Computing device with handheld and extended computing units

Abstract

A computing device includes a handheld computing unit and an extended computing unit. The handheld computing unit includes a handheld processing module, handheld main memory, a baseband processing module, an RF section, handheld I/O components, a handheld bus structure, and a handheld connection structure. The extended computing unit includes an extended processing module, extended main memory, a memory controller, an I/O controller, extended I/O components, an extended bus structure, and an extended connection structure. The handheld and extended processing modules function as a multiprocessing module and the handheld and extended main memories function as combined main memory when the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode. The extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active when the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode.

1 . A computing device comprises:
 a handheld computing unit that includes:
 a handheld processing module; 
 handheld main memory; 
 a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data; 
 a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; 
 handheld input/output (I/O) components; 
 a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, and the handheld I/O components; 
 a handheld connection structure coupled to one or more of: the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the handheld bus structure, and at least one of the handheld I/O components; and 
   an extended computing unit that includes:
 an extended processing module; 
 extended main memory; 
 a memory controller; 
 an I/O controller; 
 extended I/O components coupled to the I/O controller; 
 an extended bus structure coupled to the extended processing module, the extended main memory, the extended memory controller, and the I/O controller; 
 an extended connection structure coupled to one or more of: the memory controller, the I/O controller, and the extended bus structure, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode where the handheld and extended processing modules function as a multiprocessing module and the handheld and extended main memories function as combined main memory and, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is not coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode where the extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active. 
   
   
   
       2 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprises:
 the handheld I/O components including:
 one or more handheld block I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller; and 
 one or more character I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller, wherein the one or more character I/O devices are disabled when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode and enabled when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode; and 
   the extended I/O components including:
 one or more extended block I/O devices; and 
 one or more extended character I/O devices, wherein at least one of the one or more extended block I/O devices and at least one of the one or more handheld block I/O devices provide a combined block I/O device when the handheld device is in the docked mode and wherein the one or more extended character I/O devices are active when the handheld devices is in the docked mode. 
   
   
   
       3 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the baseband processing module and RF section function to provide one or more of:
 wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity; and   cellular telephone connectivity.   
   
   
       4 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprises:
 the handheld computing unit further includes a clock generator that generates a master clock and one or more handheld clock signals for the handheld computing unit; and   the extended computing unit includes a slave clock that generates, from the master clock, one or more extended clock signals for the extended computing unit.   
   
   
       5 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprises:
 the extended computing unit including:
 an extended baseband processing module coupled to the memory controller and the I/O controller; and 
 an extended RF section, wherein the extended baseband processing module and extended RF section directly communicates wirelessly with the RF section and the baseband processing module of the handheld computing unit when the handheld and extended connection structures are not coupled such that the handheld computing unit is in a quasi docked mode, and wherein, when the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode, the memory controller and the I/O controller facilitate access of at least one of the extended main memory and an extended block I/O device of the extended I/O components by the handheld computing unit. 
   
   
   
       6 . The computing device of  claim 1 , wherein the handheld computing unit comprises:
 a read only memory (ROM) that stores basic input/output system (BIOS), wherein the handheld computing unit is booted and rebooted in accordance with the BIOS when in the remote mode, and the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit are booted as a combined unit when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode.   
   
   
       7 . A computing device comprises:
 a handheld computing unit that includes:
 a handheld processing module; 
 handheld main memory; 
 a memory controller; 
 a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data; 
 a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; 
 handheld input/output (I/O) components; 
 a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, the memory controller, and the handheld I/O components; 
 a handheld connection structure coupled to the memory controller; and 
   an extended computing unit that includes:
 an extended processing module; 
 extended main memory; 
 an I/O controller; 
 extended I/O components coupled to the I/O controller; 
 an extended bus structure coupled to the extended processing module, the extended main memory, the extended memory controller, and the I/O controller; 
 an extended connection structure coupled to one or more of: the I/O controller, the extended processing module, and the extended main memory, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode where the memory controller communicates with the handheld and extended processing modules as a multiprocessing module and communicates with the handheld and extended main memories function as a combined main memory and, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is not coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode where the extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active. 
   
   
   
       8 . The computing device of  claim 7  further comprises:
 when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, the memory controller controls communication with the handheld processing module and handheld main memory.   
   
   
       9 . The computing device of  claim 7  further comprises:
 when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode, the memory controller is in active, wherein communication with the handheld processing module and handheld main memory occur via the handheld bus structure.   
   
   
       10 . The computing device of  claim 7  further comprises:
 the handheld I/O components including:
 one or more handheld block I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller; and 
 one or more character I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller, wherein the one or more character I/O devices are disabled when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode and enabled when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode; and 
   the extended I/O components including:
 one or more extended block I/O devices; and 
 one or more extended character I/O devices, wherein at least one of the one or more extended block I/O devices and at least one of the one or more handheld block I/O devices provide a combined block I/O device when the handheld device is in the docked mode and wherein the one or more extended character I/O devices are active when the handheld devices is in the docked mode. 
   
