Patent EP0588084A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0588084A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Portable computer having dedicated register group and peripheral controller bus between system bus and peripheral controller
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1993-08-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2013-08-17
Abstract
Abstract Dedicated registers are arranged in a status LCD control gate array connected to a system bus, and the dedicated registers or register group and a keyboard controller are connected through a keyboard interface bus. The keyboard controller has two ports for communicating with a CPU. The keyboard controller transfers existing commands released to an application program or the like and transmits normal key data through the system bus. The keyboard controller transmits hot key data and transfers a command for realizing any other special function through the keyboard interface bus and the dedicated registers.
Inventors
- 👤 Makoto c/o Intellectual Property Division Sakai
- 👤 Ryoji c/o Intellectual Property Div. Ninomiya
- 👤 Koji c/o Intellectual Property Division Nakamura
- 👤 Hiroyuki c/o Intellectual Property Div. Kubota
- 👤 Koichi C/O Intellectual Property Division Dewa
- 👤 Hiroyuki c/o Intellectual Property Div. Tsukada
- 👤 Keiichi c/o Intellectual Property Div. Uehara
- 👤 Yasuhiro C/O Intellectual Property Div. Nishino
- 👤 Tohru c/o Intellectual Property Division Mamata
- 👤 Hiroyuki c/o Intellectual Property Div. Oda
- 👤 Syuji c/o Intellectual Property Division Hori
- 👤 Masanobu c/o Intellectual Property Div. Kumakawa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 11:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/16; G06F1/1613; G06F1/1633; G06F1/1637; G06F1/1647; G06F1/165; G06F1/1615; G06F1/1616; G06F1/1675; G06F1/1677; G06F1/26; G06F1/28; G06F1/32; G06F1/3203; G06F1/3206; G06F1/3215; G06F1/3218; G06F13/00; G06F13/38; G06F13/42; G06F13/4204; G06F13/4221; G06F13/4226; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/02; G06F3/023
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 51
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A portable computer having a CPU (21), a memory (23), a system bus (11), and various peripheral controllers (30, 46), characterized by comprising: a dedicated register group (26), arranged between said system bus and said peripheral controllers (30, 46), for temporarily storing various kinds of control information exchanged between said CPU and said peripheral controllers; and a controller bus (13, 14) which is arranged between said dedicated register group and said peripheral controllers and in which a data line having a width of a plurality of bits is defined, wherein said CPU reads/writes control information from/in the dedicated register group through said system bus, and said peripheral controllers read/write the control information from/in the dedicated register group through the controller bus.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
79 words
A computer according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising interrupt signal supply means (26, G1, SMI), connected to a specific register in said dedicated register group, for supplying an interrupt signal to said CPU in response to predetermined data set in said specific register, and characterized in that said CPU reads control information from said dedicated register group in response to the interrupt signal to execute processing corresponding to the control information written in said dedicated register group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
80 words
A computer according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising request signal supply means (203, 204), connected to a specific register in said dedicated register group, for supplying a request signal to said peripheral controllers in response to predetermined data set in said specific register, and characterized in that said peripheral controllers read control information from said dedicated register group in response to the request signal to execute processing corresponding to the control information written in said dedicated register group.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A computer according to claim 1, characterized in that said peripheral controllers are respectively a power supply controller (46) for controlling power supply to said portable computer and a keyboard controller (30) for controlling a keyboard and transmitting key data corresponding a depressed key to said CPU.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
152 words
A portable computer having a CPU (21), a memory (23), a system bus (11), and various peripheral controllers connected to said CPU through said system bus, characterized by comprising: a dedicated register group (26), arranged between said system bus and said peripheral controllers, for temporarily storing various kinds of control information exchanged between said CPU and said peripheral controllers; and a controller bus (13, 14) which is arranged between said dedicated register group and said peripheral controllers and in which a data line having a width of a plurality of bits is defined, wherein said peripheral controller has first and second communication ports respectively connected to said controller bus and said system bus, said peripheral controller exchanges first information with said CPU through said first communication port, said controller bus, and said dedicated register group, and exchanges second control information with said CPU through said second communication port and said system bus.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A computer according to claim 5, characterized in that said peripheral controller is a keyboard controller (30) for controlling a keyboard and transmitting key data corresponding to a depressed key to said CPU.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
