Abstract: A desktop computer is provided with an expansion card/riser card module which includes a housing within which a riser card and a plurality of associated expansion cards are removably supported and electrically coupled to one another. The module, and thus the riser and expansion cards it carries, may be quickly and operatively coupled to the computer motherboard simply by pushing the module housing downwardly onto the board in a manner matingly inserting a connection edge portion of the housing-supported riser card into a corresponding motherboard connection socket. The module may be quickly removed from the motherboard simply by pulling upwardly on the module to disconnect the riser card from the motherboard socket. In an alternate embodiment of the module, this disconnection is facilitated by a leveraged removal latch structure carried by the module housing and forcibly engageable with the motherboard to lift the module upwardly therefrom.

Abstract: A partitioned sign panel for billboards is provided by utilizing structural foam (high impact polystyrene) to form a 4'.times.7' rectangular sign panel. The sign panel includes raised ribs for support, double raised ribs for support and for use as cutting guides during construction of sign faces, clip channels which allow for placement of mechanical clips to connect the sides of two sign panels together, and extension ribs and slots for connecting the ends of two sign panels together.

Abstract: A resilient heat sink clip has a pair of legs joined together at one end by an acruate member. The other ends of the legs each terminate in a hook. The arcuate member bears against a heat sink while pressing it into thermal contact with an electronic device package to conduct heat into the heat sink and then into the atmosphere.

Abstract: A portable computer battery charger has a hollow housing which is supportable on a generally horizontal surface and has a power wiring board horizontally disposed within a bottom portion thereof beneath a depending pair of vertically tilted, open-topped wells formed in the top wall of the housing. The power wiring board is adapted to receive electrical charging energy from a source thereof, and has a plurality of resilient metal clip members electrically connected thereto and projecting upwardly through bottom end openings in the wells. To charge a pair of elongated portable computer batteries charging ends thereof are placed in the wells which support the batteries in a vertically tilted orientation in which major longitudinal portions of the batteries project upwardly beyond the top side of the housing.

Abstract: A computer system includes an accessible memory controller, an accessible cache controller, and circuitry for accessing the accessible memory controller and the accessible cache controller simultaneously. Certain preferred embodiments of the present invention also include a deassertable miss line, that is, a line which when deasserted indicates that the data was found in the cache and that the memory access should be cancelled.

Abstract: A sheet metal support cage structure within a computer has an inturned side wall ledge portion and removably receives a spaced series of expansion cards. Extending along edge portions of the cards that face the ledge are sheet metal mounting brackets having outwardly bent end tab portions that overlie and engage the side wall ledge. The tabs are removably held in place on the ledge by an elongated hold-down bar secured at an inner end thereof to the cage structure for pivotal movement relative thereto between a closed position in which the bar overlies the tabs and captively retains them on the ledge, thereby locking the expansion cards in place within the cage structure, and an opened position in which the bar is moved away from the tabs and releases them from the ledge to permit the expansion cards to be removed from the cage structure.

Abstract: A docking station structure is used to operatively connect a notebook computer to desktop computer peripheral devices. The docking station has an internal receiving chamber into which the portable computer may be manually inserted, an electrical connector positioned within the receiving chamber, a travel plate movably carried within the receiving chamber, a motorized drive system operative to drive the travel plate toward and away from the electrical connector, and a latch structure carried by the travel plate for movement therewith. With the travel plate in a wait position thereof, the portable computer is rearwardly inserted into the receiving chamber. In response to such insertion, the latch structure automatically locks the computer to the travel plate, and the drive system rearwardly moves the travel plate to mate the electrical connector with a corresponding connector on the computer, thereby operatively linking the computer to the peripheral devices.

Abstract: A battery-powered lap-top computer has a main battery for ordinarily supplying power to the computer circuitry. A reserve battery is connected through a manual switch to the circuitry. When the main battery starts to lose its charge, the manual switch is operated to connect the reserve battery to the circuitry prior to removal of the main battery. A new main battery is installed and the switch is operated to disconnect the reserve battery from the circuitry. Provision is made for the main battery to slowly charge the reserve battery.

