Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/ – Intrasystem connection – Bus access regulation
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-13
2001-10-30
Etienne, Ario (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/
Intrasystem connection
Bus access regulation
C710S100000, C710S108000, C710S108000, C710S104000, C710S124000, C710S120000, C710S120000, C710S120000, C710S002000, C710S008000, C710S017000, C710S027000, C710S072000, C345S215000, C345S503000, C345S520000, C361S118000, C361S689000, C361S802000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311242
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computing devices and, more particularly, to computing devices supporting one or more slots for receiving peripheral devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are two major classes of personal computers. The first class of personal computers are known as desktop computer systems, and the second class of personal computers are known as portable computer systems. Unlike desktop computer systems, portable computer systems typically have limited sizes and their internal hardware resources are not easily modified. Hence, portable computer systems provide external slots or receptacles for receiving peripheral devices. These peripheral devices provide additional resources to the portable computer systems. The additional resources are normally additional hardware resources, such as drive storage devices, modems, network cards, memory cards, and the like.
To add additional hardware resources to a portable computing system, one often inserts a peripheral device into a suitable external slot or receptacle of the portable computing system. The suitable external slot or receptacle is one designed to receive the peripheral device. The slot or receptacle has a particular size and shape or form factor often dictated by an industry standard.
Portable computer systems typically have different types of slots or receptacles for receiving peripheral devices having a particular design or form factor. Examples of particular slots are slots for PC CARDs (formerly known as PCMCIA cards) and slots for expansion bays. Expansion bays are also known as media bays. The peripheral devices themselves add additional resources to the computer systems. These additional resources can, for example, be a floppy drive, a Compact-Disc (CD) drive, a hard drive, a Digital Video Disc (DVD) drive, a modem, a network adapter, Random Access Memory (RAM), a sound device, or a battery.
Physically connecting a peripheral device to a portable computer system requires the electrical connection of the peripheral device to the portable computer system. The electrical connection is achieved with a connector. The connector supplies various signals, including address, data, power, and various other signals, between the peripheral device and the portable computer system. A first half of the connector resides on a cable of the peripheral device or on a package housing the peripheral device, and a second half of the connector resides on the backside of the portable computer system. The insertion action involves the connection of the first half of the connector on the package for the peripheral device with the second half of the connector on the back of the portable computer system. By coupling together the two devices using the connector, the portable computer system is able to use the resources of the peripheral device.
Recently, techniques have been developed that allow the insertion and removal of peripheral devices from external slots of a portable computer system while the portable computer system is active. These techniques prevent electrical damage to the components but are often unable to configure the software structures needed by the operating system in order to utilize the peripheral device. While some approaches to configuring the software structures used by the operating system exist, they are not suitable for buses that support multiple levels of hierarchy. An example of one such bus is a PCI local bus (PCI bus). The configuration of a PCI bus requires particular probing and space allocation operations that are conventionally only available during boot-up of the computer system. See, PCI Local Bus Specification, Version 2.1, Jun. 1, 1995.
Consequently, one disadvantage of conventional techniques is their inability to configure and thus use PCI devices that are hot-plugged. Therefore, to utilize a PCI type peripheral device, a user has to power down both the portable computer system (or place in an inactive mode), insert the peripheral device into an appropriate slot of the portable computer system, and then power the portable computer system back up again (or place in an active mode) in order to use the peripheral device. Requiring powering down or an inactive state whenever connecting peripheral devices is burdensome and unsatisfactory to most users because they want the flexibility to connect and disconnect peripheral devices from the computer system at will even when the computer is in use.
Thus, there is a need for a technique whereby a peripheral device can be safely connected and thereafter used by a computer system all while the computer is in an active mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly speaking, the invention relates to improved techniques for controlling buses of a computer system such that peripheral devices (and/or their associated buses) can be connected or disconnected to the computer system while the computer system is active. The peripheral devices are connected to the computer system by being inserted into a slot or other receptacle of the computer system. The peripheral devices are disconnected from the computer system by being removed from a slot or other receptacle of the computer system. The slots or receptacles typically includes connectors designed to receive peripheral devices, such as PC CARD slots, expansion bays, and the like. Given that the peripheral devices can be inserted or removed while the computer system is active, the computer system according to the invention permits “hot-plugging” of peripheral devices. By supporting hot-plugging, users of computer systems are free to insert and remove peripheral devices at will without having to worry about damaging the peripheral devices or the computer system. The invention is particularly well suited for controlling PCI buses for peripheral devices connecting to a computer system by way of peripheral ports.
The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a system, an apparatus, a method, or computer readable medium. Several embodiments of the invention are summarized below.
As a method for adding a peripheral device to a peripheral bus of computer system while the computer system is operating normally, an embodiment of the invention includes the operations of detecting insertion of a first peripheral device into a slot of the computer system, after being inserted into the slot of the computer system the first peripheral device is physically coupled to the peripheral bus of the computer system; identifying or registering a bus link for the first peripheral device, the bus link extending at least between the first peripheral device and the peripheral bus; examining the bus link to identify at least one peripheral device on the peripheral bus, the at least one peripheral device including the first peripheral device; and thereafter and with separate processing components than that for the examining, configuring the computer system for utilization of the bus link and the first peripheral device thereon.
As a method for adding a PCI device to a computer system while the computer system is active, where the computer system includes a name registry, device drivers, a bus system and at least one slot for receiving the PCI device being added, an embodiment of the invention includes the operations of: detecting insertion of a PCI device into a slot of the computer system; adding a PCI bus for the inserted PCI device to the bus system; determining one or more PCI devices that are on the PCI bus, the one or more PCI devices including the inserted PCI device; reading PCI configuration information for the one or more PCI devices; allocating memory space for the one or more PCI devices in accordance with the PCI configuration information associated therewith; building a name registry entry in the name registry for the one or more PCI devices; and loading appropriate device drivers for the one or more PCI devices.
As a method for managing removal of a peripheral device from a slot of a computer system, an embodiment of the invention includes the oper
Falkenburg David R.
Thaler Andrew
Wynne Edwin
Apple Computer Inc.
Beyer Weaver & Thomas LLP
Etienne Ario
Jean Frantz B.
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