Abstract:
An adapter module is described. The adapter module includes a circuit board, a first socket and an adapter device. One face of the first socket is electrically connected to the circuit board on the first face of the circuit. The other face of the first socket connects to a first central processing unit (CPU). One face of the adapter base is electrically connected to the circuit board on the second face of the circuit board. The other face of the adapter base connects to a second socket. The circuit board sends signals from the second socket, through the adapter base and the first socket, to the first CPU. When the adapter base is not connected to the second socket, the second socket is capable of connecting to a second kind of CPU.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application is based on, and claims priority from, Taiwan Application Serial Number 94102783, filed Jan. 28, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to an adapter module, and more particularly, relates to an adapter module that is capable of connecting different types of central processing unit (CPU). 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Traditionally, a CPU is exclusively designed for use in either a motherboard of a desktop computer or in a laptop computer. The pin assignments and the working voltages of these two types of CPU are different; thus the two types are not interchangeable. 
   Compared to that of a desktop computer, the CPU of a laptop computer has several advantages, such as being smaller, quieter, saving more power, generating less heat and requiring a smaller fan for heat dissipation. 
   If a desktop computer was capable of utilizing a CPU originally used for the laptop computer, the volume of the desktop computer could be reduced and the noise and heat generated during operation could be minimized. However, the prior art desktop computer has no suitable device available for incorporating the laptop computer CPU. 
   Therefore, it is desirable to provide a suitable adapter module and a motherboard capable of utilizing these two types of CPU. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   In one aspect, the present invention provides an adapter card that can make a desktop computer capable of utilizing a laptop computer CPU. 
   In another aspect, the present invention provides an adapter module and a motherboard that can make a desktop computer to have the advantages of being quieter, saving more power, generating less heat, saving space, and dispersing heat more efficiently. 
   In yet another aspect, the present invention provides an adapter module and a motherboard that can reduce the rotating speed of the heat dissipation fan of a desktop computer to save power and reduce the noise generated by the fan. 
   According to the aspects of the present invention, an exemplary adapter module is provided for a motherboard that has a second socket. The second socket has a plurality of pin terminals for a second CPU engaged thereon. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adapter module comprises a circuit board, a first socket and an adapter device. The circuit board has a plurality of circuits that can transfer electrical signals from the first surface of the circuit board to the second surface thereof. The first socket having a plurality of pin terminals for a first CPU engaged thereon is electrically connected to the first surface of the circuit board, wherein the pin assignment of the first CPU is different from the second CPU. One surface of the adapter base is electrically connected to the second face of the circuit board. The other surface of the adapter base is engaged on a second socket to transfer a signal that is accepted by the second socket to the first CPU through the adapter device, the circuit board and the first socket sequentially. 
   When the adapter base is not connected with the second socket, the second socket is connected with the first CPU. 
   According to the aspects of the present invention, an exemplary motherboard capable of utilizing various types of CPU is provided. In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the motherboard comprises a major circuit board, a second socket and an adapter module. 
   The second socket connected with the major circuit board has a plurality of pin terminals for connecting to a second CPU. The adapter module comprises an adapter circuit board, a first socket and an adapter device. The adapter circuit board has a plurality of circuits that can transfer electrical signals from the first surface of the adapter circuit board to the second surface thereof. The first socket having a plurality of pin terminals for connecting a first CPU is electrically connected with the first surface of the adapter circuit board, wherein the pin assignment of the first CPU is different from the second CPU. One face of the adapter base is electrically connected to the second face of the adapter circuit board. The other face of the adapter base connects a second socket to transfer a signal that is accepted by the second socket to the first CPU through the adapter device, the adapter circuit board and the first socket sequentially. 
   When the adapter base is not connected with the second socket, the second socket is used to connect the first CPU. 
