Portable computer system for docking to an expansion base unit

Abstract

A notebook computer system for docking to a motorized expansion base unit. Before the actual docking event occurs, the notebook computer system communicates with the expansion base unit via a sense signal, which is provided by the notebook computer to indicate the power state of the notebook computer. If the expansion base unit determines that the notebook computer is in a proper state for docking, it activates its motor to load the notebook computer. Once docked, the notebook computer runs a resource conflict check routine to determine if resource conflicts occur. A fatal conflict occurs when the resource requirements of bus devices connected to the expansion base unit conflict with the resource requirements of a video controller or hard disk drive connected to the notebook computer. When such a fatal conflict occurs, the notebook computer issues a software eject request to expansion base unit. In response, the expansion base unit undocks the notebook computer. A non-fatal conflict occurs when the resource requirements of the expansion base unit devices conflict with the resource requirements of PCMCIA cards inserted into the PCMCIA slots of the notebook computer. Unlike the case of a fatal conflict, the notebook computer responds to a non-fatal conflict by disabling the offending devices in the expansion base unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.