Data processing: measuring – calibrating – or testing – Measurement system – Temperature measuring system
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-19
2002-10-08
Assouad, Patrick (Department: 2857)
Data processing: measuring, calibrating, or testing
Measurement system
Temperature measuring system
C713S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06463396
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system and, more particularly, to a computer system having a computer main body and an expansion unit capable of being freely attached/detached to/from the computer main body.
The present invention also relates to a computer system and, more particularly, to a computer system having a computer main body, a port replicator for relaying connection to an externally connected equipment, and an expansion unit loading an expansion equipment for expanding the function therein.
The present invention also relates to an electronic equipment such as a computer system and, more particularly, to a controller, constituted as a one-chip controller by a semiconductor integrated circuit, for handling clock and digital signals, and an electronic equipment using the one-chip controller.
The present invention also relates to a computer system such as a personal computer incorporating a CPU board and, more particularly, to a computer system having a cooling control mechanism for a CPU chip mounted in the CPU board or other heat generating components.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various personal computers of a laptop or notebook type, which can be easily carried and operated by a battery, have been developed. A portable computer of this type is constituted such that an expansion unit can be attached thereto as needed to expand the function.
The expansion unit has a plurality of expansion connectors. Various option cards can be attached to the connectors. Additionally, in order to suppress power consumption in a state without connection of the computer main body, in some expansion units, the voltage of a specific pin is monitored to detect connection of the expansion unit, and some expansion units can be powered on only when the computer main body is connected.
However, to use a mounted option card, the system configuration information of the portable computer must be rewritten for reconfiguration of the system. The system configuration information is normally rewritten at the time of starting the system on the basis of setup information or the like, which is set by the user. Conventionally, therefore, when the expansion unit is mounted in the computer main body in a power ON state, the computer main body cannot recognize the presence of the expansion unit, and the option card of the expansion unit cannot be used.
Recently, an operating system (OS) or BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) having a function of reconfiguring the system during starting the portable computer has been developed. By using an operating system or BIOS of this type, the system environment can be changed during starting the system into an environment allowing the use of the option card.
However, when the expansion unit is mounted in the computer main body in a power ON state, an unexpected current flows from the computer main body to the option card due to hot swap or the like. This may cause destruction of the option card of the expansion unit. Even if destruction of the option card is prevented, disadvantages such as hangup of the computer main body may be generated.
For this reason, actually, the expansion unit cannot be mounted during starting the system of the computer main body (in an ON state).
In addition, recent portable computers which are connected (docked) to expansion units are largely improved in performance. Furthermore, in recent years, a variety of optional equipments have been developed.
In these situations, various function expansion mechanisms are required to expansion units, and accordingly, the packaging density of components in a unit becomes higher to make a unit housing bulky. In addition, a power supply unit in the expansion unit has a higher power and becomes heavy.
Therefore, when an expansion unit having a desired function is manufactured using the conventional manufacturing technique, the unit main body becomes bulky and heavy. A large space is needed to set the unit, resulting in difficulty in handling.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, a power supply unit is incorporated in the unit to apply a power supply voltage to each section in the unit. For this reason, when the packaging density of components in the unit becomes higher, heat or noise generated from the power supply unit largely influences each component in the unit and poses a problem of reliability.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, power supplies of the expansion unit and the personal computer mounted in the expansion unit are independently ON/OFF-controlled. Therefore, an erroneous operation may be caused by a shift of the power supply states.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, the personal computer mounted in the expansion unit can be arbitrarily detached. For this reason, disadvantages such as data destruction by a detaching operation during the operation are likely to occur to degrade the security.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, when an optional unit such as a hard disk unit is to be mounted, a tool such as a driver is used to partially disassemble the housing of the expansion unit, and the optical unit such as a hard disk unit is fixed at a predetermined position in the housing. Thereafter, the housing is assembled to store the optical unit in the expansion unit. Conventionally, storage or exchange of an optional unit is not facilitated, and much time and labor are needed.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, when a personal computer is to be attached/detached, the power ON/OFF operation of the power supplies of the personal computer and the expansion unit must be independently performed in accordance with a predetermined feed/stop sequence, resulting in poor operability.
In the conventional expansion unit of this type, when the personal computer is mounted in the expansion unit, I/O ports of the personal computer, which include a printer connection port, a serial (RS-232C) port, and a CRT (R. G, and B) connection port, are closed. For this reason, the expansion unit also has the similar I/O ports, and a large number of connection interfaces must be conventionally provided to the unit housing. Therefore, as the unit becomes bulky, a large number of connector wiring lines are needed, resulting in complex structure of the expansion unit. In addition, in the above conventional structure, an expansion unit having I/O ports must be used even in a system configuration using no I/O port, which poses an economical problem.
As a controller constituted as a one-chip controller by a semiconductor integrated circuit for handling clock and digital signals, various controllers constituting a CPU chip or a family thereof are available. Such a one-chip controller for handling clock and digital signals greatly increases its processing speed in recent years. Along with this, an increase in power consumption, and accordingly, an increase in chip temperature pose serious problems.
As for a CPU chip, to solve the above problems, countermeasures including a reduction in power consumption by application of a CMOS, a reduction in voltages, improvement of fins have been made. On the other hand, a clock speed for determining the processing speed of the CPU increases from several MHz to several tens MHz in recent years. Even with the above countermeasures, the power consumption and temperature of the chip greatly increase.
As for the mounting environment of the CPU chip, further size and weight reduction and a smaller setting space are required to the equipment main body of, e.g., a portable computer. Accordingly, the packaging density of electronic components per unit volume further increases.
When the CPU chip is mounted in such an environment, it is difficult to ensure a space for mounting fins. In addition, since many heat generating elements are mounted in the periphery, a mechanical heat dissipation effect cannot be expected. In this case, if an increase in temperature of the CPU chip is left as it is, the CPU itself erroneously operates to cause troubles such as
Assouad Patrick
Gray Cary Ware & Friedenrich LLP
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