BATTERY OPERATED COMPUTER OPERATION SUSPENSION IN RESPONSE TO ENVIRONMENTAL SENSOR INPUTS

    公开(公告)号:MY108643A

    公开(公告)日:1996-10-31

    申请号:MYPI19912409

    申请日:1991-12-27

    Applicant: IBM

    Abstract: A BATTERY OPERATED PORTABLE PERSONAL COMPUTER INCLUDES AMBIENT TEMPERATURE (46) AND HUMIDITY (48) SENSORS, AS WELL AS TWO LCD`S (52) TO PROVIDE VISUAL INDICATION THAT THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURES OR HUMIDITY IS OUT RANGE. IF THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DROPS BELLOW 3 DEGREES C, OR IF IT RISES ABOVE 52 DEGREES C, TEN COMPUTER ENTERS A LOW POWER SUSPEND MODE WHEREIN THE COMPUTER IS INOPERABLE, BUT, UPON SWITCHING FROM THE SUSPEND MODE TO THE RESUME (OPERATING) MODE, THE APPLICATION PROGRAM THAT WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF THE SUSPENSION IS RESUMED AT THE SAME POINT THAT THE SUSPENSION OCCURRED. THE LCD TEMPERATURE INDICATOR IS ACTIVATED WHEN THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE DROPS BELOW 3 DEGREES C, OR RISES ABOVE 46 DEGREES C. THUS, FOR HIGH TEMPERATURES, THE TEMPERATURE INDICATOR IS ACTIVATED 6DEGREES BEFORE THE COMPUTER IS PLACED IN THE SUSPEND MODE. THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IS PERIODICALLY MONITORED WHILE IN THE SUSPEND MODE AND, IF THE TEMPERATURE RISES ABOVE 6 DEGREES C, OR DROPS BELOW 44 DEGREES C, THE COMPUTER SWITCHES FROM SUSPEND TO RESUME. THUS, HYSTERESIS IS PROVIDED TO PREVENT THE COMPUTER FROM OSCILLATING BETWEEN SUSPEND AND RESUME MODES. IF THE HUMIDITY RISES ABOVE 96% RELATIVE HUMIDITY, THE COMPUTER ENTERS THE SUSPEND MODE AND THE LCD HUMIDITY INDICATOR IS ACTIVATED. THE AMBIENT HUMIDITY IS PERIODICALLY MONITORED IN THE SUSPEND MODE AND, IF IT DROPS BELOW 87% RELATIVE HUMIDITY, THE COMPUTER SWITCHES FROM SUSPEND TO RESUME MODE. (FIG.1)

    AUTOMATIC DEVICE CONFIGURATION FOR DOCKABLE PORTABLE COMPUTERS

    公开(公告)号:MY107644A

    公开(公告)日:1996-05-30

    申请号:MYPI19912419

    申请日:1991-12-27

    Applicant: IBM

    Abstract: APPARATUS AND A METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURING COMMUNICATION PORT ASSIGNMENTS IN DOCKABLE PORTABLE COMPUTER SYSTEMS WHEREIN A PORTABLE COMPUTER UNIT (1) IS OPERABLE BOTH ON A STAND-ALONE BASIS AND ATTACHED (DOCKED) TO A GENERALLY STATIONARY EXPANSION (DOCKING) UNIT (2) PROVIDING EXTENDED CONNECTIVITY AND POWER SOURCING FACILITIES. THE PORTABLE COMPUTER UNIT (1) MAY CONTAIN INTEGRAL CONNECTORS (7-9) (RS232, TELEPHONE JACKS PARALLEL CONNECTORS, ETC) AND INTERNAL CIRCUIT DEVICES (10) OPERATING THROUGH THE CONNECTORS (MODEMS, CIRCUITS SUPPORTING RS232 SIGNALLING, ETC). THE DOCKING UNIT (2) MAY ALSO HAVE SUCH CONNECTORS (17-19) AND ASSOCIATED CIRCUITS (20). THE COMPUTER USER MAY ASSIGN INTERNAL LOGICAL COMMUNICATION PATHS COM X (X=1, 2..) TO THESE CONNECTORS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED CIRCUITS. WHEN THE PORTABLE UNIT IS IN DOCKED MODE, CARE MUST BE TAKEN THAT DUPLICATE PATHS ARE NOT CONCURRENTLY ACTIVE IN THE PORTABLE AND DOCKING UNITS LEADING TO POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING SIGNAL PROCESSES IN THE UNITS. THE PRESENT INVENTION PROVIDES AN AUTOMATIC INITIALIZATION PROCESS WHEREBY THE SYSTEM IS AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURED TO, OPERATE WITHOUT PATH CONFLICTS WHEN IT IS DOCKED AND TO MAKE FULL USE OF ALL INTERNAL PATHS IN THE PORTABLE UNIT WHEN THE BASE PORTABLE UNIT IS NOT DOCKED; ALL TRANSPARENT TO SYSTEM USERS. (FIG. 1)

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