Method and apparatus for exchanging information between buses in a portable computer and docking station through a bridge employing a serial link
DCFirst Claim
1. A docking system for allowing communications between a first bus in a portable computer and a second bus in a docking station, said first bus and said second bus each being adapted to separately connect to respective ones of a plurality of bus-compatible devices, said docking system comprising:
- a link;
a first interface adapted to couple between said first bus and said link; and
a second interface adapted to couple between said second bus and said link, said first interface and said second interface operating as a single bridge and being operable to (a) serially send information through said link in a format different from that of said first bus and said second bus, and (b) allow said portable computer, communicating through said first bus, to individually address one or more of the bus-compatible devices on said second bus using on said first bus substantially the same type of addressing as is used to access devices on said first bus.
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Abstract
A docking system can give a portable computer access over a first bus in the portable computer to a second bus in a docking station. The first bus and the second bus are each adapted to separately connect to respective ones of a plurality of bus-compatible devices. The docking system has a serial link cooperating with a first and a second interface to act as a single bridge. The first interface is coupled between the first bus and the link. The second interface is coupled between the second bus and the link. The first interface and the second interface are operable to (a) send bus-related information through the link in a format different from that of the first bus and the second bus, and (b) allow the portable computer, communicating through the first bus, to individually address one or more of the bus-compatible devices on the second bus using on the first bus substantially the same type of addressing as is used to access devices on the first bus.
130 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A docking system for allowing communications between a first bus in a portable computer and a second bus in a docking station, said first bus and said second bus each being adapted to separately connect to respective ones of a plurality of bus-compatible devices, said docking system comprising:
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a link; a first interface adapted to couple between said first bus and said link; and a second interface adapted to couple between said second bus and said link, said first interface and said second interface operating as a single bridge and being operable to (a) serially send information through said link in a format different from that of said first bus and said second bus, and (b) allow said portable computer, communicating through said first bus, to individually address one or more of the bus-compatible devices on said second bus using on said first bus substantially the same type of addressing as is used to access devices on said first bus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A docking method for for allowing bridge communications between a first bus of a portable computer and a second bus of a docking station, in order to communicate over a link, said first bus and said second bus each being adapted to separately connect to respective ones of a plurality of bus-compatible devices, said method comprising the steps of:
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sending information between said first bus and said second bus over a single bridge by serial transmission through said link in a format different from that of said first bus and said second bus; and allowing said portable computer, communicating through said first bus, to individually address one or more of the bus-compatible devices on said second bus using on said first bus substantially the same type of addressing as is used to access devices on said first bus. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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Specification