Automatic device configuration for dockable computers

Claim 1

A computer system comprising a portable base unit and a docking unit; said base unit being operable either on a stand-alone basis or connected with said docking unit; said base unit containing a CPU, a non-volatile memory containing key initial configuration data of said system, a memory containing a boot program for initializing the system when it is powered up, connectors for attaching external devices directly to said base unit, specifically addressable internal control devices for controlling communications between said CPU and said connectors, and a system bus; said bus extending to and connecting with circuit devices in said docking unit when said base and docking units are connected; the computer system further comprising: first means in said base unit for operating automatically each time said base unit is powered up, without intervention of the system user, to automatically disable said internal- communication controlling devices and to present signals on said bus for application to specifically addressable devices in said docking unit; said signals including address information extracted from said non-volatile memory for establishing programmably originated communication port assignments for said devices in said docking unit; second means in said base unit for operating after said first means has operated to perform a reading operation relative to the specific addresses associated with said addressable devices in said docking unit; evaluating means in said base unit for determining from information if any received by said second means if external devices with said programmably originated port assignments are currently coupled to said base unit bus through said bus and said locking unit; and enabling means in said base unit for operating in response to information provided by said evaluation means for selectively enabling any internal communication devices in said base unit which have connection port assignments not in potential conflict with any external devices which may be currently coupled to said base unit through said bus and docking unit.

Claim 5

A method of automatically configuring communication port assignments in a dockable computer system which comprises a base unit and a docking unit; said base unit being operable either on a stand-alone basis or connected with said docking unit; said base unit containing a CPU, a non-volatile memory containing key initial configuration data of said system, a memory containing a boot program for initializing the system when it is powered up, connectors for attaching external devices directly to said base unit, specifically addressable internal devices for controlling communications between said CPU and said connectors, and a system bus; said bus extending to and connecting with circuit devices in said docking unit when said base and docking units are connected; the method comprising during each power up activation of said system, disabling said internal devices; with said internal devices disabled, writing said key configuration data to specific external I/O addresses associated with said docking unit; with said internal devices still disabled, performing reading operations relative to said external I/O addresses; determining from responses to said reading operations which internal devices have non-conflicting communication port assignments; and on the basis of said determining step, selectively activating only those internal devices which have non-conflicting communication port assignments.