Safe removal of external device from computing device

• US 8,473,664 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2006
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Stemmer, Avener
• Primary Examiner(s): SHIN, CHRISTOPHER B
• Application Number:
  US11/637,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,388 Days
• Field of Search: 710/2, 710 62- 64, 710 72- 74, 710300-304, 710305-313
• US Class Current: 710/302
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/409 Mechanical coupling back panels H05K7/1438
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2213/0042 Universal serial bus [USB]

Abstract

In some embodiments a computing device includes a coupler that is able to be coupled to an external device, and an eject button to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a coupler that is able to be coupled to an external device;

an input device to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device;

an I/O controller hub, wherein a pin of the I/O controller hub is coupled to the input device, and the pin is asserted in response to the signal from the input device; and

an operating system that, in response to the signal from the input device, prepares to safely uncouple the external device and verifies that the preparation for safely uncoupling the external device is complete.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the external device is at least one of a media device, a portable device, a storage device, a hard drive, a memory device, a flash device, a flash memory device, a USB device, a USB hub, a music device, a video device, or an IEEE 1394 device.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the input device is a button on the computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the coupler is a slot in the computing device.

5. The computing device of claim 1, the computing device to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

6. The computing device of claim 5, the computing device to provide a signal to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the signal to the user is provided on at least one of a light on the computing device, a light on the external device, or a display on the computing device.

8. The computing device of claim 1, the computing device further including an operating system to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

9. The computing device of claim 1, the computing device further including an Input/Output Controller Hub to determine that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

10. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the computing device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a USB hub.

11. A method comprising:

providing a signal at an input device of a computing device indicating that a user wishes to safely uncouple an external device from the computing device, wherein a pin of an I/O controller hub of the computing device is coupled to the external device, and the pin is asserted in response to the signal from the external device;

determining that it is safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal, wherein the determining is performed by an operating system of the computing device; and

verifying that is it safe for a user to uncouple the external device from the computing device, wherein the verifying is performed by a hardware of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal is provided in response to an input device activated at the computing device by the user.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a signal to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

14. A system comprising:

a computing device; and

an external device;

wherein the external device is able to be coupled to the computing device, the computing device further including a coupler that is able to be coupled to the external device, an input device to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple the external device from the computing device, and an I/O controller hub with a pin of the I/O controller hub is coupled to the input device, and the pin is asserted in response to the signal from the input device, and an operating system that, in response to the signal from the input device, prepares to safely uncouple the external device and verifies that the preparation for safely uncoupling the external device is complete.

15. The system of claim 14, the computing device to determine that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device in response to the signal.

16. The system of claim 15, the computing device to provide an indication to the user that it is safe to uncouple the external device from the computing device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the external device is at least one of a media device, a portable device, a storage device, a hard drive, a memory device, a flash device, a flash memory device, a USB device, a USB hub, a music device, a video device, or an IEEE 1394 device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a USB hub.

19. A computing device comprising:

a plurality of couplers able to be coupled to external devices; and

a button on the computing device, the button corresponding to the plurality of couplers and configured to signal the computing device that a user wishes to safely uncouple at least one of the external devices from the computing device;

an I/O controller hub, wherein a pin of the I/O controller hub is coupled to the button, and the pin is asserted in response to the signal from the button; and

an operating system that, in response to a signal from the button on the computing device, prepares to safely uncouple at least one of the external devices and verifies that the preparation for safely uncoupling the at least one of the external devices is complete.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the plurality of couplers is on a back side of the computing device and the button is on a front side of the computing device.

21. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the button is a first button and the plurality of couplers is a first plurality of couplers, the computing device further comprising a second button on the computing device, the second button corresponding to a second plurality of couplers.

22. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the first plurality of couplers is a first type of coupler and the second plurality of couplers is a second type of coupler.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the first type of coupler is a USB slot and the second type of coupler is an IEEE 1394 slot.

24. The computing device of claim 19, wherein a single button corresponds to all of the couplers of the computing device.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the external devices comprise at least one of a media device, a portable device, a storage device, a hard drive, a memory device, a flash device, a flash memory device, a USB device, a USB hub, a music device, a video device, or an IEEE 1394 device.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the computing device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a USB hub.