Abstract: A cable leakage detection system to be placed in a moving vehicle for monitoring signal leakages in a cable television plant whereby an RF detection meter is combined with a global positioning system and a computer control unit to measure radio frequency signal strength, while maintaining the corrected distance between the vehicle and the source of the leak, determine longitude and latitude of the measured signal strength, and store the signal strength, longitude and latitude in data files.

Abstract: A computer system with self-describing feature table, accessible by device drivers. Thus a simple process can access these feature tables to fully customize the device drivers at installation, or at boot; or the device driver can branch on the data in the feature table. Thus, a new degree of flexibility is achieved without degrading performance.

Abstract: A cache subsystem for a computer system which includes a cache memory and a cache control means. When the processor subsystem of the computer system requests data, information related to the location of the data within the memory subsystem of the computer is input to the cache subsystem. The control means receives an address bus bit field and transmits control signals which vary depending on the received address bus bit field to the cache memory to look for the requested data. The address bus bit field is configured based upon the dimensions of the cache memory and includes information as to where the data would be stored within the cache memory. As different cache memories are of different dimensions, means for modifying the address bus bit field generated by the cache control means based on the dimensions of the cache memory are provided so that the cache subsystem may be readily configured to operate with different sized cache memories.

Abstract: A digital computer having a dual path memory retrieval system for a dynamic RAM memory unit comprised of any number of interleaved memory banks. The system includes means for asserting and deasserting an access signal to specified locations of the interleaved memory banks, a multiplexer having a pair of input channels for each memory bank and a pair of data paths from the output of each memory bank to the corresponding input channels of the multiplexer. The first data path is a direct path between the memory bank and a first one of the pair of input channels and the second data path is a latched path between the memory bank and a second one of the pair of input channels.

Abstract: A delay line within an integrated circuit and calibrated by an external time period (calibration clock). The speed of devices in the integrated circuit is assessed using the calibration clock, and this speed then controls how many delay cells within the delay line an input must traverse to trigger the delayed output.

Abstract: A memory circuit for use in a data processing system is accessed by address signals and includes interconnection circuitry for at least one memory module. The memory circuit further includes an address buffer for transmitting the address signals to the interconnection circuits if and only if the at least one memory module is present. A line interconnects the output enable pin of an address buffer to a grounded PRESENT (PRES) pin on a (single in-line memory module (SIMM) when it is installed in a socket. The line to the address buffer enable pin includes a pull-up resistor portion so that the address buffer is disabled unless a SIMM is connected to the socket.

Abstract: A computer system which is reconfigurable to provide separate ergonomically advantageous positions for keyboard input and for stylus input. A primary system chassis contains a bay in its underside where a detachable keyboard can be stored. For one-hand stylus input, the keyboard is left in its bay while the display is mounted flat on top of the system chassis. For keyboard input, the keyboard is mounted on the system chassis, and the display is supported at an angle which makes it easily visible to a user typing on the keyboard.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for a computer system to rapidly access at least two IDE disk drives. Use of standard forty pin connectors and forty wire ribbon cable having certain pairs of wires uniquely twisted so as to allow the system to independently access the IDE drives.

Abstract: A digital computer system has a lock hold-down assembly for security. The assembly is secured at a standard expansion card slot in the computer unit, and includes a bracket mounted inside the unit, accessible through the slot. In the preferred embodiment, the bracket has an integral flange with an aperture therethrough and a plurality of tabs. A cover member has a plurality of hooks for engaging the plurality of tabs through the slot. The cover member also has a cable enclosure through which the power cable and peripheral cables may be run. The cover member further has an integral flange with an aperture therethrough. A lock is placed through both apertures, thereby securing the unit and cables to the lock. The lock is anchored as desired.

Abstract: To reduce the electro-magnetic interference (EMI) of a digital computer, the EMI contact of this invention is snapped into place in the chassis of the computer and the cover for the computer is then placed over the chassis with the contact surfaces of the EMI contact firmly engaging the cover to provide grounding between the cover and the chassis, thereby reducing EMI.