Techniques for dynamically modifying platform form factors of a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10628367-B2
Application number	US-201615393204-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2016
Priority date	Dec 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

Examples include techniques for dynamically modifying a platform form factor of a mobile device. In some examples, a system may include a split memory array having a first memory within a docking system and a second memory element within a small form factor (SFF) mobile device. A platform form factor determination component may dynamically select between multiple platform form factors based on a determination that the SFF mobile device is coupled with the docking system. An interface logic component may access the first memory storage of the docking system during a memory (e.g., graphics) computation when the mobile device is physically and electrically/communicably coupled with the docking system to allow the SFF mobile device to have full LFF functionality. When the SFF mobile device is disconnected from the docking system, the interface logic component may access only the second memory storage of the SFF mobile device to provide SFF functionality.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a docking system comprising:
first memory; and
a docking interface; and

a mobile device comprising:
a processor;
second memory;
an interface logic component to couple to the docking interface via a bus; and
a host interface, the host interface to:
determine whether the mobile device is physically coupled to the docking system,
determine whether the host interface is electrically coupled to the docking interface via the bus,
dynamically select a large form factor (LFF) display mode based on a determination that the mobile device is physically coupled with the docking system and a determination that the host interface is electrically coupled to the docking interface via the bus,
receive a docking indication from the docking interface,
send, responsive to the docking indication, a control signal to the docking interface, the control signal comprising an indication to
access both the first memory of the docking system and the second memory of the mobile device during a graphics computation during the LFF display mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , the host interface to:
determine whether the mobile device has become physically and electrically disconnected from the docking system; and
change the display mode of the mobile device from the LFF display mode to a small form factor (SFF) display mode responsive to a determination that the mobile device has become physically and electrically disconnected from the docking system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the mobile device is a SFF mobile device.

4. The system of claim 2 , the host interface to perform a second graphics computation, during the SFF display mode using only the first memory of the mobile device.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a connector providing physical and electrical coupling between the mobile device and the docking system, wherein the connector includes:
a first connector element coupled with a printed circuit board of the mobile device; and
a second connector element extending from the docking system to matingly receive the first connector element.

6. The system of claim 5 , the connector being a card edge-type connector.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:
determining, at a mobile device, whether the mobile device is physically coupled to a docking system, the docking system comprising first memory storage and a docking interface, the mobile device comprising second memory storage and a host interface;
determine whether the host interface of the mobile device is electrically coupled to the docking interface via a bus;
dynamically selecting a large form factor (LFF) display mode based on a determination that the mobile device is physically coupled with the docking system and a determination that the host interface is electrically coupled to the docking interface via the bus;
receiving, at the mobile device, a docking indication from the docking interface; and
sending, responsive to the docking indication, a control signal to the docking interface, the control signal comprising an indication to access both the first memory storage of the docking system and the second memory storage of the mobile device during a graphics computation during the LFF display mode.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising changing a display mode of the mobile device from the LFF display mode to a small form factor (SFF) display mode when the mobile device is no longer physically and electrically coupled with the docking system.

9. The method of claim 8 , comprising performing a second graphics computation, during the SFF display mode using only the first memory storage of the mobile device.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a processor of a mobile device;
an interface to couple to a docking interface of a docking system, the docking system comprising docking memory storage and the docking interface; and
first memory storage, the first memory storage comprising instructions executable by the processor, which when executed cause the processor to:
determine whether the mobile device is physically coupled to the docking system,
determine whether the interface is electrically coupled to the docking interface via a bus,
dynamically select a large form factor (LFF) display mode based on a determination that the mobile device is physically coupled with the docking system and a determination that the interface is electrically coupled to the docking interface via the bus,
receive a docking indication from the docking interface,
send, responsive to the docking indication, a control signal to the docking interface, the control signal comprising an indication to access both the first memory storage of the mobile device and the docking memory storage of the docking system during a graphics computation during the LFF display mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to change a display mode of the mobile device from the LFF display mode to a small form factor (SFF) display mode in response to the mobile device no longer being physically and electrically coupled with the docking system.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform a second graphics computation, during the SFF display mode using only the first memory storage of the mobile device.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a connector providing physical and electrical coupling between the mobile device and the docking system.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the connector is a card edge-type connector.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising a display, a battery, and a radio.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , comprising at least one sensor.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Rahal-Arabi Tawfik M
• Sethi Prashant
• Constantine Anthony M
• Shiao Yu-Liang
• Yen Chang-Wu

Classifications

• G06F13/4081 Primary

  Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging (current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004) · CPC title

• G06F13/1668

  Details of memory controller · CPC title