Mobile computer system, method for operating a mobile computer system and use of a mobile computer system

• US 6,795,308 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E.E.P.D. Electronic Equipment Produktion & Distribution GmbH
• Original Assignee: E.E.P.D. Electronic Equipment Produktion & Distribution GmbH
• Inventors: Blersch, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Anthony Q.
• Application Number:
  US10/305,204
• Publication Number:
  US 20030142473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686-720, 307/9.1, 307/10.1, 165/80.3, 165/122-126, 701/36, 454/184, 312/236, 312/223.1, 312/223.2
• US Class Current: 361/679.48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops

Abstract

The invention relates to a mobile computer system (10d), a method for operation and a use of such a computer system.

The invention provides new functionalities and fields of application for mobile computer systems by taking into account to a large extent the conditions typical of vehicles in the design of the computer system (10d), including the design of interface devices.

In one embodiment the computer system (10d) is accommodated in a casing which on account of its dimensions is suitable for building into a conventional car radio cavity of a vehicle (1d). Adapting to the vehicle conditions, further aspects of the invention relate to concepts for cooling of system components for compatibility with industrial standards, for protection of system components as well as other vehicle components from damage or destruction and for control of vehicle components.

Claims

1. A mobile computer system having a casing (12) which accommodates at least one central processing unit (14) for processing digital data as well as a storage device (16, 56, 58) for storage of digital data, and having interface connections (20) for input and/or output of digital data, wherein the casing (12) has external dimensions (B, H, T) such that the computer system is suitable for building into a cavity of a vehicle (1) provided for building-in a car radio or the like, wherein the central processing unit (14) is arranged at a distance but thermally connected to the inner side of a casing section (36) via a heat-dissipating plate (38) to remove heat and air cooling means (42, 44, 40) are provided to produce a heat-dissipating air flow (L) past the central processing unit (14) and wherein the air cooling means (42, 44, 40) transfers the air flow after this has passed over the central processing unit along the outside of this casing section (36), and wherein the air cooling means comprise an electric fan (42) built in a side wall (40) of the casing, which takes air from the inside of the casing and emits it in a direction alona the outside of this side wall (40).

2. The computer system according to claim 1 wherein the casing (12) is substantially rectangular and has external dimensions (B, H, T) in the range of 175 mm to 185 mm in width, 45 mm to 55 mm in height and 165 mm to 175 mm in depth.

3. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein a board (22) substantially completely taking up the internal width and internal depth of the casing is arranged inside the casing (12) near the upper side or the lower side of the casing.

4. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the central processing unit (14) is arranged in the vicinity of the casing section (36).

5. The mobile computer system according to claim 1, comprising

a primary bus (60) connected to the central processing unit (14), and

a first bridge (62) connected to the primary bus (60) for the provision of a first secondary bus (64) according to a first standard, wherein at the first secondary bus (64) computer system components (66-72) according to the first standard and at least one plug connector (74) are connected,

wherein at the plug connector (74) several connections not used according to the first standard are connected to signal leads of the computer system such that at the plug connector (74) there are all the signals required for a second bridge (78) for provision of a second secondary bus (80) according to a second standard which differs from the first standard and the mobile computer system offers the option of an extension using such second bridge (78) connected via the plug connector (74).

6. The computer system according to claim 5, wherein the first standard is a PCI standard and the second standard is an ISA standard.

7. A mobile computer system, especially according to claim 1, wherein sensor means (108-112) to detect the ambient conditions of the computer system or the environment of components of the computer system as well as prohibition means (114, 116) for limiting or preventing any operation of the computer system or any operation of components of the computer system are provided, and wherein these sensor means and prohibition means are operated permanently in order to temporarily limit or prevent the operation of the computer system or the operation of the computer system components in the presence of pre-determined ambient conditions in which an ogeration otherwise could lead to damace of the system or the components, respectively.

8. The computer system according to claim 7 wherein sensor means (108-112) are designed to detect at least one temperature and/a humidity and/or vibration.

9. The computer system according to claim 7, wherein at least one component of the computer system has a storage unit in which permissible operating conditions with respect to the environment of this component are stored permanently in the form of digital data and can be retrieved.

10. A method for operation of a mobile computer system (10), especially for operation of a mobile computer system according to claim 1, wherein ambient conditions of the computer system or the environment of components of the computer system are permanently detected, wherein the detected conditions are permanently evaluated in order to assess whether the conditions permit safe operation of the computer system or safe operation of components of the computer system without a risk for damage due to operation, and wherein the operation of the computer system or the operation of computer system components is limited or prevented as long as ambient conditions assessed as impermissible exist.

11. A method for operation of a mobile computer system (10), especially according to claim 10, in a vehicle (1) that is equipped with a plurality of electronic components (136, 138) outside the mobile comDuter system (10) and a vehicle air-conditioning device (134) for local air-conditioning of the vehicle (1), wherein temperatures and/or humidities are permanently detected in the environment of the electronic components and are evaluated in a program-controlled fashion by means of the computer system (10) to assess whether the ambient temperatures or humidities allow safe operation of the electronic components of the vehicle (1) and wherein the environment of the electronic components is locally air-conditioned in a program-controlled fashion by means of the vehicle air-conditioning device (134) controlled by the computer system (10), as long as ambient temperatures or humidities assessed as critical exist.

12. Use of a mobile computer system (10) according to claim 1, in a vehicle (1)

for control of electronic components via a vehicle'"'"'s own bus (132) to which the computer system (10) is connected and/or

for detection of conditions present in the environment of the vehicle (1) and storage in the form of digital data in a storage unit of the computer system, especially for video recording of an environment of the vehicle (1) and storage of video data in the storage device.