   
   
       11 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the baseband processing module and RF section function to provide one or more of:
 wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity; and   cellular telephone connectivity.   
   
   
       12 . The computing device of  claim 7  further comprises:
 the handheld computing unit further includes a clock generator that generates a master clock and one or more handheld clock signals for the handheld computing unit; and   the extended computing unit includes a slave clock that generates, from the master clock, one or more extended clock signals for the extended computing unit.   
   
   
       13 . The computing device of  claim 7  further comprises:
 the extended computing unit including:
 an extended baseband processing module coupled to the memory controller and the I/O controller; and 
 an extended RF section, wherein the extended baseband processing module and extended RF section directly communicates wirelessly with the RF section and the baseband processing module of the handheld computing unit when the handheld and extended connection structures are not coupled such that the handheld computing unit is in a quasi docked mode, and wherein, when the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode, the memory controller and the I/O controller facilitate access of at least one of the extended main memory and an extended block I/O device of the extended I/O components by the handheld computing unit. 
   
   
   
       14 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the handheld computing unit comprises:
 a read only memory (ROM) that stores basic input/output system (BIOS), wherein the handheld computing unit is booted in accordance with the BIOS when in the remote mode, and the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit are booted as a combined unit when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode.   
   
   
       15 . A computing device comprises:
 a handheld computing unit that includes:
 a handheld processing module; 
 handheld main memory; 
 a memory controller; 
 a baseband processing module coupled to convert outbound data into an outbound symbol stream and to convert an inbound symbol stream into inbound data; 
 a radio frequency (RF) section coupled to convert the outbound symbol stream into an outbound RF signal and to convert an inbound RF signal into the inbound symbol stream; 
 handheld input/output (I/O) components; 
 a handheld bus structure coupled to the handheld processing module, the handheld main memory, the baseband processing module, the memory controller, and the handheld I/O components; 
 a handheld connection structure coupled to the handheld bus structure; and 
   an extended computing unit that includes:
 an extended processing module; 
 extended main memory; 
 an I/O controller; 
 extended I/O components coupled to the I/O controller; 
 an extended bus structure coupled to the extended processing module, the extended main memory, the extended memory controller, and the I/O controller; 
 an extended connection structure coupled to the extended bus structure, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a docked mode where the memory controller communicates with the handheld and extended processing modules as a multiprocessing module and communicates with the handheld and extended main memories function as a combined main memory and, wherein, when the handheld connection structure is not coupled to the extended connection structure, the handheld computing unit is in a remote mode where the extended computing unit is inactive and the handheld processing module and the handheld main memory are active. 
   
   
   
       16 . The computing device of  claim 15  further comprises:
 the handheld I/O components including:
 one or more handheld block I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller; and 
 one or more character I/O devices coupled to the I/O controller, wherein the one or more character I/O devices are disabled when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode and enabled when the handheld computing unit is in the remote mode; and 
   the extended I/O components including:
 one or more extended block I/O devices; and 
 one or more extended character I/O devices, wherein at least one of the one or more extended block I/O devices and at least one of the one or more handheld block I/O devices provide a combined block I/O device when the handheld device is in the docked mode and wherein the one or more extended character I/O devices are active when the handheld devices is in the docked mode. 
   
   
   
       17 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the baseband processing module and RF section function to provide one or more of:
 wireless local area network (WLAN) connectivity; and   cellular telephone connectivity.   
   
   
       18 . The computing device of  claim 15  further comprises:
 the handheld computing unit further includes a clock generator that generates a master clock and one or more handheld clock signals for the handheld computing unit; and   the extended computing unit includes a slave clock that generates, from the master clock, one or more extended clock signals for the extended computing unit.   
   
   
       19 . The computing device of  claim 15  further comprises:
 the extended computing unit including:
 an extended baseband processing module coupled to the memory controller and the I/O controller; and 
 an extended RF section, wherein the extended baseband processing module and extended RF section directly communicates wirelessly with the RF section and the baseband processing module of the handheld computing unit when the handheld and extended connection structures are not coupled such that the handheld computing unit is in a quasi docked mode, and wherein, when the handheld computing unit is in the quasi docked mode, the memory controller and the I/O controller facilitate access of at least one of the extended main memory and an extended block I/O device of the extended I/O components by the handheld computing unit. 
   
   
   
       20 . The computing device of  claim 15 , wherein the handheld computing unit comprises:
 a read only memory (ROM) that stores basic input/output system (BIOS), wherein the handheld computing unit is booted in accordance with the BIOS when in the remote mode, and the handheld computing unit and the extended computing unit are booted as a combined unit when the handheld computing unit is in the docked mode.