[54] USER-REMOVABLE CENTRAL
PROCESSING UNIT CARD FOR AN
ELECTRICAL DEVICE
[75] Inventor: Sherman Lee, Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
[73] Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.,
Sunnyvale. Calif.
[21] Appl. No.: 489,864
[22] Filed: Jun. 13,1995
[51] Int Cl.6 HOU 13/00
[52] U.S. Cl 395/282; 395/281; 395/283;
395/306; 395/309; 395/500; 395/527
[58] Field of Search 395/281, 282,
395/283, 306. 308, 309, 500, 828, 830, 831, 835. 836. 800
[56] References Cited
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
Adanetal 395/500
Lu et al 395/500
Bealkowski et al 395/700
Baqaietal 395/800
Dhueyetal 395/282
Sangveraphunxm 361/686
Fletcher etal 395/283
Chuangetal 395/500
Versepnt et al 364/514 R
Meyerson et al 395/282
Henrnan 395/283
Rotier et al 395/282
Parks et at 395/282
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
A user-removable CPU card includes a microprocessor and a bus bridge memory controller that allows the use of the microprocessor as a central processing unit of an electrical device (e.g. notebook PC or desktop PC). The userremovable CPU card includes a first connector that can be detachably coupled to a second connector in the electrical device, when the user-removable CPU card is inserted through an opening of the electrical device. When the electrical device is powered up subsequent to such insertion, the microprocessor on the user-removable CPU card functions as the central processing unit. Inclusion of a central processing unit of a computing device on a user-removable CPU card allows easy replacement of the CPU. for example, by simply opening a door and operating an eject mechanism, without disassembly of the housing. Therefore, a user can upgrade to a new central processing unit by simply ejecting a previously inserted user-removable CPU card and inserting a new user-removable CPU card, as easily as switching diskettes in the prior art (except for powering up the electrical device after such switching).
15 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets
