JP2000339061A - Connection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To utilize a device by simply attaching/detaching it. SOLUTION: A personal computer(PC) card slot 11 of an image processing board 21 connects a signal line of a PC card 2 to be attached/detached to/from the front of a PC 1 to a signal line of the board 21. A connector of the board 21 is inserted into an extended slot 43-1 of the PC 1 to connect the signal line of the board 21 to the signal line of the PC 1. The slot 11 and the connector are fixed on the board 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a connection device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a connection device that connects a predetermined device and a predetermined information processing device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A so-called desktop type personal computer or workstation is usually
An expansion slot bus such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus or an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus is provided. To the expansion slot bus,
When various types of expansion boards are mounted, functions of a personal computer or a workstation are expanded, for example, higher-speed image processing becomes possible.

On the other hand, most of notebook or handy personal computers are PCMCIA.
(Personal Computer Memory Card International Assoc
It is provided with a PC card slot in which a so-called PC card can be inserted, which conforms to the PC Card Standard defined by iation).

[0004]

However, when using a PC card in a desktop personal computer or the like, or when sharing one PC card between a desktop personal computer and a notebook personal computer. For example, an adapter board having a PC card slot must be mounted on an expansion slot bus of a desktop personal computer or the like.

[0005] In this case, the opening of the PC card slot into which the PC card is inserted is located at the rear side of the main body of a personal computer or the like.
The user had to move the main unit such as a personal computer, which was very inconvenient.

Some of such adapter boards use a cable so that a PC card slot can be mounted in a so-called device bay. In particular, a small desktop personal computer or the like is used. If there is no room in the device bay, it could not be used.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and enables a device such as a PC card to be easily attached and detached and used in an information processing device such as a small desktop type personal computer. The purpose is to:

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connection device comprising: first connection means for connecting a signal line of a device detachable from a front surface of an information processing apparatus to its own signal line; A second connection unit that is inserted into a predetermined slot for function expansion of the information processing apparatus and connects a signal line of the information processing apparatus to a signal line of the information processing apparatus; and a first connection unit and a second connection unit. And fixing means for fixing.

The connection device can connect a PC card.

In the connecting device according to the first aspect, a signal line of a device detachable from the front of the information processing device is connected to its own signal line, and its own signal line is connected to the information processing device. The signal line is connected, and the first connection means and the second connection means are fixed.

[0011]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a personal computer equipped with an image processing board according to the present invention. On the front panel of the personal computer 1, a PC card slot 1 in which a PC card 2 can be mounted is provided.
1 is provided. PC Card 2 is PC Card Standa
It conforms to rd, has a predetermined interface, communication, or modem function, or has a predetermined memory or hard disk. In the personal computer 1, a keyboard 3 operated by the user when inputting various commands, a mouse 4 operated by the user when pointing or selecting a point on the screen, and various information are written in text or images. A monitor 5 for displaying is connected.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the personal computer 1 in which the PC card 2 is mounted in the PC card slot 11. By pressing a predetermined button of the PC card slot 11, the PC card 2 attached to the PC card slot 11 can be removed.

CD-ROM (Compact Disk-Read Only Di)
sk), a CD-ROM drive 12 for reproducing data recorded on the disk, and a floppy disk drive 13 for recording or reproducing data on a floppy disk.
Is installed in the device bay of the personal computer 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the personal computer 1. The image processing board 21 having the PC card slot 2 is mounted in a predetermined expansion slot. When the image processing board 21 is mounted in a predetermined expansion slot of the personal computer 1, the image processing board 21
Predetermined input / output terminals (for example, an S terminal for inputting an image,
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engine
terminals for connecting a 4-pin connector conforming to the ers) 1394 standard) is located on the rear surface of the personal computer 1. The image processing board 21 performs processing such as video capture.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the inside of the personal computer 1. At a predetermined position inside the personal computer 1, a motherboard 31 is arranged. The motherboard 31 has a CPU (Central Processing Uni
t) 41 and RAM (Random-Access Memory) 42-
1 to 42-3 are mounted. The CPU 41
A predetermined operating system or a predetermined application program loaded into the memories 42-1 to 42-3 from the CD-ROM drive 12 or the like is actually executed. The RAMs 42-1 to 42-3 are CD-ROMs.
The program or parameters supplied from the ROM drive 12 or the floppy disk drive 13 are stored. Hereinafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish the RAMs 42-1 to 42-3 individually, they are simply referred to as the RAM 42.

The expansion slots 43-1 to 43-4 are slots such as a PCI bus slot or an ISA bus slot, and various expansion boards such as the image processing board 21 for expanding functions are mounted.

In the example shown in FIG.
1 is mounted on the expansion slot 43-1. The image processing board 21 is provided with a PC card slot 11. The image processing board 21 is connected to the expansion slot 43-1.
When installed in the PC card slot 11 of the image processing board 21 (the PC card 2 is inserted).
Are located at predetermined positions on the front panel of the personal computer 1.

The PC card 2 mounted on the PC card slot 11 of the image processing board 21 is connected to the motherboard 31 via the PC card slot 11 and the expansion slot 43-1.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the image processing board 21. The image processing board 21 is provided with a PC card slot 11, a connector 51, a PCMCIA controller (not shown), and the like. PC card slot 1
1 is provided with a button for removing the mounted PC card 2.