124 words
A computer according to claim 6, characterized in that said keyboard controller further includes scan output ports (P00 - P07) for outputting a scan signal for scanning a key matrix of said keyboard and scan input ports (P40 - P47) for receiving a return signal which is sent back from said keyboard in response to the scan signal and represents the depressed key, said scan output ports having a given port connected to said controller bus and a scan line for transmitting the scan signal to said keyboard, so that said given port is used as said first communication port, and the return signal supplied to said scan input ports being invalidated when said peripheral controller exchanges the first control information with said CPU.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
64 words
A computer according to claim 6, characterized in that said keyboard controller writes hot key data of all the key data in a predetermined register of said dedicated register group through said controller bus, the hot key data being formed to set/change an operation mode of said portable computer, and said keyboard controller transmits remaining key data to said CPU through said system bus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
82 words
A computer according to claim 8, characterized by further comprising interrupt signal supply means (26), connected to said specific register (102) of said dedicated register group, for supplying an interrupt signal to said CPU in response to predetermined data set in said predetermined register by said keyboard controller, and wherein said CPU reads hot key data from said dedicated register group in response to the interrupt signal to execute processing corresponding to the hot key data written in said dedicated register group.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
82 words
A computer according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising request signal supply means, connected to said specific register in said dedicated register group, for supplying a request signal to said keyboard controller in response to predetermined data set in said specific register by said CPU, and characterized in that said keyboard controller reads the control information from said dedicated register group in response to the request signal to execute processing corresponding to the control information written in said dedicated register group.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
77 words
A computer according to claim 8, characterized by further comprising a speaker volume control circuit, connected to said predetermined register of said dedicated register group set with the hot key data, for switching a speaker volume into a volume designated by a hot key when the hot key for designating switching of the speaker volume of a speaker arranged in said portable computer and operating said speaker at the switched volume when said hot key is depressed.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
66 words
A computer according to claim 8, characterized by further comprising means (46, Fig. 20), connected to the predetermined register (PCMCIA-GA 28) of said dedicated register group, for linearly changing a brightness and/or a contrast of the flat panel display during a depression of a hot key (Fn+↑, Fn+↓, Fn+→, Fn+←) designating the brightness and/or contrast adjustment of the flat panel display provided in the portable computer.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
54 words
A computer according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising a sub-display (44) for displaying a plurality of icons representing various operating states of said portable computer, said sub-display being arranged such that ON/OFF states of said plurality of icons are controlled in accordance with display control data set in said dedicated register group.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
92 words
A power supply interface apparatus for a portable computer, characterized in that interrupt and data registers for sending data from a power supply controller and a CPU are arranged between said CPU for controlling a system and said power supply controller having a microprocessor for controlling a system power supply, and said power supply controller sends a hardware interrupt to said CPU through said interrupt register and said CPU receives the data from said power supply controller through said data register when said power supply controller sends the data to said CPU.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
108 words
A power supply interface apparatus for a portable computer, characterized by comprising a CPU (21) for controlling a system, a power supply controller (46) having a microprocessor for controlling a system power supply, a first register (31h, 32h, 34h, 35h - 37h in Fig. 23), arranged between said power supply controller and said CPU, for storing data exchanged between said power supply controller and said CPU, a second register (3Fh in Fig. 23) in which an interrupt signal from said power supply controller is written, and a signal path (Fig. 21) for supplying the interrupt signal from said second register to an interrupt input terminal of said CPU.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that said registers are arranged in a gate array constituting a specific functional circuit.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that said registers are arranged in a chip constituting said power supply controller or any other functional circuit.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
52 words
An apparatus according to claim 14, 15, or 16, characterized in that said power supply controller sets the interrupt signal and the data in said registers through a dedicated signal path (Fig. 4) having a width of a plurality of bits, and said CPU reads/writes the data through a system bus (11).
