Computer system and control method thereof

Abstract

A computer system has an internal mounting unit in which a device supporting a predetermined interface is mounted. The computer system includes an external mounting unit supporting the interface; a device controller comprising a plurality of communication channels, which can communicate with the device, for communicating with the device mounted in the internal mounting unit through a first communication channel of the plurality of communication channels and communicating with an external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit through a second communication channel of the plurality of communication channels; and a switching controller for selectively connecting the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel of the device controller and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit according to power-on/off of the system.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These above and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a simplified control block diagram of a conventional computer system;

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a computer system according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of a computer system according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a computer system according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of a computer system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of a computer system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a control flow chart of a computer system according to one of the above embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising: an internal mounting unit in which a device supporting a predetermined interface is mounted;an external mounting unit supporting the predetermined interface;a device controller comprising a plurality of communication channels, which can communicate with the device mounted in the internal mounting unit, to communicate with the device mounted in the internal mounting unit through a first communication channel of the plurality of communication channels and to communicate with an external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit through a second communication channel of the plurality of communication channels; anda switching controller to selectively connect the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel of the device controller and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit, depending on whether the computer system is powered on or off.

2. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the switching controller comprises: a switching part to selectively connect the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel of the device controller and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit; anda controlling part to detect the power-on/off of the computer system and to direct the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the computer system is powered off and to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel of the device controller when the computer system is powered on.

3. The computer system according to claim 2, wherein the controlling part comprises a power supply to supply power when the computer system is powered on, and wherein the switching part connects the external apparatus to the second communication channel of the device controller when the switching part is supplied with power from the controlling part, and connects the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the switching part is not supplied with power from the controlling part.

4. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising a user input part, wherein the controlling part comprises a microcomputer to direct the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel of the device controller when the computer system is powered on through the user input part and to direct the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting part when the computer system is powered off through the user input part.

5. The computer system according to claim 4, wherein the user input part comprises a switching function key to control the switching part; and wherein the microcomputer, according to input from the switching function key of the user input part, directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel of the device controller and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit.

6. The computer system according to claim 2, further comprising a CPU controlling the power-on/off of the computer system, wherein the controlling part directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel of the device controller when the controlling part receives a system power-on instruction from the CPU and directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting part when the controlling part receives a system power-off instruction from the CPU.

7. The computer system according to claim 6, further comprising an ICH (input/output control hub) communicating with the CPU, wherein the ICH includes the controlling part.

8. The computer system according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined interface supports a SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) standard.

9. The computer system according to claim 8, wherein the external apparatus comprises one of an external device supporting the SATA standard and an electronic apparatus equipped with the external device, and wherein both the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and the external device comprise a SATA HDD supporting the SATA standard.

10. The computer system according to claim 9, further comprising an ICH, wherein the ICH includes the device controller.

11. The computer system according to claim 10, wherein, when the computer system is powered on, the ICH communicates with at least one of the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit through at least one of the first communication channel and the second communication channel.

12. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising an internal battery to supply driving power to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the computer system is powered off.

13. The computer system according to claim 11, further comprising: a power supply to supply circuit parts in the computer system with respective driving power; anda communication port through which power is supplied from the outside,wherein the power supply supplies the circuit parts in the computer system with the respective driving power when the computer system is powered on and supplies the driving power to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit using power supplied through the communication port when the computer system is powered off.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the communication port is a USB port.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the communication port is a Firewire port supporting the IEEE 1394 standard.

16. The computer system according to claim 1, wherein the external device is a computer system.

17. A control method of a computer system comprising: assigning a first communication channel of a plurality of communication channels of the device controller to a device supporting a predetermined interface mounted in an internal mounting unit;assigning a second communication channel of the plurality of communication channels to an external apparatus mounted in an external mounting unit; andselectively connecting the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel of the device controller and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit depending on whether the computer system is powered on or off.

18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the selectively connecting comprises: connecting the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to the second communication channel of the device controller when the computer system is powered on; andconnecting the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the computer system is powered off.

