Low pin count (LPC) I/O bridge

• US 6,990,549 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2001
• Issued: 01/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Hartjes, Harry W., Main, Kevin K., Campbell, Charles Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Myers, Paul R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DALEY, CHRISTOPHER ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US09/990,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20030093607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 710/306, 710/128, 710/303, 710/129, 361/686
• US Class Current: 710/306
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4045 where the bus bridge performs an extender function

Abstract

A low pin count (LPC) input/output (I/O) bridge device and method for a portable computer having a plurality of legacy ports and a docking connector. The LPC I/O bridge device includes an LPC controller coupled to the legacy ports and docking connector. The LPC controller is adapted to detect whether the portable computer is coupled to a docking station via the docking connector and route data transmissions to the legacy ports, docking connector, or both, based on information received from an LPC interface. Serialization logic coupled to the LPC controller serializes data transmissions routed to the docking connector.

Claims

1. A portable computer comprising:

an I/O bus;

a plurality of I/O ports;

a docking connector including a low pin count serial I/O port;

a low pin count I/O bridge device coupled to said I/O bus and said docking connector, said low pin count I/O bridge device including;

an LPC controller coupled to said I/O bus and said docking connector adapted

to detect whether the portable computer is coupled to a docking station via said docking connector,

to route data transmissions from said I/O bus to said I/O ports if the portable computer is not coupled to a docking station via said docking connector, and

to route data transmissions from said I/O bus to said low pin count serial I/O port of said docking connector if the portable computer is coupled to a docking station via said docking connector; and

serialization logic coupled to the LPC controller adapted to serialize the data transmissions routed to said low pin count serial I/O port of said docking connector.

2. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the I/O ports comprise USB, AC-97, serial ports, floppy disk controller (FDC), IEEE 1284, IEEE 1394 or memory expansion interface ports.

3. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the portable computer comprises a notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), or wearable computer.

4. The portable computer according to claim 1, wherein the LPC I/O bridge device further comprises a packetizer/depacketizer coupled to the serialization logic and LPC controller, and a system management (SM) bus controller, floppy drive controller,

configuration and control registers, a watchdog timer, a fan speed control and monitor, and an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) coupled to the LPC controller.

5. The portable computer according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuration and control registers, a watchdog timer, a fan speed control and monitor, and an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) coupled to said LPC controller.

6. The portable computer according to claim 2, wherein the memory expansion interface ports are adapted to interface with flash, multi-media card (MMC), smart media, smart card, or memory stick memory devices.

7. A docking system, comprising:

a portable computer including

an I/O bus;

a plurality of I/O ports;

a computer docking connector including a low pin count serial I/O port;

a low pin count I/O bridge device coupled to said I/O bus and said computer docking connector, said low pin count I/O bridge device including;

an LPC controller coupled to said I/O bus and said computer docking connector adapted

to detect whether the portable computer is coupled to a docking station via said computer docking connector,

to route data transmissions from said I/O bus to said I/O ports if the portable computer is not coupled to a docking station via said computer docking connector, and

to route data transmissions from said I/O bus to said low pin count serial I/O port of said computer docking connector if the portable computer is coupled to a docking station via said computer docking connector; and

serialization logic coupled to the LPC controller adapted to serialize the data transmissions routed to said low pin count serial I/O port of said computer docking connector; and

a docking station having a docking station docking connector coupleable to said computer docking connector.

8. The docking system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a packetizer/depacketizer coupled to said serialization logic and said LPC controller.

9. The docking system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a system management (SM) bus controller, and floppy drive controller coupleable to said LPC controller.

10. The docking system according to claim 7, further comprising:

configuration and control registers, a watchdog timer, a fan speed control and monitor, and an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) coupled to said LPC controller.

11. The docking system according to claim 9, wherein the I/O ports comprise USB, AC-97, Ethernet, or IEEE 1284, IEEE 1394, or memory expansion interface ports, wherein the portable computer comprises a notebook computer, personal digital assistant (FDA), or wearable computer, and wherein the docking station comprises a port replicator or expansion chassis.

12. The docking station according to claim 11, wherein the memory expansion interface ports are adapted to interface with flash, multi-media card (MDC), smart media, smart card, or memory stick memory devices.