Patent US5632020A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5632020A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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System for docking a portable computer to a host computer without suspending processor operation by a docking agent driving the bus inactive during docking
Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices Inc
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Filing: 1994-06-09
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Granted: 1997-05-20
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Expires: 2014-06-09
Abstract
Abstract A computer system includes a bus arbiter for providing immediate access to a bus in response to an external requirement or event. In a dockable computer system capable of hot docking or warm docking, the bus arbiter grants exclusive, non-preemptive access to the buses to the docking agent which is capable of quieting (rendering inactive) the bus of the portable computer and docking station in response to a notice signal. The notice signal is indicative of a change of states from the undocked state to the docked state or from the docked state to the undocked state. The notice signal may be provided from software, a user-actuated switch, or an infrared signal. In an audio-capable computer, the bus arbiter provides exclusive non-preemptive access to the digital signal processing peripheral device so that audio glitches are avoided. The arbiter preferably includes an override circuit for countermanding the fairness scheme employed by the bus arbiter and granting immediate bus access in response to the external event or condition. The bus arbiter preferably is able to provide fixed or rotating priority for bus accesses of other peripheral devices on the bus. The arbiter is preferably integrated with the main processor of the computer system.
Inventors
- 👤 Douglas D. Gephardt
- 👤 Scott Swanstrom
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 03:51
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/40; G06F13/4063; G06F13/4068; G06F13/4081; G06F1/00; G06F1/16; G06F1/1613; G06F1/1632; G06F13/14; G06F13/36; G06F13/362; G06F13/364; G06F13/4004; G06F13/4027; G06F13/4031
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
305 words
A portable computer for use in a dockable computer system capable of assuming at least two states, a docked state and undocked state, said dockable computer system including a notice circuit for providing a notice signal when said dockable computer system is about to change states, and a host station including a host bus communicating with a host connector, said portable computer comprising: a central processing unit; a computer connector; a connector bus coupled to said computer connector; a computer bus communicating to said computer connector via said connector bus, said central processing unit coupled to said computer bus, said host connector physically coupled with said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said docked state, said host connector being physically separate from said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state; an in-line docking agent communicating with said computer bus, said docking agent including a QUIET REQUEST output to provide a QUIET REQUEST signal, said docking agent being coupled between said host bus and said computer bus when said system is in the docked state, said docking agent being coupled between said connector bus and said computer bus, said docking agent being capable of providing buffering or driving capabilities for said computer bus; and a bus arbiter receiving said QUIET REQUEST signal, said bus arbiter granting ownership of said computer bus to said docking agent in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal, wherein said docking agent quiets said computer bus and said connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said connector bus when said bus arbiter grants ownership of said computer bus to said docking agent, wherein said portable computer remains powered on and said central processing unit remains operational while said portable computer changes between said two states.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
305 words
A portable computer for use in a dockable computer system capable of assuming at least two states, a docked state and undocked state, said dockable computer system including a notice circuit for providing a notice signal when said dockable computer system is about to change states, and a host station including a host bus communicating with a host connector, said portable computer comprising: a central processing unit; a computer connector; a connector bus coupled to said computer connector; a computer bus communicating to said computer connector via said connector bus, said central processing unit coupled to said computer bus, said host connector physically coupled with said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said docked state, said host connector being physically separate from said computer connector when said dockable computer system is in said undocked state; an in-line docking agent communicating with said computer bus, said docking agent including a QUIET REQUEST output to provide a QUIET REQUEST signal, said docking agent being coupled between said host bus and said computer bus when said system is in the docked state, said docking agent being coupled between said connector bus and said computer bus, said docking agent being capable of providing buffering or driving capabilities for said computer bus; and a bus arbiter receiving said QUIET REQUEST signal, said bus arbiter granting ownership of said computer bus to said docking agent in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal, wherein said docking agent quiets said computer bus and said connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said connector bus when said bus arbiter grants ownership of said computer bus to said docking agent, wherein said portable computer remains powered on and said central processing unit remains operational while said portable computer changes between said two states.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The portable computer of claim I, wherein said bus arbiter includes a QUIET BUS ACKNOWLEDGE output communicating with said docking agent, said bus arbiter providing a QUIET BUS ACKNOWLEDGE signal at said QUIET BUS ACKNOWLEDGE output in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The portable computer of claim 2, wherein said bus arbiter further includes a plurality of secondary bus request inputs and a plurality of secondary bus grant outputs, said bus arbiter including a lock monitor circuit, the lock monitoring circuit ensuring that locking errors do not occur on said computer bus.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
30 words
The portable computer of claim 3, wherein said bus arbiter grants an exclusive, non-preemptive access to said computer bus to said docking agent in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The portable computer of claim 4, wherein said bus arbiter includes a fixed priority scheme for assigning a priority for said plurality of secondary bus request inputs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
27 words
The portable computer of claim 4, wherein said bus arbiter includes a rotational priority scheme for providing a priority for said plurality of secondary bus request inputs.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The portable computer of claim 1, further comprising a microprocessor integrated with said bus arbiter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The portable computer of claim 7, wherein said microprocessor disconnects a current bus transaction in response to said bus arbiter receiving said QUIET REQUEST signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
55 words
The portable computer of claim 1, further comprising: a wireless communication link electromagnetically coupling said portable computer to said host station, said portable computer communication messages to said host station via said wireless communication link, said in-line docking agent providing said quiet request signal in response to a connect message on said wireless communication link.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
The portable computer of claim 9 wherein said host station includes a docking control circuit coupled to said wireless communication link and said host bus.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The portable computer of claim 10 wherein said docking control circuit includes tri-state buffers and is coupled between said host bus and said computer bus.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The portable computer of claim 10 wherein the connect message is generated by a docking control circuit in said host station.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
279 words
