Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP

Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Nec Corporation

Packard Bell Nec

William C Hallowell

Raghavan V Venugopal

Peter A Ojeda

John P Wagner

Brian C Fritz

Bruce Wang

David F Heinrich

Patrick A Raymond

David W Engler

Timothy A Bonardi

Eric D Fuhs

Philip H Doragh

Elisa E Zappacosta

Wayne L Griffin

Norman D Stobert

Robert R Turnbull

Parthasarathy Ranganathan

Mark S Tracy

Minh H Nguyen

Vincent Hung Nguyen

Thomas P Sawyers

Rahul V Lakdawala

Sheng Li

Kevin T Lim

David J Maguire

Gregory N Santos

Patrick R Cooper

Walter G Fry

Han Wang

James R Edwards

Thierry Fevrier

Upal Sengupta

Binh Nguyen

Rodman S Brahman

Chin-Lung Chiang

Curtis L Progl

Justin Haanbyull Park

Michael E Schneider

Jyun-Jie Wang

Russell S Uithoven

Kamran Khederzadeh

Larry L Jeffery

Larry D Bailey

Chuan Lee

Stephen Carpenter Knowles

Mark S Fletcher

Fu Chan

J Scott Sylvester

Ewoud Bonsen

Robert K Watts

A system and method for a computing device having a processor, a memory module including volatile memory for random access memory (RAM), and an integrated circuit to intercept an error signal from the processor, the intercept delaying a system shutdown of the computing device. Firmware is executed by the processor to copy contents of the volatile memory to a non-volatile memory during the delay of the system shutdown.

Data copy to non-volatile memory

Example implementations relate to a server node shutdown. For example, a system includes a control module and a secondary power supply. The control module includes a detect engine to detect an even that triggers a sequenced shutdown of a server node and prevent execution of the sequenced shutdown and execution of a data transfer. The control module also includes an initiate engine to initiate a data backup process, by a basic input/output system (BIOS) of the server node, to write data from a volatile memory location of the server node to a non-volatile memory location of the server node. The secondary power supply is to support the data backup process.

Server node shutdown

A test and diagnostics circuit, methods and systems are described. An example test and diagnostics circuit includes a controller and a power monitor coupled to the controller. A load switch on the test and diagnostics circuit selectably implements a load from among multiple load values to test a computing and/or data storage system. The test and diagnostics circuit includes circuitry connecting the controller, the power monitor and the load switch to receive a test enable signal from a non-dedicated pin in a non-volatile dual inline memory module (NV-DIMM) slot to implement a test operation on the system.

Removable test and diagnostics circuit

According to an example, a processor generates a memory access request and sends the memory access request to a memory module. The processor receives data from the memory module in response to the memory access request when a memory device in the memory module for the memory access request is busy and unable to execute the memory access request.

Memory access for busy memory by receiving data from cache during said busy period and verifying said data utilizing cache hit bit or cache miss bit

Example implementations relate to facilitating communication between a memory module and a central processor. In example implementations, a memory module may receive, via a memory bus, a plurality of command strings. The received plurality of command strings may be stored at a reserved set of addresses on the memory module.

Transmission of command strings and status strings via memory bus

During runtime of a system, a memory controller is caused to relinquish control of a memory module that includes a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory. After the triggering, an indication is activated to the memory module, the indication causing a backup operation in the memory module, the backup operation being controlled by an internal controller in the memory module, and the backup operation involving a transfer of data from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory in the memory module.

Runtime backup of data in a memory module

A memory module includes memory banks, a local memory controller to access data in the memory banks, and an interface to an external memory controller that is configured to access the memory module. Multiplexing circuitry selectively connects the memory banks to the local memory controller and to the interface to the external memory controller.

Memory module having multiple memory banks selectively connectable to a local memory controller and an external memory controller

Booting a computing machine including increasing an operating speed of at least one component of the computing machine during a boot process in response to the computing machine including a sufficient amount of thermal credits and decreasing the operating speed of at least one of the components in response to the computing machine completing the boot process.

Booting a machine using thermal credits to adjust operating speed of a component

An electrical jack is disclosed herein. An example of such an electrical jack includes an enclosure configured to define a space in which the electrical plug is inserted. This example also includes an electrostatic discharge assembly positioned in the enclosure and configured to complete a closed circuit with each of the contacts of the electrical plug during insertion within the space, thereby discharging electrostatic energy present on the contacts of the electrical plug. The electrical plug is further configured to present an open circuit to each of the contacts of the electrical plug upon insertion of the electrical plug within the space to a predetermined point. Additional features of this electrical jack are disclosed herein, as are other examples of electrical jacks. An example of an electrical circuit is also disclosed herein.

Electrical jack

An external flexible bay system includes an external flexible bay, a modular battery pack and a modular disk drive. The external flexible bay is adapted to receive either the modular battery pack or the modular disk drive to facilitate use of such devices with a portable PC. The external flexible bay includes a parallel port which enables an external I/O device, such as a printer, to be connected thereto. The external flexible bay contains circuitry to automatically sense whether a printer is connected and to determine whether a modular battery pack or modular disk drive has been inserted therein. In order to ensure proper configuration, the external flexible bay includes a mode switch for selecting between a floppy mode and a printer mode.