   The advantages of the present invention are listed as follows, wherein each embodiment may include one or more advantages rather than all of them. The adapter module of the present invention can make a desktop computer capable of utilizing a CPU that is originally used in a laptop computer. In addition, the use of the adapter module and the motherboard of the present invention can provide a desktop computer the advantages that a laptop computer possesses, such as being quieter, saving more power, generating less heat, saving space and dispersing heat more efficiently. Furthermore, the adapter module and the motherboard of the present invention can reduce the rotating speed of the heat dissipation fan of a desktop computer to save power and reduce the noise generated by the fan. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1A  is a side view of an adapter module in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 1B  is a side view of a second socket connected with a second CPU in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross-sectional views of different types of circuit board with a plurality of through-holes, in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a side view of the adapter module in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 4  is a functional diagram illustrating the functions of the adapter module, in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 1A  is a side view of the adapter module in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. The adapter module  100  comprises a circuit board  102 , a first socket  104  and an adapter base  106 . The circuit board  102  has a plurality of through-holes, wherein the first surface  110  of the circuit board  102  electrically connects with the second surface  116  thereof via a plurality of circuits through these through-holes. 
   One surface of the first socket  104  and the first surface  110  of the circuit board  102  are connected by a first ball grid array (BGA)  108 . The other surface  112  of the first socket  104  connects to a first CPU  114 . A second BGA  117  connects one surface of the adapter base  106  with the second surface  116  of the circuit board  102 , and a second socket connects to the other surface of the adapter base  106 . It should be appreciated that the first BGA  108  and the second BGA  117  are just illustrative; any other interface used for electrical connection may be applied in the embodiments of the present invention. A signal is transferred from the second socket  118  to the first CPU  114  through the adapter base  106 , the circuit board  102  and the first socket  104  sequentially 
     FIG. 1B  is a side view of the second socket  118  connected with a second CPU  120  in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention. When the adapter base  106  is not connected with the second socket  118  in  FIG. 1A , the second socket  118  is used to connect to a second CPU  120  in  FIG. 1B , wherein the pin assignment of the first CPU  114  is different from the pin assignment of the second CPU  120 . 
   Thus, although the second socket  118  is originally designed exclusively for the second CPU  120  (as shown in  FIG. 1B ), it is made available for the first CPU  114  (as shown in  FIG. 1A ) via the adapter module  100 . Therefore, the design of the adapter module  100  can make the desktop computer capable of utilizing the laptop computer CPU that has different pin assignments with the desktop CPU. In some embodiments of the present invention, the circuit board  102  is called an adapter card. 
   In the present embodiment, the first CPU  114  is a CPU used for a laptop computer and the second CPU  120  is a CPU used for a desktop computer. For example, the first CPU  114  is an Intel® Centrino™ CPU provided by Intel Corporation and exclusively designed for a laptop computer; and the second CPU  120  is an Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU provided by Intel Corporation and exclusively designed for a desktop computer. 
   Since a CPU designed for laptop computer is usually smaller and requires less working voltage, so that less heat is generated during operation and requires a smaller fan for dispersing heat. Therefore, the use of the CPU is suitable for minimizing the size of a desktop computer. 
   For example, in the present embodiment, the Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU has 478 pins, and the Intel® Centrino™ CPU has 479 pins. Furthermore, the pin assignments of these two types of CPUs are different. It is desirable to provide a circuit board  102  for signal routing between these two types of CPUs, so that the Intel® Centrino™ CPU can be connected with the socket that is exclusively designed for the Intel® Pentium® 4 CPU. 
   Since the working voltage of a laptop computer CPU is different from the working voltage of a desktop computer CPU, the desktop computer needs a transforming circuit to transform the working voltage of a desktop computer CPU  120  into a voltage required for a laptop computer CPU  114 . 
   Typically, a CPU provides a voltage-identification (VID) to its motherboard for applying a suitable working voltage during operation. The transforming circuit can thus include a built-in function to transform the VID provided by the first CPU  114  into the VID that is identifiable for the motherboard ordinarily supporting the second CPU  120 . Then, the motherboard can provide the first CPU  114  with a suitable working voltage, wherein the transforming circuit has a built-in voltage identification-transforming sheet by which the VID is transformed. 
   In the present embodiment, the transforming circuit is a programmable logic device (PLD). In some other embodiments, the transforming circuit can be a switch or a jumper. 
     FIGS. 2A and 2B  are cross-sectional views of different types of circuit board  102  with a plurality of through-holes  202 , in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2A , circuits that run through the through-holes  202  connect the first socket  104  with the adapter base  106 . For example, the first contact  204  connects with the second contact  206  via the shortest circuits that run through the through-hole  202 . 