A method of docking a portable computer having a computer bus and a host station having a host bus, said portable computer including a processor, a notice circuit for generating a notice signal in response to an impending docking or undocking of said portable computer, an in-line docking agent coupled between said computer bus and a connector bus, said in-line docking agent communicating with said computer bus and generating a PRIMARY REQUEST signal in response to said notice signal, and peripheral devices communicating with said computer bus, a bus arbiter for granting access to said computer bus, said computer bus being physically, electrically coupled with said host bus when said portable computer is docked with said host station, said docking agent being coupled between said host bus and said computer bus when said portable computer is docked with said host station, said method comprising the steps of: granting time bound access to said computer bus to said docking agent in response to said PRIMARY REQUEST signal, said docking agent quieting said computer bus and said connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said connector bus, in response to being granted access by said bus arbiter; coupling said host bus and said computer bus; buffering data signals between host data lines on said host bus and portable computer data lines on said computer bus with said docking agent; and allowing said peripherals to have access to said computer bus after said host bus and computer bus are coupled, whereby said portable computer remains powered on without suspending operation of said processor when said portable computer is docked with said host station.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
279 words
A method of docking a portable computer having a computer bus and a host station having a host bus, said portable computer including a processor, a notice circuit for generating a notice signal in response to an impending docking or undocking of said portable computer, an in-line docking agent coupled between said computer bus and a connector bus, said in-line docking agent communicating with said computer bus and generating a PRIMARY REQUEST signal in response to said notice signal, and peripheral devices communicating with said computer bus, a bus arbiter for granting access to said computer bus, said computer bus being physically, electrically coupled with said host bus when said portable computer is docked with said host station, said docking agent being coupled between said host bus and said computer bus when said portable computer is docked with said host station, said method comprising the steps of: granting time bound access to said computer bus to said docking agent in response to said PRIMARY REQUEST signal, said docking agent quieting said computer bus and said connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said connector bus, in response to being granted access by said bus arbiter; coupling said host bus and said computer bus; buffering data signals between host data lines on said host bus and portable computer data lines on said computer bus with said docking agent; and allowing said peripherals to have access to said computer bus after said host bus and computer bus are coupled, whereby said portable computer remains powered on without suspending operation of said processor when said portable computer is docked with said host station.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 13 wherein a current transaction is occurring on said computer bus, further comprising the step of: waiting for said current transaction on said computer bus to be completed before said granting step.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 13, wherein all requests for said computer bus are ignored when said docking agent is granted access to said computer bus.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of providing a BACKOFF signal which requests termination of a current bus transaction on said computer bus, wherein said docking agent further performs voltage level translation and drive functions for said signals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 16, wherein said peripheral devices terminate said current bus transaction within a preselected number of bus cycles in response to said BACKOFF signal.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
236 words
In a dockable computer system comprised of a host computer station, including a station bus, and a mobile computer unit including a unit bus, wherein said system is capable of residing in at least two distinct states, a docked state in which said mobile computer unit is operatively associated with said host computer station and an undocked state in which said mobile computer unit is physically separate from said host computer station, an improvement comprising of: an in-line mobile docking agent coupled between a first connector bus and said unit bus, said in-line mobile docking agent providing a QUIET REQUEST signal in response to said system changing between said states; a bus arbiter receiving said QUIET REQUEST signal, said bus arbiter granting control of said unit bus to said docking agent in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal, wherein said docking agent quiets said unit bus and said first connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said first connector bus in response to being granted control of said unit bus; and a station docking control circuit coupled between a second connector bus and said station bus, said station docking control circuit quieting said station bus and said second connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said second connector bus in response to said system changing between said states.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
236 words
In a dockable computer system comprised of a host computer station, including a station bus, and a mobile computer unit including a unit bus, wherein said system is capable of residing in at least two distinct states, a docked state in which said mobile computer unit is operatively associated with said host computer station and an undocked state in which said mobile computer unit is physically separate from said host computer station, an improvement comprising of: an in-line mobile docking agent coupled between a first connector bus and said unit bus, said in-line mobile docking agent providing a QUIET REQUEST signal in response to said system changing between said states; a bus arbiter receiving said QUIET REQUEST signal, said bus arbiter granting control of said unit bus to said docking agent in response to said QUIET REQUEST signal, wherein said docking agent quiets said unit bus and said first connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said first connector bus in response to being granted control of said unit bus; and a station docking control circuit coupled between a second connector bus and said station bus, said station docking control circuit quieting said station bus and said second connector bus by ensuring that there are no active transfers occurring on said computer bus and said second connector bus in response to said system changing between said states.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improvement of claim 18 wherein said docking agent is an in-line docking agent coupled between said unit bus and said station bus when said dockable computer system is in said docked state, said in-line docking agent performing buffering, filtering and voltage level translation functions for signals transmitted across said unit bus to said station bus.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improvement of claim 18 wherein said station docking control circuit and said mobile docking agent are coupled by a wireless communication link and said mobile docking agent provides the quiet request signal in response to a connect message on the wireless communication link transmitted between said station docking control circuit and said mobile docking agent.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The improvement of claim 20 wherein the host docking control circuit is an in-line device coupled between the unit bus and the station bus and includes tri-state buffers.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
31 words
The improvement of claim 19 wherein said unit bus and said station bus include data lines, and the filtering and translation functions are performed on data signals on said data lines.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
19 words
The improvement of claim 22 whereby said mobile computer unit remains powered on when said system changes said states.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The improvement of claim 18 wherein said system includes a connector bus and said docking agent is coupled between said connector bus and said unit bus.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-05-19 | 2000-11-18 | 2001-05-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-05-19 | 2004-11-18 | 2005-05-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-05-19 | 2008-11-18 | 2009-05-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |