Method and system for placing a bus on hold during the insertion/extraction of an IC card into/from a computer
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorTakashi Okuno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a computer system capable of connecting an IC (Integrated Circuit) card, when the IC card is extracted from an IC card holder, a door is opened. A detection signal is output from a detecting circuit to a bus controller by detecting opening of the door. Upon receiving the detection signal, a hold request signal is output from the bus controller to a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In response to the hold request signal, a hold acknowledge signal is output from the CPU to the bus controller after the computer process to be executed is completed. A buffer control signal for disabling a buffer is output from the bus controller by receiving the hold acknowledge signal, thereby interrupting an access signal from the CPU, to hold a bus.
Claims28
A method for placing a bus on hold during insertion of a process card into and extraction of a process card from a holder having a door in a computer, the process card being used to process data and being inserted into and extracted from the holder by opening the door, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining whether the door is opened;
- and
- placing the bus on hold in accordance with a determination result from the determining step to inhibit access by a CPU to a device connected to the bus.
A system for placing a bus on hold during insertion of a process card into and extraction of a process card from a computer, the process card being used to process data, the system comprising:
- a process card holder for connecting the process card to the computer in order to perform a data communication between the computer and the process card, said process card holder including a door, wherein the process card is inserted into and extracted from the process card holder by opening the door;
- determining means for determining whether the door is opened;
- and
- bus holding means for placing the bus on hold in accordance with a determination result from said determining means in order to inhibit access by a CPU to a device connected to the bus.
A computer system comprising:
- a bus;
- a holder for connecting a process card to said bus, said holder having a door which is opened to insert and extract the card into and from said holder;
- a detector for detecting whether said door is opened;
- and
- bus holding means for placing said bus on hold in accordance with a detection result from said detector.
A computer comprising:
- a bus;
- a central processing unit (CPU) electrically connected to the bus;
- a unit storage portion storing a removable data storage unit storing data accessed by the CPU, the removable data storage unit being inserted into and extracted from the unit storage portion;
- a connector electrically connected to the bus and electrically connecting the removable data storage unit stored in the unit storage portion so that the CPU is able to access the removable data storage unit;
- a detector detecting an inserting status, prior to the connection between the removable data storage unit and the connector, indicating that the removable data storage unit is going to be inserted into the unit storage portion and/or an extracting status, prior to the disconnection between the removable data storage unit and the connector, indicating that the removable data storage unit connected to the connector is going to be extracted from the unit storage portion;
- and
- bus holding means for placing the bus on hold in accordance with a detection result from the detector.
A computer comprising:
- a bus;
- a buffer electrically connected to the bus;
- a central processing unit (CPU) electrically connected to the buffer;
- a unit storage portion storing a removable data storage unit storing data accessed by the CPU, the removable data storage unit being inserted into and extracted from the unit storage portion;
- a connector electrically connected to the bus and electrically connecting the removable data storage unit stored in the unit storage portion so that the CPU is able to access the removable data storage unit through the buffer, the bus, and the connector;
- a detector detecting an inserting status, prior to the connection between the removable data storage unit and the connector, indicating that the removable data storage unit is going to be inserted into the unit storage portion and/or an extracting status, prior to the disconnection between the removable data storage unit and the connector, indicating that the removable data storage unit connected to the connector is going to be extracted from the unit storage portion;
- and
- a bus controller outputting a hold signal for disabling the buffer so as to place the bus on hold when the detector detects the inserting and/or extracting status.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.