19. The control method according to claim 18, wherein the predetermined interface supports a SATA standard.

20. The control method according to claim 19, wherein the external apparatus comprises one of an external device supporting the SATA standard and an electronic apparatus equipped with the external device, and wherein each of the devices mounted in the internal mounting unit and the external device comprises a SATA HDD supporting the SATA standard.

21. The control method according to claim 20, further comprising providing an ICH, wherein the device controller is included in the ICH.

22. The control method according to claim 21, further comprising: connecting the ICH to at least one of the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and the external apparatus connected by the switching control through at least one of the first communication channel and the second communication channel when the system is powered on; andconnecting the device mounted in the internal mounting unit to the external apparatus connected by the switching control when the system is powered off.

23. A computer system, comprising: a device controller comprising a plurality of communication channels, wherein a first one of the communication channels communicates with a device mounted in an internal mounting unit, and wherein a second one of the communication channels communicates with an external apparatus mounted in an external mounting unit;a switching controller comprising a switching part to selectively connect the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and a controlling part to detect the power on/power off of the computer system, wherein the controlling part directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the computer system is powered off and directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel when the computer system is powered on; andan internal power supply mounted in the computer system to supply power to the computer system while the computer system is powered on.

24. The computer system according to claim 23, further comprising a communication port through which power is supplied to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit while the computer system is powered off.

25. The computer system according to claim 24, wherein the communication port is a USB port.

26. The computer system according to claim 24, wherein the communication port is a Firewire port supporting the IEEE 1394 standard.

27. The computer system of claim 23, further comprising a battery mounted in the computer system to supply power to the device mounted in the computer system while the computer system is powered off.

28. A computer system, comprising: a device controller comprising a plurality of communication channels, wherein a first one of the communication channels communicates with a device mounted in an internal mounting unit, and wherein a second on of the communication channels communicates with an external apparatus mounted in an external mounting unit;a switching controller comprising a switching part to selectively connect the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit;a microcomputer to direct, based upon the receipt of a first signal, the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and, based upon the receipt of a second signal, to direct the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel; anda user input part to transmit the first and second signals to the microcomputer based upon user input.

29. The computer system according to claim 28, wherein the first signal is a computer system power off signal.

30. The computer system according to claim 28, wherein the second signal is a computer system power on signal.

31. A computer system, comprising: a device controller comprising a plurality of communication channels, wherein a first one of the communication channels communicates with a device mounted in an internal mounting unit, and wherein a second one of the communication channels communicates with an external apparatus mounted in an external mounting unit;a switching controller comprising a switching part and a controlling part;a CPU mounted in the computer system to transmit a power-on signal and a power-off signal to the switching controller; andwherein the switching part selectively connects the external apparatus mounted in the external mounting unit to one of the second communication channel and the device mounted in the internal mounting unit and a controlling part to detect the power on/power off of the computer system and wherein the controlling part directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the device mounted in the internal mounting unit when the switching controller receives the power-off signal and directs the switching part to connect the external apparatus to the second communication channel when the switching controller receives the power-on signal.

32. The computer system according to claim 31, wherein the external device is a computer system.

33. A computer system, comprising: a switching part to switch to a first connection or to a second connection, wherein the first connection connects an external device mounted to an external mounting unit to an internal device mounted to an internal mounting unit, and wherein the second connection connects the external mounting unit to a control hub mounted in the computer system.

34. The computer system according to claim 33, further comprising an internal power supply to supply power to the computer system while the computer system is turned on.

35. The computer system according to claim 33, further comprising a communication port to supply power to the internal device while the computer system is turned off.

36. The computer system according to claim 33, wherein the switching part switches to the first connection upon receiving a first signal.

37. The computer system according to claim 36, wherein the first signal is a signal to power off the computer system.

38. The computer system according to claim 33, wherein the switching part switches to the second connection upon receiving a second signal.

39. The computer system according to claim 38, wherein the second signal is a signal to power on the computer system.

40. A computer system with an internal device, comprising: a switching part to enable an external device to access the internal device, even while power to the computer system is turned off.