John D Elmore

US Patent:

6772264, Aug 3, 2004

Filed:

May 22, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/575592

Inventors:

Richard Alan Dayan - Wake Forest NC
David Carroll Challener - Raleigh NC
John Mason Elmore - Wake Forest NC
Richard Allen Kelley - Lake Worth FL

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1300

US Classification:

710303, 710315

Abstract:

A docking station system for use with a computer system which includes an externally accessible PC Card interface for transferring signals conforming to the PC Card standard to a docking station enclosure. The docking station enclosure includes a PC Card connector that connects to and passes interface signals between the PC Card interface of the computer system and the docking station enclosure. The docking station enclosure further includes an ISA bus structure conforming to the ISA bus standard. Additionally, the docking station enclosure incorporates conversion logic which is connected to receive signals from the computer system via the PC Card connector, and converts these received signals to signals for operating the ISA bus structure. The computer system includes conversion logic which is connected to receive signals from the docking station enclosure via the PC Card connector, and to convert these signals to system interrupt requests. In this manner, one or more ISA adapters can be utilized in the docking station enclosure to emulate one or more PC Card functions at the PC Card interface.

US Patent:

60094869, Dec 28, 1999

Filed:

Apr 29, 1998

Appl. No.:

9/069407

Inventors:

Richard Alan Dayan - Wake Forest NC
David Carroll Challener - Raleigh NC
John M. Elmore - Wake Forest NC
Richard Allen Kelley - Apex NC

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 1300

US Classification:

710101

Abstract:

A computer system with a PC Card external connector sends signals to PCI devices as if respective PC Card functions. A cooperating docking station connects to the PC Card connector and so processes the PC Card signals that a set of signals for supporting PCI bus standard are made available at a PCI bus of the docking station. The docking station is hence able to connect to a bus commonly available on computers, particularly laptop computers, for direct plug-in connection and yet supports connection of PCI adapters that otherwise tend to be supported only within a main computer at an internal PCI bus.