said first connector when said computer main body is set at a mounting position of said expansion unit,

a fourth connector connectable to said second connector and arranged to be free to move between a first position where said fourth connector is disconnected from said second connector and a second position where said fourth connector is connected to said second connector when said computer main body is set at the mounting position,

at least one expansion device connected to said fourth connector for expanding functions of said computer main body,

a loading mechanism for moving said fourth connector between the first position and the second position, and

an expansion unit controller for, when said computer is set at the mounting position, outputting a dock request signal for connection between said second connector and said fourth connector to said computer through said third connector and controlling said loading mechanism to move said fourth connector from the first position to the second position in response to a dock start signal,

said first controller receiving the dock request signal output by said expansion unit controller through said first connector and said communication bus, outputting the dock start signal in response to the dock request signal when said computer main body is in a power OFF state, and outputting a first interrupt signal to said processing portion through said system bus when said computer main body is in a power ON state.

said processing portion executing a suspend processing sequence in which information necessary for resuming processing which is being executed is stored in said nonvolatile memory to interrupt the processing in response to the first interrupt signal from said first controller and outputting a dock permission signal to said first controller after completion of the suspend processing sequence, and

said first controller, in response to the dock permission signal from said processing portion, controlling said power supply to set said computer main body in the power OFF state and outputting the dock start signal to said expansion unit controller.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein said expansion unit controller outputs a dock completion signal after completion of movement of said fourth connector to the second position, said first controller, when said processing portion has executed the suspend processing sequence, controls said power supply to set said computer main body in the power ON state and outputs a second interrupt signal to said processing portion, and said processing portion resumes the interrupted processing using the information stored in said nonvolatile memory in response to the second interrupt signal.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said expansion unit includes an expansion unit power supply for generating unit-operating voltages, and said expansion unit controller controls said expansion unit power supply to supply the unit-operating voltages to said expansion device when said computer main body is in the power ON state after completion of movement of said fourth connector to said second connector.

13. A system according to claim 11, wherein said expansion unit includes

an eject switch for initiating an eject sequence of said computer main body from said expansion unit,

wherein said expansion unit controller outputs an eject request signal for detachment of said fourth connector to said computer through said third connector when said eject switch initiates the eject sequence of said computer main body from said expansion unit, and controls said loading mechanism to move said fourth connector from the second position to the first position in response to an eject start signal, and

said first controller receiving the eject request signal output by said expansion unit controller through said first connector and said communication bus, outputting the eject start signal in response to the eject request signal when said compute main body is in the power OFF state, and outputting a third interrupt signal to said processing portion through said system bus when said computer main body is in the power ON state,

said processing portion executing the suspend processing sequence in response to the third interrupt signal, and outputting an eject permission signal to said controller after completion of the suspend processing sequence, and

said controller, in response to the eject permission signal from said processing portion, controlling said power supply to set said computer main body in the power OFF state and outputting the eject start signal to said expansion unit controller.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said expansion unit controller controls said expansion unit power supply to stop applying the unit operating voltages in response to the eject start signal before start of movement of said fourth connector from the second position to the first position.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein said expansion unit controller outputs an eject completion signal after completion of movement of said fourth connector to the first position, said first controller, when said processing portion has executed the suspend processing sequence, controls said power supply to set said computer main body in the power ON state and outputs a fourth interrupt signal to said processing portion, and said processing portion resumes the interrupted processing using the information stored in said nonvolatile memory in response to the fourth interrupt signal.

16. A system according to claim 13, wherein said processing portion determines, in response to the third interrupt signal, whether one of said expansion devices is being used, outputs the eject permission signal when said expansion devices are not being used, and stops outputting the eject permission signal when one of said expansion devices is being used.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein said processing portion informs an operator that one of said expansion devices is being used when it is determined that one of said expansion devices is being used.

18. A system according to claim 10, wherein said expansion unit controller includes a sensor for detecting that said computer main body is set at the mounting position.

19. A system according to claim 10, wherein said power supply supplies a predetermined voltage to a predetermined pin of said third connector, and said expansion unit controller monitors a voltage of the predetermined pin and determines that said computer main body is set at the mounting position when said predetermined voltage is detected at the predetermined pin.

20. A system according to claim 10, wherein said processing portion reads attribute information stored in said expansion device through said system bus after completion of movement of said fourth connector to said second position, the attribute information indicating configuration of said expansion unit, and updates a system configuration for use of said expansion unit in accordance with the attribute information.