Search

EP-4741994-A1 - METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING AN EMBEDDED COMPUTER SYSTEM POWERED BY A REPURPOSED MOTHERBOARD

EP4741994A1EP 4741994 A1EP4741994 A1EP 4741994A1EP-4741994-A1

Abstract

This disclosure pertains to a method for repurposing a motherboard (100) to assemble an embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000), the method comprising the steps of: - (S1) extracting the motherboard (100) from an electronic device (10 ; 12, 14, 16); - (S2) directly connecting mechanically and electrically the extracted motherboard (100) to a carrier board (200), wherein the carrier board (200) provides electrical power and at least one motherboard interface to the extracted motherboard (100), - (S3) providing, via the carrier board (200), at least one standardized interface to the extracted motherboard (100), thereby enabling an external communication of the extracted motherboard (100), called repurposed motherboard (150), with electrical components external to the repurposed motherboard (150), and - (S4a, S4b, S4c) integrating the repurposed motherboard (150) into the embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000).

Inventors

  • FERON, Jean-Brieuc

Assignees

  • Swarn SRL

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241106

Claims (15)

  1. A method for repurposing a motherboard (100) to assemble an embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000), the method comprising the steps of: - (S1) extracting the motherboard (100) from an electronic device (10 ; 12, 14, 16); - (S2) directly connecting mechanically and electrically the extracted motherboard (100) to a carrier board (200), wherein the carrier board (200) provides electrical power and at least one motherboard interface to the extracted motherboard (100), - (S3) providing, with the carrier board (200), to the extracted motherboard (100), at least one standardized interface, said at least one standardized interface being configured to adapt the at least one motherboard interface into a standardized power and communication interface, said standardized power and communication interface enabling an external communication of the extracted motherboard (100) to electrical components that are external to the extracted motherboard (100), the extracted motherboard (100) comprising the standardized power and communication interface being called repurposed motherboard (150), and - (S4a, S4b, S4c) assembling the embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) by integrating the repurposed motherboard (150) and the carrier board (200) into said embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000).
  2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: - preceding the extraction step (S1) of the motherboard (100) from the electronic device (10 ; 12, 14, 16), a step of pre-testing (S1a) a component of the motherboard (100) to be subsequently extracted, said component including at least one central processing unit (110) and one motherboard interface of the extracted motherboard (100), and/or - following the extraction step (S1) of the motherboard (100) from the electronic device (10 ; 12, 14, 16), a step of testing (S1b) a component of the extracted motherboard (100), said component including at least one central processing unit (110) and one motherboard interface of the extracted motherboard (100).
  3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising, after the extraction step (S1) and prior to the step of direct mechanical and electrical connection (S2), connecting mechanically and electrically an adaptation board to the extracted motherboard (100) and to the carrier board (200), the providing step (S3) being carried out with the carrier board (200) and the adaptation board (...), the adaptation board being configured to adapt the motherboard interface between the carrier board (200) and the extracted motherboard (100), said adapted motherboard interface (subsequently enabling, during the providing step (S3), the external communication of the extracted motherboard (100) with the modules which are external to the extracted motherboard.
  4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the provided at least one standardized interface enables the external communication of the extracted motherboard (100) and/or of the repurposed motherboard (150) to be carried out via UART, USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 4G network, a 4G LTE network or a 5G network.
  5. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the extracting step (S1) comprises at least one of the sub-steps: - replacing an operating system initially installed on the extracted motherboard (100) with another operating system (300), said other operating system being distinct from the operating system initially installed on the extracted motherboard (100), and/or - controlling boot processes and startup of the extracted motherboard (100) through boot management components.
  6. The method according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the step (S2) of directly connecting mechanically and electrically the extracted motherboard (100) to a carrier board (200) is carried out without an intermediary socket.
  7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the extracting step (S1) further comprises at least one of the sub-steps: - disassembling the electronic device using mechanical tools; and/or - assessing the reusability of the motherboard (100) using at least one diagnostic module.
  8. A carrier board (200) for use with a motherboard (100) to repurpose, comprising: - electrical power circuitry for providing electrical power to the motherboard (100); - a direct mechanical and electrical connection interface for enabling connection to the motherboard (100), and - an adaptation module configured to provide at least one standardized interface to the motherboard interface of the motherboard (100) by adapting the motherboard interface into the standardized communication interface.
  9. The carrier board (200) according to claim 8, further comprising boot management components for managing startup processes of the motherboard (100).
  10. An embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) comprising: - a repurposed motherboard (150), obtained by extracting a motherboard (100) from an electronic device (10; 12, 14, 16) and providing the motherboard with at least one standardized power and communication interface, and - a carrier board (200) which is directly connected mechanically and electrically to the repurposed motherboard (150), the carrier board being configured to provide electrical power and at least one motherboard interface to the repurposed motherboard (150), wherein the communication interface of the repurposed motherboard (150) comprises a standardized interface, said standardized interface enabling communication between the repurposed motherboard (150) and electrical components that are external to the repurposed motherboard (150).
  11. The embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) according to claim 10, further comprising an adaptation board which is connected mechanically and electrically to the repurposed motherboard (150) and to the carrier board (200), the adaptation board being configured to adapt the motherboard interface between the repurposed motherboard (150) and the carrier board (200) so that the standardized communication interface is enabled by the adaptation board.
  12. The embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein: - the standardized communication interface is configured to enable communication with external modules integrated on the carrier board (200) or located in another electronic device, said other electronic device being configured to connect to the repurposed motherboard (150) via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, a 4G network, a 4G LTE network, or a 5G network, and/or - wherein the standardized communication interface comprises communication protocols selected from Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, UART, USB, allowing data transmission and reception via the carrier board or via a 4G network, a 4G LTE network, or a 5G network.
  13. The embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, which is configured for integration into a computing cluster, with multiple repurposed motherboards (150) connected with each other.
  14. The embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the communication interface is configured to route communications through USB ports on the repurposed motherboard (150), providing a standardized interface for input/output operations.
  15. Use of a motherboard (100) for repurposing an embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) according to any of claims 10 to 14, the embedded computer system (1000, 2000, 3000, 4000) being embedded in a discarded electronic device selected among a portable phone, an industrial application or an Internet-of-Things, loT, application, and wherein all external communication is routed through USB ports on the motherboard (100).