The connector 51 has a predetermined shape, such as a 32-bit universal PCI slot, for mounting in the expansion slot 43-1 of the motherboard 31.
And pins 52-1 to 52-62 as signal lines. The image processing board 21 includes a pin 52 of the connector 51.
Power is received from a predetermined pin of the expansion slot 43-1 of the motherboard 31 through -1 to 52-62, and signals are transmitted to and received from the motherboard 31 through another predetermined pin of the expansion slot 43-1.

When the image processing board 21 is a 32-bit universal card, the pin 52-1 of the connector 51
Each of the signals 52 to 62 receives one of the predetermined signals shown in FIG. 6 or outputs a predetermined signal. For example, AD [00] to AD [31] in FIG. 6 indicate signals in which addresses and data are multiplexed in a time division manner.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining terminals as signal lines of the PC card 2. Each of the terminals 61-1 to 61-68 of the PC card 2 is connected to the PC card slot 1 when the PC card 2 is inserted into the PC card slot 11.
Connected to one predetermined pin. The PC card 2 has a terminal 6
PC card slot 1 through 1-1 to 61-68
1 through a predetermined pin of the PC card slot 11, and receives image data from the image processing board 21 through another predetermined pin of the PC card slot 11.
And send and receive signals.

When the PC card 2 is a 16-bit I / O memory, the terminals 61-1 to 61-6 of the PC card 2
Each of 8 receives a predetermined signal shown in FIG. 8 or outputs a predetermined signal. For example, A0 to A25 in FIG. 8 indicate address signals, and D0 to D25.
D15 indicates a data signal.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the personal computer 1 on which the image processing board 21 is mounted. The CPU 41 and the RAM 42 are connected to the host bus 72, respectively. ROM (read-only me)
The mory) 71 generally stores basically fixed data of programs used by the CPU 41 and parameters for calculation. The host bus 72 includes a CPU bus, a memory bus, and the like.
2, and the ROM 71 are mutually connected.

The host bus 72 is connected to an external bus 74 such as a PCI bus via a bridge 73.

An HDD (hard disk drive) 76 drives a hard disk and records or reproduces a program executed by the CPU 41 or information on the hard disk. Keyboard 3, mouse 4, monitor 5, CD-ROM drive 1
2, floppy disk drive 13, and HDD7
6 is connected to an interface 75, and the interface 75 is connected to the CPU 41 via an external bus 74, a bridge 73, and a host bus 72.

The image processing board 21 is connected to the external bus 74 and performs predetermined processing such as capture on image data supplied from the CPU 41 or image data supplied from a digital video cassette recorder (not shown). Execute. The image processing board 21 is connected to the CPU 41 via an external bus 74, a bridge 73, and a host bus 72.

The PC card 2 mounted in the PC card slot 11 provided on the image processing board 21
Are the PC card slot 11 and the image processing board 21
Are connected to the external bus 74 via the expansion slot 43-1 in which the is mounted, and are connected to the CPU 41 via the bridge 73 and the host bus 72.

Accordingly, the CP of the personal computer 1
Since the U41 and the like can control the PC card 2 inserted in the PC card slot 11, the personal computer 1 can use the PC card 2 inserted in the PC card slot 11.

Although the PC card slot 11 has been described as being mounted on the image processing board 21, if it can be mounted on an expansion slot such as the personal computer 1 or a workstation, a sound board, a communication board, or a SCSI (Small Computer System) can be used. Interfac
e) It may be mounted on any extension board such as a board.

[0031]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the signal line of the device detachable from the front of the information processing apparatus and the own signal line are connected, and the own signal line and the information processing apparatus are connected. And the first connection means and the second connection means are fixed, so that the device can be easily attached and detached and used in the information processing apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a personal computer equipped with an image processing board according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the personal computer 1 in which a PC card 2 is mounted in a PC card slot 11;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the personal computer 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the inside of the personal computer 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of an image processing board 21.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a signal input to any one of pins 52-1 to 52-62 of the connector 51 or a signal output from any of the pins 52-1 to 52-62.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating terminals as signal lines of the PC card 2.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a signal input to one of terminals 61-1 to 61-68 of the PC card 2, or a signal output from one of the terminals.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a personal computer 1 on which an image processing board 21 is mounted.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 personal computer, 2 PC card, 3
Keyboard, 4 mice, 5 monitors, 12 C
D-ROM drive, 13 floppy disk drive, 21 image processing board, 31 motherboard, 41 CPU, 42-1 to 42-3 RA
M, 43-1 to 43-4, expansion slot, 51
Connector, 52-1 to 52-62 pin, 61-
1 to 61-68 terminals, 71 ROM, 72 host bus, 73 bridge, 74 external bus, 7
5 interfaces, 76 HDD

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A connection device for connecting an information processing device and a predetermined device, wherein a first connection for connecting a signal line of the device detachable from a front surface of the information processing device and a signal line of the device itself. Means, second connection means inserted into a predetermined slot for function expansion of the information processing device, and connecting a signal line of the information processing device to a signal line of the information processing device; Fixing means for fixing the second connecting means. 2. The connection device according to claim 1, wherein the device is a PC card.