The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 18, 1998
Hiroaki Agata, Yokohama, JP;
Yoshihisa Ishihara, Yamato, JP;
International Business Machines Corp., Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
To provide a peripheral device and a computer system, each being arranged to allow both of external and internal attachments of the peripheral device to the computer system such that, in case of the external attachment, the peripheral device can be attached to the computer system in a manner compatible with the conventional attachment method and yet it does not require any dedicated attachment device as before. A computer system 100 comprises a container 140 for containing a peripheral device 130 as an internal device, a cable 410 for attaching the peripheral device 130 to the system 100 as an external device, and a connector 434 for connecting the cable 410. Also, the peripheral device 130 has a connector 132 for internal attachment and a connector 310 for external attachment. When the peripheral device 130 is contained in the container 140, it is electrically connected to the system 100 and operates as a part thereof. Conversely, when the peripheral device 130 is used as an external device rather than an internal device, one end 412 of the cable 410 is connected to the connector 310 of the peripheral device 130 for external attachment, whereas the other end 414 of the cable 410 is connected to a connector 434 of the system 100. Thus, the externally attached peripheral device 130 is enabled to operate as a part of the system 100 for providing its function to a user in a manner similar to the above case of internal attachment.