Description

Technical field The present disclosure relates to embedded systems, particularly to a method and apparatus for repurposing the motherboards of smart devices in microcomputers, such as smartphone motherboards, smartwatch motherboards, portable speakers motherboards, and the likes. In particular, the present disclosure pertains to a method for repurposing a motherboard to assemble an embedded computer system. Background It is known that the disposal of electronic waste, also called e-waste, particularly from mobile devices like smartphones, handheld GPS or smart watches, has become a significant global challenge. As new smartphone models are rapidly released, older devices are often discarded, contributing to environmental degradation. E-waste management efforts, such as recycling, typically focus on breaking down devices into raw materials, recovering basic components like metals and plastics. However, these processes are energy-intensive and fail to make efficient use of the fully functional electronic components that could be repurposed. Recycling processes break down discarded devices into raw materials, disregarding the potential for reusing functional components like motherboards and their processors, memory or communication controllers that remain adapted to carry out other tasks or less demanding applications. Thus, recycling fails to capture the full potential of the embedded systems still present in these devices, and valuable processing units are lost. A method for reusing electronic computing components is described, for example, in US patent No. US9253893B1, which discusses improving the recycling of used mobile devices by selectively removing modular components, such as displays. Specifically, it is described how to manually remove a modular display from a logic board without the use of tools, and then physically mating the display to a different device, allowing the display to function in the new device. However, this method is unsuitable for creating entirely new computing systems. The complexity of ensuring compatibility between components often results in fragmented, bulky and unreliable systems that lack the integrated functionality of a complete computing unit. Furthermore, these methods often require significant hardware modifications and specialized socket connections, which restrict their scalability and adaptability for a wider range of applications. In other words, while the existing approaches do extend the lifecycle of some components, they are limited by the requirement to select specific parts, which must be compatible with the new hardware via dedicated interfaces. These approaches therefore lack the flexibility to reuse entire system boards as independent computing units, which would offer more sustainable solutions. Additionally, existing methods typically retain the original smartphone operating system, restricting the ability of future users to fully control and customize repurposed components for new applications, if any. Consequently, there is a need for new solutions that allow for the upcycling of electronic devices, such as entire smartphones, extending the lifecycle of these components and reducing the environmental impact associated with their disposal. There is also a clear need for methods and systems that eliminate the dependence of components based on specific models of existing electronic devices and/or smartphones. Furthermore, the lack of full control over the operating systems is also a challenge for enabling greater flexibility for parties aiming at repurposing hardware in view of different applications or aiming at using secure computing systems benefitting of security updates. Summary To address this or these drawbacks, it is proposed according to a first aspect of the present disclosure a method for repurposing a motherboard to assemble an embedded computer system, the method comprising the steps of: extracting the motherboard from an electronic device,directly connecting mechanically and electrically the extracted motherboard to a carrier board, wherein the carrier board provides electrical power and at least one motherboard interface to the extracted motherboard,providing, with the carrier board, to the extracted motherboard at least one standardized interface, said at least one standardized interface being configured to adapt the at least one motherboard interface into a standardized power and communication interface, said standardized power and communication interface enabling an external communication of the extracted motherboard to electrical components that are external to the extracted motherboard, the extracted motherboard comprising the standardized power and communication interface being called a repurposed motherboard, and assembling the embedded computer system by integrating the repurposed motherboard and the carrier board into said embedded computer system. In a possible embodiment, the at least one interface comprises a power interface and/o