Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 DUAL INTERFACE MEMORY CARD IN
COMBINATION WITH ADAPTER MODULE
3 BA~KCRO OF THE INV~N'j'ION
4 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual interface memory card and an
6 adapter module; more particularly, the present invention relates to a
7 memory card with two kinds of interfaces ~to communicate with an
8 electronic product and a computer, respectively, for convenient data access,
9 and an adapter module for such a dual interface memory card.
2. Description of Related Art
11 The progress of the computer technology has made the life of human
12 beings easier. Many computer products, such as electronic dictionaries,
13 electronic translators, digital cameras, etc., have been frequently used in
14 our everyday life. The use of these computer products generally needs
connections to be established to a computer for data access. Taking the
16 digital camera as an example, the image that is captured by the digital
17 camera is transformed into digital data for being stored in a memory card
18 therein, instead of being formed on a film in a traditional camera. The
19 digital data is then transferred to a computer for being stored such that
the
computer can display or print the captured image.
21 Because of the advanced electronic technology, the memory card is
22 getting smaller in dimension while being provided with even larger
23 capacity. Various kinds of well known memory cards, such as the STONE
24 card, Smart Media card, MI4iC card, Memory Stick card and Compact
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1 Flash card, have been provided with the advantages of small dimension
2 and large capacity, generally, more than several mega-bytes. The use of
3 such memory cards enables the miniaturization of electronic products.
4 However, they do not have standard interfaces for communicating with a
computer. In order to transfer data between a computer and a memory card,
6 the following methods are employed:
7 1. Using a card reader: A card reader is provided to connect to the
8 interface port of a computer such that the computer is able to read data
9 from a memory card that is inserted in the card reader. As different memory
cards have different interfaces, a dedicated card reader must be provided
11 for a specific memory card.
12 2. Using a transform disk: A transform disk that has the same
13 physical specification as the 3.5-inch disk is provided with a slot for
14 receiving a memory card, such that a computer can write data to or read
data from the memory card when the transform disk in inserted into the
16 disk drive of the computer.
17 There are some problems encountered in using the aforementioned
18 methods. For example, most of the card readers can not write data to the
19 memory cards, and the data access speed is slow when the transform disk
and disk drive are used for transferring data between a memory card and a
21 computer. Furthermore, the use of transform disk and disk drive to read or
22 write data is likely to result in mechanical disorders because data is
23 accessed by physical contact. Therefore, there is a need for the above
24 memory cards to be improved to mitigate and/or obviate the problems.
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3A
1 Patent and patent applications that may be regarded as important for the
2 understanding, searching and examination of the invention include:
3 1. DE 296 07 724 U (STOCKO METALLWARENFAB HENKELS) 18 July 1996,
4 the whole document.
2. WO 98 12641 A (CMD TECHNOLOGY INC) 26 March 1998. Page 3, Line 11
6 - Page 4, line 19. Page 5, line 28 - Page 7, Line 32. Page 9, Line 4 - Page
10,
7 Line 3. Abstract, Claims 1 - 3 and Figures 1, 2 and 5.
8
9 3. GB 2 325 997 A (STANDARD M1CROSYST SMC) 9 December 1998. Page
1, Line 7 - Line 25. Page 5, ~_ine 9 - Page 7, Line 15. Page 16, Line 6 -~
Line 10.
11 Abstract, Claims 1 - 3 and Figures 2 and 4.
12
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1 S~ 1MMARY OF THE INVENTION
2 The object of the present invention is to provide a dual interface
3 memory card and an adapter module for the memory card to conveniently
4 transfer data between the memory card and a computer without the risk of
mechanical disorders.
6 In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the dual
7 interface memory card is provided with a memory unit and a micro control
8 unit connected to the memory unit. The micro control unit includes a USB
9 interface for connecting to a computer whereby the computer is able to
read data from and write data to the memory unit, and a host interface for
11 connecting to an electronic product which has the memory card installed
12 therein such that data output from the electronic product can be stored in
13 the memory unit.
14 In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the adapter
module is provided to have a housing, and a USB connector and a terminal
16 seat contained in the housing. The housing defines a memory card slot for
17 receiving the dual interface memory card. The USB connector is provided
18 for being inserted into a USB slot of a computer. The terminal seat has a
19 plurality of connection terminals, each having one end for facing to an
interface port of the memory card, and an opposite end connected to the
21 USB connector.
22 Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will
23 become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken
24 in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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1 BRIEF DESCWIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
2 FIG. 1 is the circuit diagram of a dual interface memory card in
3 accordance with the present invention;
4 FIG. 2 is the circuit diagram of the micro control unit shown in FIG. 1;
5 FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the memory card and an adapter
6 module in accordance with the present invention;
7 FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the adapter module in accordance with
8 the present invention;
9 FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the adapter module being inserted
with the dual interface memory card;
11 FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the use of the adapter module to
12 connect the memory card to a computer; and
13 FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the use of the adapter module to
14 connect the memory card to a hub.
