hone, a personal data assistant ("PDA"), a digital media player (e.g., an iPod available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a computer, or any other suitable electronic device." The latter entry of "computer" is both interesting and important considering that Apple's recent iMac Touch patent basically confirms that possibility in practice. Meaning that an iMac Touch could utilize both a standard CPU from Intel or AMD in addition to an A4 type chip or, as the patent presents it, a "system-on-a-substrate" – for touch related functionality.
Apple first launched the A4 on January 27, 2010 as the brains behind their new revolutionary iPad and referred to it as a System-on-a-Chip or SOC: "iPad is powered by A4, Apple's next-generation system-on-a-chip." Apple's A4 chip may also end up in Apple's forthcoming Apple TV update due on September 1, 2010 if Engadget's sources are correct.
Apple's patent FIG. 1 shows an illustrative PCB (Printed Circuit Board) 100 that could be used for coupling together the components of the system when the components are each discrete entities. For example, discrete entities such as a processor microchip 102, memory microchip 104, and one or more capacitors 106 could be coupled together through PCB 100. PCB 100 could be formed with conductive pathways or wiring (e.g., wiring 108 or 110) that could suitably provide electrical connections between the various entities of the system to couple the entities together.
Although FIG. 1 illustrates a processor, memory, and capacitors, one skilled in the art could appreciate that one or more of the above-mentioned discrete entities (e.g., CODEC circuitry, I/O circuitry, communication circuitry, accelerometers, or any other suitable components) could alternatively or additionally be illustrated in FIG. 1. As used herein, when a specific illustration of a component is provided, one skilled in the art could appreciate that the specific illustration is given merely for illustration and not for limitation, and that any other suitable component (e.g., a processor, a memory, CODEC circuitry, I/O circuitry, communication circuitry, accelerometers, capacitors, or any other suitable component), could alternatively or additionally have been illustrated.
The PCB 100 of FIG. 1 could generally couple together the various components or entities for an entire system of an electronic device. For example, the PCB may couple together the necessary entities for a system used in a cellular telephone, a personal data assistant ("PDA"), a digital media player (such as an iPod available from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.), a computer, or any other suitable electronic device. Because the components of the system are each formed as their own, discrete entities and are generally pre-packaged instances, the minimum size of the system could be significantly constrained by the discrete entities. As one example, the use of the discrete entities may cause difficulties in routing the wiring between the entities, thus requiring additional wiring and space to effectively couple the entities together. As another example, because they are generally pre-packaged entities and cannot be altered, the size of the entities may not be decreased. These limitations may, in turn, limit how small in size the electronic device that is utilizing the system could become.
Overview of Other Systems-on-a-Substrate Configurations
Apple's patent FIGS. 3, 5, 6, 7A and 7B are illustrative systems-on-a-substrate while patent FIG. 4 is an illustrative system-on-a-substrate including a ledge.
Apple credits Gloria Lin, Bryson Gardner Jr., Joseph Fisher, Dave Goh, Barry Corlett, Dennis Pyper and Amir Salehi as the inventors of patent application 20100213958, originally filed in Q3 2009.
Update Noon August 26, 2010: An in-depth report on the the inside of the A4's Heart has just been released by the Tech-On website from their parent magazine Nikkei Electronics Asia that's worth a review.
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