Adapter for detecting whether a peripheral is standard or multimedia type format and selectively switching the peripheral to couple or bypass the system bus

An interface apparatus within a computer system for interfacing and controlling operation of an interface to a PCMCIA peripheral coupled to a PCMCIA expansion slot and interfacing communications between the PCMCIA peripheral and the computer system, the interface apparatus comprising:

• a PCMCIA expansion slot for coupling a PCMCIA card to the computer system over a PCMCIA bus;
• an output and display control circuit coupled to a host system bus for controlling display of video and text and output of audio for the computer system;
• and
• a host adapter logic circuit coupled to the host system bus, to the output and display control circuit, and to the PCMCIA slot for controlling and interfacing communications between the peripheral and the computer system, the host adapter logic circuit including;
• a detecting circuit coupled to the PCMCIA slot for determining under which one of a standard format and a multimedia type format the peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA slot through the PCMCIA card operates;
• a host system bus interfacing circuit coupled to the detecting circuit, to the PCMCIA slot, and to the host system bus for controlling and directing communications between the PCMCIA slot and the computer system, over the host system bus, if the peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA slot is of the standard format;
• and
• a display and audio interfacing circuit coupled to the detecting circuit, to the PCMCIA slot, and to the output and display control circuit for controlling and directing communications between the PCMCIA slot and the output and display circuit directly, thereby bypassing the host system bus, if the peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA slot is of the multimedia type format;
• and
• a switching circuit coupled to the detecting circuit, to the host system bus interfacing circuit, to the display and audio interfacing circuit, and to a plurality of dual-purpose pins within the PCMCIA expansion slot for coupling the dual-purpose pins to either the host system bus interfacing circuit if the peripheral is a standard peripheral or the display and audio interfacing circuit if the peripheral is a multimedia type peripheral.

A computer system apparatus for interfacing and controlling operation of an interface to PCMCIA peripheral coupled to a PCMCIA expansion slot under control of a microprocessor control circuit, the apparatus comprising:

• a microprocessor control circuit for controlling operation of the computer system apparatus;
• a host system bus coupled to the microprocessor control circuit;
• a PCMCIA expansion slot for coupling a PCMCIA peripheral to the computer system over a peripheral bus;
• an output and display control circuit coupled to the host system bus for controlling display of video and text and output of audio for the computer system;
• and
• a host adapter logic circuit coupled to the host system bus, to the output and display control circuit, and to the PCMCIA expansion slot for controlling and interfacing communications between the PCMCIA peripheral, the computer system and the output and display control circuit, the host adapter logic circuit including:
• a detecting circuit coupled to the expansion slot for determining under which one of a standard format and a multimedia type format the PCMCIA peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA expansion slot operates and transmitting a format status to the microprocessor control circuit over the host system bus;
• a host system bus interfacing circuit coupled to the PCMCIA expansion slot and to the host system bus for controlling and directing communications between the PCMCIA expansion slot and the computer system, over the host system bus, if the PCMCIA peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA expansion slot is of the standard format;
• a display and audio interfacing circuit coupled to the PCMCIA expansion slot and to the output and display control circuit for controlling and directing communications between the PCMCIA expansion slot and the output and display circuit directly, thereby bypassing the host system bus, if the PCMCIA peripheral coupled to the PCMCIA expansion slot is of the multimedia type format;
• and
• a switching circuit coupled to the detecting circuit, to the host system bus interfacing circuit, to the display and audio interfacing circuit, and to a plurality of tri-statable dual-purpose pins within the PCMCIA expansion slot for coupling the dual-purpose pins to either the host system bus interfacing circuit if the PCMCIA peripheral is a standard peripheral or the, display and audio interfacing circuit if the PCMCIA peripheral is a multimedia type peripheral.

A method of controlling operation of a communication interface to a peripheral coupled through a PCMCIA expansion slot to a computer system having a host system bus and an output device and interfacing communications between the peripheral and the computer system comprising the steps of:

• determining with a detecting circuit under which one of a standard format and a multimedia type format the peripheral operates;
• interfacing, using a host system bus interface, and controlling, using a switching circuit, communications between the peripheral and the computer system, over the host system bus, if the peripheral is of the standard format;
• and
• interfacing, using a display and audio interfacing circuit, and controlling, using the switching circuit, communications between the peripheral and the output device directly, thereby bypassing the host system bus, if the peripheral is a multimedia type, peripheral.