External modular bay for housing I/O devices

A multi-boot apparatus allows a portable computer to boot from a predetermined list of bootable data storage devices, even if the data storage devices have been relocated during operation. The computer system has a hard disk bay and multi-bay for accepting one or more data storage devices and/or battery packs. During initialization, the invention retrieves a previously entered IPL sequence from a configuration setup table stored in the nonvolatile RAM of the portable computer. Next, the invention queries each bay and determines the device connected to each bay, including the data storage device and the battery pack, if one is present. The invention then determines if a remapping of the data storage drives is necessary to ensure that the device at the beginning of the IPL order is the first drive in the BIOS boot sequence. If so, the invention remaps the drives such that the device is at the first drive in the BIOS boot sequence. After booting, the invention allows the user to modify the IPL sequence using a plug and play application programming interface (PnP API) and to enable/disable the multi-boot functionality if so desired. The invention also determines the disk drive containing a hibernation file by assuming that the hibernation file will reside on the disk in the hard-disk bay because of the chance that the disk will be removed is less than that of a disk located in one of the multi-bay. Thus, by treating the hard disk bay and the multi-bay as devices in accordance with the predetermined IPL order and by performing automatic device sensing and remapping if necessary, the present invention allows the user to dynamically insert and remove data storage devices without requiring the user to update the IPL order.

Boot drive selection and hibernation file detection

A modular portable personal computer includes one or more flexible bays accessible from the front surface of the computer. One or more of the flexible bays may be configured as a dual functional bay to enable the bay to interchangeably receive different modular devices, such as a modular floppy disk drive or a modular battery pack. With such a configuration, the modular floppy disk drive can be removed for portable operation and an additional battery pack installed to provide increased electrical power to the portable personal computer during portable operation. The portable personal computer is also provided with a plurality of cavities formed in a bottom surface. These cavities allow for various upgrades to be made without opening the computer housing. For example, a modular hard disk drive cavity is provided on the bottom side of the personal computer. The modular hard disk drive cavity is adapted to receive a modular hard disk drive which can be relatively easily removed and installed without opening the computer housing. In addition, a cavity may be provided which is closed by an access cover which includes one or more standard in-line memory module (SIMM) sockets to enable additional SIMMS to be added without opening the computer housing. The CPU in the modular portable personal computer can also be rather easily and quickly replaced. In particular, a cavity is formed in the bottom of the portable personal computer and carries an electrical connector that is electrically connected to the mother board. A CPU mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) is adapted to be received in the cavity. A mating connector is provided on the PCB to enable the CPU to be connected to the motherboard. An access panel provides access to the cavity to enable the CPU to be replaced without the need to open the computer housing.

Modular portable personal computer having bays to receive

A thermal management controller to regulate the operating temperature of high speed, high circuit density semiconductor dice in an electronic product. The thermal management controller monitors the temperature of a heat sink in thermal contact with the high speed, high circuit density semiconductor dice and also monitors the operational status of one or more specified devices which may increase the heat load within the electronic product. As the temperature of the heat sink increases and/or as specified devices increase the heat load in the electronic product, the thermal management controller will start cooling fans and/or increases the speed of the cooling fans to increase heat removal from the electronic product by forced convection. As the temperature of the heat sink decreases and/or as specified devices cease contributing to the heat load in the electronic product, the thermal management controller will decrease the speed of the cooling fans and/or turn off the cooling fans to decrease heat removal from the electronic product. If the temperature of the heat sink rises above a predetermined temperature, the thermal management structure will reduce the clock speed of the semiconductor dice. If the temperature of the heat sink rises above a predetermined maximum temperature, the thermal management structure will turn of the semiconductor dice.

Apparatus, method and system for thermal management of an electronic

A computer system in which various system peripherals are automatically re-initialized after being hot-swapped. The reinitialization includes accommodation of any required master/slave relationships between the peripherals.

Real-time hardware master/slave re-initialization

A dynamic hibernation time apparatus monitors and ensures that battery packs in a computer system have sufficient energy capacity to sustain a proper saving of the hibernation file into the hard disk drive. The invention determines the memory size of the computer and adds the storage space needed to store the chip register contents to arrive at the determination of the hibernation file size. Next, the time necessary to save the hibernation file on the disk data storage device and the hibernation energy required to operate the disk data storage device to completely save the hibernation file are determined. When the battery capacity drops within a range of the previously computed hibernation energy, a warning message is generated at the user and the hibernation file is saved. The computer is shut down after the hibernation file has been properly saved. Thus, by determining the total memory size to be saved in the hibernation file, by determining the time and the energy required to completely store the hibernation file into the disk drive, and by sensing either the battery capacity or requesting that the smart battery sends an alarm to initiate the hibernation file saving process, the present invention ensures that sufficient energy exists in the battery packs to properly save the hibernation file onto the hard disk drive before system shut down occurs due to low battery capacity without wasting energy by determining the set point based on a maximum memory configuration.

Dynamic hibernation time in a computer system

Growing community of inventors

Spring, TX, United States of America

William C Hallowell