Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Nobutaka Nishigaki

Makoto Sakai

Ryoji Ninomiya

Shigeru Sekine

Kazunori Yamaki

Koji Nakamura

Nobutaka Nakamura

Mayumi Maeda

Toru Honma

Takumi Tsubouchi

In a computer system constituted by a portable computer and a deskstation used to expand the function of the portable computer, the portable computer has a communication connector used for communication with the deskstation, in addition to a connector for connecting a system bus in the portable computer to the deskstation. Similarly, the deskstation also has a communication connector. When the portable computer is set at a predetermined position of the deskstation, these connectors are connected to each other before the system bus is connected to an expansion device of the deskstation. By using the communication connectors to perform communication between the portable computer and the deskstation, disconnection between the system bus and an expansion connector or forced suspend processing of the portable computer is executed before the portable computer in a power ON state is mounted in the deskstation. In addition, a lock mechanism is provided to lock the portable computer with the deskstation. The lock mechanism is operated/released by registering/deleting a password. Even when a power supply unit having a plurality of power supply outlets is externally provided to the deskstation, processing for sequentially enabling the power supply outlets is executed. Temperature control in the portable computer is also executed.

Method and apparatus for controlling internal heat generating circuit

An electronic apparatus comprises a circuit, such as a semiconductor circuit, a temperature detection unit provided in the circuit, and a controlling unit. The temperature detection unit detects a temperature of the circuit and outputs a signal outside of the circuit when the detected temperature exceeds a threshold. The controlling unit powers off the electronic apparatus in accordance with the signal.

Method and apparatus for controlling internal heat generating circuitry

In a computer system constituted by a portable computer and a desk station used to expand the function of the portable computer, the portable computer has a communication connector used for communication with the desk station, in addition to a connector for connecting a system bus in the portable computer to the desk station. Temperature control in the portable computer is also executed. The computer may include a one-chip controller that includes an element having a characteristic that varies with temperature and further includes a dedicated pin electrically connected to the element. The element may be mounted on a portion of an integrated circuit substrate. The dedicated pin may be provided on a portion of a connection pin arrangement. The computer may further include a temperature detecting element configured to detect a temperature of the one-chip controller via the dedicated pin, and may further include a controlling unit configured to control an internal heat-generating circuit on said integrated circuit substrate to decrease the temperature of said one-chip controller when the temperature detected by said temperature detecting element exceeds a set temperature.

Apparatus for controlling internal heat generating circuit

A plurality of video devices, that is, a PC card controller,an MPEG2 decoder,a P1394 controller,and a video capture,have each a motion-picture output port connected to a video/audio dedicated bus,as well as an interface with a PCI bus,Hence, any motion-picture source can be transferred directly to a display controller,through the video/audio dedicated bus, without using the PCI bus,Various motion-picture sources can therefore be efficiently displayed.

Method of switching video sources and computer system employing this method

Computer system having detachable expansion unit

An analog switch is provided to be connected to the signal lines of a bus of a computer body to be led to an expansion unit. When the signal lines of the bus of the expansion unit are pulled up, a high value is sent to the signal lines of the bus of the computer body. When the signal lines of the bus of the expansion unit are pulled down, a low value is sent to the signal lines of the bus of the computer body. After the potential levels of the signal lines of one bus equal to those of the signal lines of the other bus by the high value or the low value sent, a connection control gate array sets the analog switch on. This can allow the signal lines of both buses to be connected together without causing a transient phenomenon even while the bus cycle is being executed.

Computer system having expansion unit

In a computer system, when an expansion unit is connected to a computer main body by an interface card, power supply control and I/O port selection are performed at the start of the computer system. In the power supply control, when an expansion power supply of the expansion unit is turned on, a first voltage is supplied to a main power supply of the computer main body. When the main power supply is turned on, main voltages are supplied to computer main body elements from the main power supply in response to the main voltage, and a second voltage is supplied to the expansion power supply through the interface. In response to the second voltage, expansion voltages is supplied to expansion unit elements, and an interface voltage is supplied to the interface. After the power supply control is completed, the I/O port selection is performed. The port addresses of the I/O ports in the computer main body are compared with the port addresses of the I/O ports in the expansion unit. If both port addresses coincide with each other, the I/O ports in the computer main body are disabled, and the I/O ports in the expansion unit are enabled.

Computer system for avoiding coincidence of port address on a bus during

Computer system capable of connecting expansion unit

An expansion unit has a connector for docking a portable computer. A value of a specific pin of the connector is set in a connection identification register arranged in the expansion unit. When the portable computer is started, it reads the content of the identification register, and checks if a resume mode is set. When it is determined that the expansion unit is connected, and the resume mode is set, a message indicating that the expansion unit is connected is displayed on a display device for a predetermined period of time.

Connection state confirmation system and method for expansion unit

A computer system includes a main body, an integral keyboard formed in the main body, a CPU for executing various types of data processing, a connector through which an external keyboard can be connected to the main body, and a keyboard controller, controlled by the CPU, for receiving key code data supplied from the integral keyboard and transmitting the received key code data to the CPU. The computer system also includes a selector which selects either the integral keyboard or the connector, on the basis of the contents of the data stored in a register, and connects the selected keyboard to the keyboard controller.

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Tokyo, Japan

Nobutaka Nishigaki