Patent ID: 6868460

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a micro-controller core; a logic core coupled to the micro-controller core, the logic core to receive and send signals to and from a system interface responsive to the micro-controller core, the logic core to disable sending signals to the system interface responsive to the micro-controller core, wherein the system interface includes an interface to a computer; a controller core coupled to the micro-controller core, the ME controller core to receive and send signals directly to and from a CD (compact disc) drive interface allowing an access to a file system on a CD independently from a computer when the computer is in any one of a power off mode, a sleep mode, and a suspend mode, the controller core to disable sending signals to the CD drive interface when the computer is in a Dower on mode, wherein the ME controller core is controlled by the micro-controller core; a pass gate module, the pass gate module coupled to the system interface and to the CD drive interface, the pass gate module also coupled to the micro-controller core, the pass gate module to pass signals between the system interface and the CD drive interface responsive to the micro-controller core, allowing the computer to control an access to the CD when the computer is in the power on mode, the pass-gate module responsive to any one of a signal mode select and the micro-controller core.