   Since the pins of the first socket  104  are not aligned with the adapter base  106 , the regions where the BGAs are formed on the first surface  110  and the second surface  116  of the circuit board  102  must provide some space for the through-holes  202  which allow passage of the circuits. However, the through-holes  202  formed in the BGA regions may make the first surface  110  and the second surface  116  of the circuit board  102  to be too narrow to allow the circuits routing thereon. An alternative circuit board is provided to resolve the problems aforementioned. 
   Referring to  FIG. 2B , the through-holes  202  are formed outside of the BGA regions (for setting the first BGA  108  and the second BGA  117 ), such that the first surface  110  and the second surface  116  of the circuit board  102  have enough space to allow the circuits routing thereon, wherein the circuits connect the first socket  104  and the adapter base  106  through the through-holes  202 . 
     FIG. 3  is a side view of the adapter module in accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein a heat dispersion module  302  having a fan  304  is applied on the adapter module  100 . Because the first CPU  114  used for a laptop computer generates less heat than the second CPU  120  used for the desktop computer, the fan  304  requires less power and generates less noise. It should be noticed that the heat dispersion module  302  must be suitable for the thickness sum of the adapter module  100  and the first CPU  114 . In addition, the circuit board  102  of the adapter module  100  should be smaller than a heat sink that is arranged with the second socket  118 , so that there is enough space between the heat dispersion module  302  and the main board  306  to retain the adapter module  100  there between. 
   Besides the working voltage received via the adapter base  106 , the first CPU  114  may require additional power. In one embodiment of the present invention, the adapter module  100  further comprises a power socket  308  to receive an outer power source. A regulator is further involved to transform the voltage of the outer power source to supply the first CPU with a specific working voltage. 
     FIG. 4  is a functional diagram illustrating the functions of the adapter module  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In  FIG. 4 , the motherboard has a chipset  402  designed for a desktop computer, a working voltage generator, and a regulator  404 . When the first CPU  114  sends a VID  406  (that complies with the IVMP standard) to the first socket  104 , the VID  406  is transferred to a PLD  408 . 
   Subsequently, the VID  406  is transformed into another VID  410  that complies with the VRM10.1 standard. The VID  410  is then transferred to the working voltage generator and the regulator  404  to generate a suitable working voltage  412  for the first CPU  114 . Finally, the working voltage  412  is transferred to the first CPU  114  via the second socket  118 , the adapter base  106  and the first socket  104  sequentially. 
   In contrast, a signal sent from the chipset  402  can be transferred through the bus  414  to the second socket  118  and then transmitted through the bus  416 , the adapter base  106 , the routed circuit  418 , the first socket  104  and the bus  420  to the first CPU  114  sequentially. Similarly, the signal sent from the first CPU  114  can also be transferred to the second socket  118  via the same route. 
   When the first CPU  114  needs additional power, an additional power may be provided by an external power source  426 , wherein the external power source  426  is regulated and directed into the first socket  104  via the regulator  422  and then directed into the first CPU  114  after being regulated. 
   The adapter module  100  may be configured with the main board  306  to form a motherboard  310  which can provide new options for consumers and system builders. That is, consumers and system builder can choose from various types of CPU for their main board  306  depending on their requirements, such as volume, power and noise generation. 
   According to the description of the preferred embodiments, the adapter module  100  provides the following advantages. It should be noticed that every embodiment has at least one advantage and not necessarily all of them. The adaptor module  100  of the present invention can make a CPU that is designed for a laptop computer available for a desktop computer. In addition, the adapter module and the motherboard of the present invention can make a desktop computer to have the advantages of a laptop computer, such as being quieter, saving more power, generating less heat, saving space and dissipating heat highly efficiently. Furthermore, the adapter module and the motherboard of the present invention can reduce the rotating speed of the heat dissipation fan of a desktop computer to save power and reduce the noise generated by the fan. 
   As is understood by a person skilled in the art, the foregoing preferred embodiments of the present invention are illustrated of the present invention rather than limiting of the present invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structure.