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
122 words
A power supply interface apparatus for a portable computer, characterized in that a gate array (26) having a register group capable of reading/writing data exchanged between a CPU (21) for controlling a system and a power supply controller (46) for controlling a system power supply is arranged between said CPU and said power supply controller, and said register group includes a register (3Fh in Fig. 21) for sending a hardware interrupt from said power supply controller to a main controller, a register (34h, 35h - 37h, 38h, 39h) for holding data sent from said power supply controller to said main controller, and a register (31h, 32h) for holding a command and data sent from said main controller to said power supply controller.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
68 words
An apparatus according to claim 15, 16, or 19, characterized in that the data sent from said power supply controller to said CPU include power supply status information including at least one of AC adapter connection/disconnection information, power switch ON/OFF information, and low battery state information, and the data sent from said CPU to said power supply controller include at least one of a command and a parameter.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
94 words
A power supply interface apparatus for a portable computer, characterized in that a register (8Eh) whose write access is controlled by a keyboard controller and whose read access is controlled by a power supply controller is arranged between said power supply controller (46) and said keyboard controller (30), and said power supply controller directly monitors an input state of a specific key with reference to said register and reflects a specific key input on a system component corresponding to the specific key input beforehand upon detection of the input state of said specific key.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
97 words
A power supply interface apparatus for a portable computer, characterized by comprising a power supply controller for controlling a system power supply, a keyboard controller for controlling a keyboard, a hot key register (8Eh) arranged between said power supply controller and said keyboard controller and operated such that key input information is written upon a hot key operation by said keyboard controller and the hot key information is read by said power supply controller, and a device (49) which is controlled by said power supply controller and on which contents of said hot key register are reflected.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
24 words
An apparatus according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that said register is arranged in a gate array constituting a specific functional circuit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
30 words
An apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that the contents of said hot key register are reflected on a display device under the control of said power supply controller.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
An apparatus according to claim 22, characterized in that at least one of a brightness and a contrast of said display device is controlled by said power supply controller.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
166 words
A power supply interface apparatus characterized in that a gate array (26) having a register group capable of reading/writing data exchanged between a main controller for controlling a system, a power supply controller for controlling a system power supply, and a keyboard controller for controlling a keyboard is arranged between said main controller (21), said power supply controller (46), and said keyboard controller (30), and said register group includes a hot key register (8Eh) whose write access is controlled by said keyboard controller and whose read access is controlled by said main controller and said power supply controller, and a command register (30h - 32h) whose write access is controlled by said main controller and whose read access is controlled by said power supply controller, so that said power supply controller defines a correspondence between a hot key and control contents in accordance with a command received from said main controller and controls a specific device in accordance with the contents of said hot key register.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
58 words
A power supply control apparatus for a portable computer having a resume processing function, characterized by comprising means (21, 25) for monitoring execution of a freeze mode of a system and processing means (30h, 31h, 21, 46) for invalidating an operation input of operator manipulation hardware as a control object within an execution period of the freeze mode.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
102 words
A power supply control apparatus (46), arranged in a portable computer having a resume processing function, including a power switch (80) for designating an ON/OFF operation of a system power supply and a reset switch (81) for designating initialization of a system, and having a dedicated processor, characterized by comprising means (30h, 31h) for receiving a specific command upon execution of a freeze mode by a processing unit for executing resume processing, and monitor processing means (46, 21) for excluding said power and reset switches from monitor objects to invalidate operations thereof upon reception of the specific command from said processing unit.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
57 words
An apparatus according to claim 28, characterized in that a gate array (26) having a plurality of communication registers is arranged between said processing unit for executing the resume processing and said power supply control apparatus, so that said power supply control apparatus receives the specific command upon execution of the freeze mode through said gate array.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
