Direct interfacing of an external graphics card to a data processing device at a motherboard-level

A method includes providing an Input/Output (I/O) interface at a periphery of a motherboard of a data processing device, and providing traces between a processor of the data processing device and the I/O interface across a surface of the motherboard. The traces provide conductive pathways between circuits of the processor and the I/O interface. The method also includes exposing the I/O interface through an external cosmetic surface of the data processing device in an assembled state thereof by way of a port complementary to that of a port of an external graphics card to enable direct coupling of the external graphics card to the data processing device through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through the data processing device.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This disclosure relates generally to data processing devices and, more particularly, to direct interfacing of an external graphics card to a data processing device at a motherboard-level.

BACKGROUND

A data processing device (e.g., a personal computer, a laptop computer, a notebook, a netbook, an ultrabook, a mobile device such as a mobile phone) may be limited in processing capability by a processor (e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU)) thereof. In order to boost processing capability (e.g., graphics capability), a user of the data processing device may have to make a motherboard level modification in hardware in order to accommodate an auxiliary processor (e.g., a graphics processor in a graphics card) by providing, for example, an expansion slot such as a Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) interface and an Advanced Graphics Port (AGP). Even when the aforementioned expansion slot is provided in the motherboard, the user (or, service personnel) may have to manually disassemble the data processing device to replace the auxiliary processor when required.

SUMMARY

Disclosed are a method, a device and/or a system of direct interfacing of an external graphics card to a data processing device at a motherboard-level.

In one aspect, a method includes providing an Input/Output (I/O) interface at a periphery of a motherboard of a data processing device, and providing traces between a processor of the data processing device and the I/O interface across a surface of the motherboard. The traces provide conductive pathways between circuits of the processor and the I/O interface. The method also includes exposing the I/O interface through an external cosmetic surface of the data processing device in an assembled state thereof by way of a port complementary to that of a port of an external graphics card to enable direct coupling of the external graphics card to the data processing device through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through the data processing device.

In another aspect, a data processing device includes a motherboard including a processor thereon, and an I/O interface at a periphery of the motherboard. The motherboard further includes traces between the processor and the I/O interface across a surface thereof to provide conductive pathways between circuits of the processor and the I/O interface. The I/O interface is exposed through an external cosmetic surface of the data processing device in an assembled state thereof by way of a port complementary to that of a port of an external graphics card to enable direct coupling of the external graphics card to the data processing device through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through the data processing device.

In yet another aspect, a system includes a data processing device, and a graphics card external to the data processing device. The data processing device includes a motherboard including a processor thereon, and an I/O interface at a periphery of the motherboard. The motherboard further includes traces between the processor and the I/O interface across a surface thereof to provide conductive pathways between circuits of the processor and the I/O interface. The I/O interface is exposed through an external cosmetic surface of the data processing device in an assembled state thereof by way of a port complementary to that of a port of the external graphics card to enable direct coupling of the external graphics card to the data processing device through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through the data processing device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments, as described below, may be used to provide a method, a device and/or a system of direct interfacing of an external graphics card to a data processing device at a motherboard-level. Although the present embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the various embodiments.

FIG. 1shows a data processing device100, according to one or more embodiments. An example data processing device100may include but is not limited to a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a netbook, an ultrabook, a tablet and a mobile device such as a mobile phone. In one or more embodiments, data processing device100may include a processor102(e.g., Central Processing Unit (CPU), Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)) communicatively coupled to a memory104, processor102being configured to address storage locations in memory104. In one or more embodiments, memory104may include a volatile memory (e.g., Random Access Memory (RAM)) and/or a non-volatile memory (e.g., Read-Only Memory (ROM), hard disk).

In one or more embodiments, output data associated with processing through processor102may be input to a multimedia processing unit126configured to perform encoding/decoding associated with the data. In one or more embodiments, the output of multimedia processing unit126may be rendered on a display unit110(e.g., Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) display, Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor) through a multimedia interface108configured to convert data to an appropriate format required by display unit110.

