Patent ID: 6138194
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
An apparatus for removing connections to a bus card in a computer system when the bus card is inadvertently removed from the computer system while the computer system is operating, comprising:a bus connector, for receiving the bus card;a power conductor coupled to the bus connector, to provide an electrical coupling between the bus card and a power source;a power switch coupled between the power conductor and the bus connector, to selectively provide power to the bus card in the bus connector;a movement sensor positioned to be in communication with the bus card when the bus card is mounted in the bus connector, for sensing a movement of the bus card from the bus connector; anda controller coupled between the movement sensor and the power switch, for activating the power switch to remove power from the bus card when the movement sensor detects the movement of the bus card from the bus connector;wherein the controller is configured to detect an insertion of a new bus card into the bus connector by monitoring the movement sensor, and to reset the new bus card upon detection of the insertion; andwherein the controller is configured to save a state from the bus card to the computer system before removing power from the bus card, and to reset the new bus card by restoring the state from the computer system to the new bus card.