157 words
A portable computer which can be driven with a battery, characterized by comprising: counting means (91d) for counting a remaining level of said battery; sampling means (89, 90a) for sampling a battery voltage value and a battery current value every predetermined period; updating means (89) for updating and setting a count value of said counting means in accordance with the battery current value obtained from said sampling means; storage means (91a, 91b) for storing count values of said counting means in a fully charged state of said battery and an operation limit state thereof, using the battery voltage values obtained from said sampling means; calculating means (89, Fig. 29) for calculating a remaining battery level at current time in accordance with the count values of said counting means in the fully charged state and the operation limit state from said storage means; and display means (88) for displaying the remaining battery level obtained by said calculating means.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
46 words
A computer according to claim 30, characterized in that said calculating means calculates a remaining battery usable time using the battery current value obtained from said sampling means during battery discharging, and said display means displays the remaining battery usable time obtained by said calculating means.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
56 words
A computer according to claim 30, characterized in that said calculating means calculates a time required to obtain the fully charged state, using the battery current value obtained from said sampling means during battery charging, and said display means displays the time required to obtain the fully charged state which is obtained by said calculating means.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
118 words
A portable computer having a CPU (21), a memory (23), a system bus (11), a peripheral controller (30, 46), and a main display (49), characterized by comprising: a sub-display (44), arranged in a main body of said portable computer, for displaying a plurality of icons representing various operating states of said portable computer; a register group (26) which is accessed by said CPU and said peripheral controller and in which display control data for controlling ON/OFF states of said icons on said sub-display are set by said CPU and said peripheral controller; and an icon display control circuit (26) for ON/OFF-controlling the icons on said sub-display in accordance with the display control data set in said register group.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
61 words
A computer according to claim 33, characterized by further comprising a controller bus (13, 14) arranged between said register group and said peripheral controllers, and characterized in that said CPU sets the display control data in said register group through said system bus (11), and said peripheral controller sets the display control data in said register group through said controller bus.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
207 words
A portable computer having a CPU (21), a memory (23), a system bus (11), various peripheral controllers (30, 46), and a main display (49), characterized by comprising: a sub-display (44), arranged in a main body of said portable computer, for displaying a plurality of icons representing various operating states of said portable computer; a register group (26), accessed by said CPU and said peripheral controllers and in which display control data for controlling ON/OFF states of said icons on said sub-display are set by said CPU and said peripheral controllers; an icon display control circuit (26) for ON/OFF-controlling the icons on said sub-display in accordance with the display control data set in said register group; key input means (51) for inputting a hot key for designating switching between the various operating modes of said portable computer; and hot key transmitting means (26, 102) for transmitting key data of the hot key input from said key input means by means of a non-maskable interrupt, wherein said CPU switches between operation modes of said portable computer in response to the hot key transmitted by the non-maskable interrupt and updates the display control data in said register group so as to reflect an operation mode switching result on said sub-display.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
32 words
A computer according to claim 35, characterized in that said hot key input means is a keyboard (51) having a plurality of keys some of which are assigned as the hot keys.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
84 words
A computer according to claim 36, characterized in that said hot key transmitting means includes a keyboard controller (30) for controlling said keyboard and transmitting key data corresponding to a depressed key to said CPU, said keyboard controller being provided with a first port (P00 - P07) connected to said register group and a second port (DB0 - DB7) connected to said system bus, so that the hot key data is written in a predetermined register of said register group through said first port.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
41 words
A computer according to claim 36, characterized in that said hot key transmitting means includes means (102) for transmitting the non-maskable interrupt to said CPU in response to the hot key data written in said predetermined register of said register group.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
67 words
A computer according to claim 37, characterized in that said peripheral controllers include a power supply controller (46) for controlling power supply to said portable computer, said power supply controller being operated to read the hot key data written in said predetermined register in said register group and adjust a contact or brightness of said main display in accordance with the contents of the read key data.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