It is obvious that an operating system106may execute on data processing device100.FIG. 1shows operating system106as being stored in memory104(e.g., non-volatile memory). In one or more embodiments, a motherboard-level interface112coupled to processor102may be provided in data processing device100to enable coupling of an external graphics card180including an external processor182thereto. Here, external graphics card180may be interpreted as an Input/Output (I/O) device by processor102. For example, motherboard-level interface112may be an I/O port (e.g., based on Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) standard) facilitating a serial and/or a parallel communication link. In one or more embodiments, external graphics card180may serve to boost processing (e.g., graphics processing) associated with data processing device100. In one example embodiment, external processor182of external graphics card180may be a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). Other processors are also within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

Optionally, in one or more embodiments, data processing device100may include an auxiliary processor190(e.g., a GPU that is part of another graphics card) communicatively coupled to processor102; auxiliary processor190may also be configured to boost processing associated with data processing device100.FIG. 2shows a motherboard200of data processing device100, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, motherboard200may be a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) on which components critical to functioning of data processing device100are arranged; in other words, motherboard200may be the core assembly unit of data processing device100.FIG. 2shows motherboard200as including a CPU socket202configured to receive a CPU (example processor102) therein.

In one or more embodiments, motherboard200may also include a memory port204configured to receive memory104therein. For example, a Random Access Memory (RAM) (example memory104) may be inserted into memory port204. Components of motherboard200are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art; therefore, detailed discussion associated therewith has been skipped for the sake of convenience and brevity. In one or more embodiments, motherboard200may include one or more expansion port(s)2061-N, at least one of which is configured to receive auxiliary processor190(e.g., a graphics card including a GPU). The one or more expansion port(s)2061-Nmay, for example, be based on the Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) standard. Other standards are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein.

FIG. 2also shows traces208between CPU socket202and the one or more expansion port(s)2061-Nacross a surface of motherboard200; the aforementioned traces208may provide conductive pathway(s) between circuit(s) associated with processor102and the one or more expansion port(s)2061-N. It should be noted that traces208are shown to merely illustrate the concepts associated with the exemplary embodiments; in other words, traces208ofFIG. 2are merely schematics. Further, other traces associated with components irrelevant to the concepts discussed herein have been omitted for the sake of clarity and brevity.

In one or more embodiments, traces208between CPU socket202and the one or more expansion port(s)2061-Nmay be extended across the surface of motherboard200to motherboard-level interface112. In one or more embodiments, motherboard-level interface112may be provided along a periphery250of motherboard200. Alternately, in one or more embodiments, a new set of traces210may be provided on motherboard200to provide conductive pathways between circuit(s) of processor102and motherboard-level interface112. It should be noted that the one or more expansion port(s)2061-Nmay be optional; an example data processing device100may solely include motherboard-level interface112to enable coupling of external graphics card180thereto. Alternately, both the one or more expansion port(s)2061-Nand motherboard-level interface112may be provided in the example data processing device100.

Thus, exemplary embodiments provide for a means to extend the traces (e.g., through traces208, traces210) from processor102across the surface of motherboard200to motherboard-level interface112; said motherboard-level interface112may be appropriately located such that motherboard-level interface112is viewable to a user of data processing device100on an external cosmetic surface thereof in an assembled state of data processing device100.FIG. 3shows motherboard-level interface112, integrally provided with a laptop computer302(example data processing device100) and viewable by a user350on an external cosmetic surface312thereof. Laptop302is shown in an assembled state370thereof. A graphics card304(example external graphics card180) external to data processing device100and including external processor182may be configured to be coupled to motherboard-level interface112through a complementary interface thereof;FIG. 3shows motherboard-level interface112as being a female graphics card connector306configured to mate with a corresponding male graphics card connector308on graphics card304to provide for direct coupling therebetween, without a requirement of an additional adapter therefor.

FIG. 4shows a schematic of external graphics card180, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, external graphics card180may include external processor182communicatively coupled to a memory402, with memory402including a driver component404(e.g., a set of instructions). It is obvious that memory402may be external to external graphics card180in an alternate embodiment. In one or more embodiments, driver component404may be packaged with appropriate libraries to enable compatibility with operating system106of data processing device100. In one or more embodiments, when external graphics card180is coupled to motherboard-level interface112of data processing device100, data processing device100may communicate with external graphics card180to read device information (e.g., through operating system106in conjunction with processor102) thereof.

In one or more embodiments, following the reading of the device information, external graphics card180may be assigned a unique identifier (e.g., through operating system106in conjunction with processor102). Then, in one or more embodiments, driver component404may be loaded into data processing device100, following which driver component404(and associated library files) is installed in data processing device100. In an example embodiment, a user (e.g., user350) of data processing device100may be prompted through operating system106to install driver component404.

