System and method for interconnection of computer peripherals via multiple interfaces

• US 5,941,963 A
• Filed: 02/14/1997
• Issued: 08/24/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Paul Charles
• Inventors: Charles, Paul, Le Veille, Greg R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Thomas C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elamin, Abdelmoniem I.
• Application Number:
  US08/800,397
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 395/882, 395/500, 395/894, 364/221.1, 364/221.8
• US Class Current: 710/62
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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

Abstract

A system and method are provided for interconnecting computer peripherals with portable and desktop computers. More specifically, the present invention includes a system and method for simultaneously connecting multiple portable computer peripherals to a single portable computer interface slot, for connecting portable computer peripherals to a desktop computer, and for connecting a portable ZIP drive to a portable computer.

Claims

1. A system for electrically coupling a computer peripheral device to a computer, said system comprising:

a computer having an interface compliant with a first interface standard, the computer having a housing and being a battery operated computer having at least one multi-function peripheral bay within the housing which can interchangeably receive only one of a plurality of different peripherals, the first interface standard being compatible with the PCMCIA standard implemented in a PCMCIA compatible card slot;

a peripheral bay comprising means for making physical and electrical connection with one of the computer peripherals, the computer peripheral being compliant with a second interface standard, the peripheral bay being located outside of the computer housing;

means for operatively connecting the PCMCIA card slot with the peripheral bay including a PCMCIA compliant connecter for insertion into the PCMCIA compatible card slot; and

means for translating communications between the computer in accordance with the first interface standard and the peripheral nested in the peripheral bay in compliance with the second interface standard such that an operative link between the computer and the computer peripheral is established when a computer peripheral is nested in the peripheral bay.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 wherein the second interface standard is selected from the group comprising:

PCCard, PCI, Parallel, IEEE 488, Serial, RS-232, PS/2, PCMCIA, CardBus, FireWire, IDE, ATAPI interfaces.

3. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral is one selected from the group consisting of:

CDROM drive;

floppy drive and ZIP drive.

4. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for operatively connecting comprises a cable and a PCMCIA card attached to the PCMCIA compliant connecter.

5. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the peripheral bay comprises:

a housing;

an opening in the housing which receives the peripheral device into the housing, including a lip provided on the peripheral device enclosure.

6. A system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a second peripheral bay operatively connected to the computing device.

7. A system as defined in claim 1 wherein the means for operatively connecting comprises a fifty conductor connector and a cable.

8. A system for electrically coupling a peripheral device to a computing device, the computing device having an interface compatible with the PCMCIA interface standard, said system comprising:

a first peripheral bay comprising means for making physical and electrical connection with the peripheral device, the peripheral device being compliant with a second interface standard; and

means for translating communications between the computer interface which is compatible the PCMCIA interface standard and the first peripheral bay in compliance with the second interface standard, the second interface standard being one selected from those compatible with a rotating media storage device, such that an operative link between the computer and the computer peripheral is established when the computer peripheral is nested in the first peripheral bay.

9. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein the first peripheral bay is positioned external to the computing device.

10. The system as defined in claim 8 wherein the first peripheral bay is positioned internally in the computing device.

11. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the first peripheral bay comprises:

a housing;

an opening in the housing which receives the peripheral device into the housing, including a lip provided on the peripheral device enclosure.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 further comprising a second peripheral bay operatively connected to the computing device.

13. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the means for making physical and electrical connection with a computer peripheral comprises a fifty conductor connector and a cable.

14. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the computer peripheral comprises an enclosure having first, second, third, and fourth sides, the enclosure having a substantially rectangular shape having a lip extending from the first side thereof.

15. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the second interface standard is selected from the group consisting of:

PCCard, PCI, Parallel, IEEE 488, Serial, RS-232, PS/2, CardBus, IDE, ATAPI interfaces.