101 words
A DRAM card control system in a personal computer having a card slot (20) for receiving a DRAM card (24) on which a DRAM (231) serving as a system memory and a ROM (232) storing card configuration information are mounted in a shape of an IC memory card, characterized by comprising independent power supply pins (DRAMVCC, EEPROMVCC) for said DRAM and said ROM in said card slot, data input/output pins (PD1 - PD4) for the card configuration information arranged independently of data input/output pins (MDx) for said DRAM, wherein said DRAM and said ROM are operated at independent power supply voltages.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
66 words
A system according to claim 40, characterized in that the card configuration information includes operating voltage information representing a power supply voltage of said DRAM, and said card configuration information is read to said personal computer main body through said data output pins, thereby applying the power supply voltage represented by the operating voltage information in the card configuration information to said DRAM power supply pin.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system according to claim 41, characterized in that said ROM comprises a wide range ROM operative in a wide power supply voltage range.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
190 words
A control system of a DRAM card complying with standard card specifications, mounted with a system memory DRAM, and having a plurality of first power supply pins (DRAMVCC) defined to apply a first power supply voltage, a plurality of second power supply pins (EEPROMVCC) defined to apply a second power supply voltage different from the first power supply voltage, and a pin group (PD1 - PD4) including a plurality of identification pins for identifying a card configuration on a system side, characterized in that a serial EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM) (232) which stores card configuration information is mounted on said DRAM card independently of said DRAM, some of said plurality of identification pins are assigned as communication pins between said serial EEPROM and the system side, a power supply of said DRAM is assigned to said first power supply pins, a power supply of said serial EEPROM is assigned to said second power supply pins, and a third power supply voltage required to operate said DRAM and a fourth power supply voltage required to operate said serial EEPROM are independently applied to said first and second power supply pins.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
62 words
A system according to claim 43, characterized in that the card configuration information includes operating voltage information representing the third power supply voltage, and the card configuration information is read from said serial EEPROM through said some identification pins, thereby applying the third power supply voltage represented by the operating voltage information in the card configuration information to said first power pins.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 44, characterized in that said serial EEPROM comprises a wide range serial EEPROM operative in a wide power supply voltage range.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
81 words
A portable computer capable of transmitting/receiving an electronic mail, characterized by comprising: a display (44) for displaying at least the presence/absence of a received electronic mail; interrupt generating means (32) for generating an interrupt upon reception of the electronic mail; and interrupt processing means (21, Fig. 56), started by the interrupt generated by said interrupt generating means, for causing said display to perform status display for displaying the presence of the received electronic mail when a valid electronic mail is received.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
43 words
A computer according to claim 46, characterized in that said interrupt processing means comprises means for calling a basic input/output program (BIOS; Basic I/O System) to cause said display to perform the status display for displaying the presence of the received electronic mail.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
58 words
A computer according to claim 46, characterized by further comprising mail processing means (26, 26a, R7), started in response to an external request, for displaying a currently received electronic mail on a screen, and wherein said mail processing means comprises means for erasing the status display for displaying the presence of the received electronic mail on said display.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
35 words
A computer according to claim 48, characterized in that said mail processing means comprises means for calling the basic input/output program to erase the status display for displaying the presence of the received electronic mail.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
98 words
A portable computer including a panel opened/closed on a main body and having a function of optionally connecting an external display device, characterized by comprising a panel switch for detecting opening/closing of said panel (49), means (151, ICMCIA-GA 28, Fig. 57) for detecting an open/closed state of said panel in accordance with ON/OFF status of said panel switch when a power switch is turned on, and switching means (21, Fig. 57) for switching to output image data to an internal display device (49) and said external display device (50) in accordance with the open/closed state of said panel.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
49 words
A computer according to claim 50, characterized in that said switching means outputs the image data to only said internal display device when said panel is open, and outputs the image data to both said internal display device and said external display device when said panel is kept closed.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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