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

Inventor： SHAUN ASTARABADI ,  NEIL ALAN KATZ ,  FRANCIS JAMES CANOVA JR ,  ROBERT LAIRD HORTON

IPC: G06F1/18 ,  G06F13/00 ,  G06F3/00 ,  G06F13/14 ,  G06F15/177

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)