Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Intel Corporation

Ronald P Meyers, Jr

Gregory N Santos

Jeffrey C Tang

Todd A Schelling

A portable computer can be 'hot' docked to one or more expansion devices, such as a drive wedge and a port replicator. As such, the expansion devices can be connected to and disconnected from the portable computer while portable computer is powered on and fully operational. The portable computer includes control logic that detects when an expansion device is connected to or disconnected from the portable computer and asserts an SMI or equivalent interrupt signal to the computer's CPU to initiate a sequence of events by which the computer determines whether an expansion device has been connected or disconnected. If the CPU determines that the expansion device has been connected to the computer, the CPU appropriately reconfigures itself to communicate with the expansion device. If the expansion device is disconnected, the CPU also appropriately reconfigures itself to preclude communications with the disconnected device.

Hot docking drive wedge and port replicator

Cache defining arrangements for maximizing cacheable memory space, including a mixed technique scheme using a bottom-up scheme defining a first non-memory-hole portion using mainly substantially additive blocks of cacheable space, and a top-down scheme defining a second non-memory-hole portion by defining an oversized block of cacheable space and using mainly substantially subtractive blocks of cacheable space.

Memory hole modification and mixed technique arrangements for maximizing cacheable memory space

A portable computer can be &ldquo;hot&rdquo; docked to one or more expansion devices, such as a drive wedge and a port replicator. As such, the expansion devices can be connected to and disconnected from the portable computer while portable computer is powered on and fully operational. The portable computer includes control logic that detects when an expansion device is connected to or disconnected from the portable computer and asserts an SMI or equivalent interrupt signal to the computer's CPU to initiate a sequence of events by which the computer determines whether an expansion device has been connected or disconnected. If the CPU determines that the expansion device has been connected to the computer, the CPU appropriately reconfigures itself to communicate with the expansion device. If the expansion device is disconnected, the CPU also appropriately reconfigures itself to preclude communications with the disconnected device.

Growing community of inventors

Portland, OR, United States of America

Ronald P Meyers, Jr