In one or more embodiments, once driver component404is installed in data processing device100, external graphics card180may merely need to be plugged in for usual use thereof during subsequent times as file(s) associated with driver component404are saved in data processing device100as system file(s) and detection of external graphics card180merely is based on the unique identifier assigned (and stored in data processing device100). It is obvious that instructions associated with driver component404(and associated library files) may be embodied in a non-transitory medium (e.g., Compact Disc (CD), Digital Video Disc (DVD)). The aforementioned non-transitory medium may be readable through data processing device100and instructions associated with driver component404(and associated library files) executable therethrough. It is to be noted that a hard drive is also an example of a non-transitory medium. For example, driver component404(and associated library files) may be available as a download from the Internet. After being downloaded to a hard drive of data processing device100, driver component404may then be installed therein.

Further, variations such as transferring driver component404wirelessly (e.g., through Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth®) or through wired means from an external device to data processing device100are within the scope of the exemplary embodiments discussed herein. It is also obvious that data processing device100may be provided with a number of motherboard-level interfaces; here, appropriate routing/traces may be provided across the surface of motherboard200.

FIG. 5shows two motherboard-level interfaces (1121,1122) on data processing device100for example purposes; one motherboard-level interface may enable data transfer and the other may be configured to enable external graphics card180receive power supply from data processing device100. In another example embodiment, one motherboard-level interface may be employed to enable data transfer from external graphics card180to data processing device100(e.g., processor102) ofFIG. 1, and the other motherboard-level interface may be used to enable data transfer from data processing device100(e.g., processor102) to external graphics card180.

Thus, exemplary embodiments discussed herein provide a means to utilize the processing power of external graphics card180through motherboard-level interface112. As motherboard-level interface112may be utilized in conjunction with the one or more expansion port(s)2061-N, data processing device100may be provided with a facility to leverage a new graphics card (e.g., external graphics card180); motherboard-level interface112may also be thought of as enabling upgrading of capabilities provided through auxiliary processor190. In one or more embodiments, the user of data processing device100may be able to leverage external graphics card180through motherboard-level interface112to play games, view High-Definition (HD) video files and/or perform high-end graphics processing.

Specifically, when data processing device100has low graphics-processing capabilities associated therewith, the user may be able to boost capabilities thereof without performing tedious internal hardware changes. In one or more embodiments, external graphics card180may derive power from data processing device100through motherboard-level interface112. Alternately, external graphics card180may derive power from a battery (e.g., rechargeable battery) provided therein. External graphics card180may also be provided with a capability to derive power from an external power supply.

In one or more embodiments, when auxiliary processor190is present in data processing device100, external graphics card180may work in conjunction therewith to provide enhanced performance. Alternately, in one or more embodiments, when auxiliary processor190is not present, external graphics card180may take over the responsibilities of enhanced processing. In one or more embodiments, as external graphics card180is an external device, the responsibility associated with cooling of external processor182rests with mechanism(s) provided in the external device.

FIG. 6shows a process flow diagram detailing the operations involved in direct interfacing of external graphics card180to data processing device100at a motherboard-level, according to one or more embodiments. In one or more embodiments, operation602may involve providing an I/O interface (e.g., motherboard-level interface112) at periphery250of motherboard200of data processing device100. In one or more embodiments, operation604may involve providing traces (e.g., traces208, traces210) between processor102of data processing device100and the I/O interface across a surface of motherboard200. In one or more embodiments, the traces may provide conductive pathways between circuits of processor102and the I/O interface.

In one or more embodiments, operation606may then involve exposing the I/O interface through external cosmetic surface312of data processing device100in assembled state370thereof by way of a port (e.g., female graphics card connector306) complementary to that of a port (e.g., male graphics card connector308) of external graphics card180to enable direct coupling of external graphics card180to data processing device100through the exposed I/O interface by way of the complementary ports to provide boosting of processing through data processing device100.

In addition, it will be appreciated that the various operations, processes, and methods disclosed herein may be embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable medium and/or a machine accessible medium compatible with a data processing system (e.g., a system including data processing device100), and may be performed in any order (e.g., including using means for achieving the various operations). Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.