T~FTATT_.ED DE IPTION OF THE P FF . RFD MBODI .NT
16 FIG. 1 shows the circuit structure of a dual interface memory card in
17 accordance with the present invention, which includes a micro control unit
18 ( 10) and a memory unit (20). The micro control unit ( 10) has two I/O
19 interfaces ( 101,102), wherein the first one ( 101 ) is used for connecting
to a
corresponding computer interface port, preferably a USB interface, and the
21 second one ( 102) is provided as a host interface, preferably conforming to
22 the known SPI specification, for connecting to an electronic product (not
23 shown). The memory unit (20) is composed of flash memories or read only
24 memories. In this preferred embodiment, the memory unit (20) includes a
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1 plurality of flash memory chips (201 ).
2 FIG. 2 shows the circuit structure of the micro control unit (10), which
3 includes a micro controller ( 11 ), a memory interface ( 12), a USB
controller
4 ( 13 ), and a host interface controller ( 14). The micro controller ( 11 )
is
provided with associated firmware that is executed to process the data
6 input to the micro control unit ( 10) or the data to be output.
7 The memory interface ( 12) is provided as a communicating interface
8 for the memory unit (20), the micro controller ( 11 ), the USB controller (
13 ),
9 and the host interface controller ( 14).
The USB controller ( 13 ) has a first set of I/O terminals ( 131 ) for
11 communicating with the memory unit (20) via the memory interface ( 12), a
12 second set of I/O terminals (132) for connecting to the micro controller
13 ( 11 ), and a third set of I/O terminals ( 133) provided as the USB
interface.
14 The host interface controller ( 14) has a first set of I/O terminals ( 141
)
for communicating with the memory unit (20) via the memory interface
16 ( 12), a second set of I/O terminals ( 142) for connecting to the micro
17 controller ( 11 ), and a third set of I/O terminals ( 143) provided as the
host
18 interface. 4
19 With the circuit structure as shown in FIG. 2, the operating status of
the memory card is determined by the micro controller ( 11 ). When the
21 memory card is connected to a computer by the USB interface ( 1 O 1 ), the
22 micro controller ( 11 ) can read data from the memory unit (20). The data
is
23 thus transferred, via the memory interface (12), to the USB controller
(13),
24 for being transformed to USB formatted data, which is then received by a
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1 computer via the USB interface port of the computer.
2 When the memory card is installed in an electronic product, and uses
3 the host interface ( 102) for connecting to the electronic product, the data
4 output from the electronic product is sent to the memory card via the host
interface ( 102) for being processed by the micro controller ( 11 ) and then
6 stored in specific locations of the memory unit (20).
7 Because of having both the host and USB interfaces ( 102,101 ), the
8 memory card in accordance with the present invention not only can be
9 installed in associated electronic products for storing data but also can
transfer the stored data to a computer or receive data from the computer via
11 the USB interface ( 101 ).
12 A practical implementation of the memory card in accordance with the
13 present invention and its usage is shown in FIG. 3 for illustrative
purpose.
14 It is shown that a memory card (30) is in use with an adapter module (40),
wherein the memory card (30) has the aforementioned micro control unit
16 ( 10) and memory unit (20). Furthermore, the front end of the memory card
17 (30) is provided with an interface port (31) having a plurality of terminal
18 holes. Four of the terminal holes, which are connected to the USB
19 controller ( 13 ) of the micro control unit ( 10), are provided as the USB
interface ( 101 ), while the others, which are connected to the host interface
21 controller ( 14) of the micro control unit ( 10), are provided as the host
22 interface ( 102). In order to connect the memory card (30) to the USB
23 interface port of a computer, the adapter module (40) is employed, the
24 internal structure which is shown in FIG. 4.
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1 The adapter module (40) has an upper shell (41 ) and a lower shell (42)
2 for combining with the upper shell (41 ) to form a housing, in which a
3 terminal seat (43) and a USB connector (44) are provided at two opposite
4 ends of the housing.
The upper shell (41 ) and the lower shell (42) can be secured together
6 by screw means or other appropriate securing means. The lower shell (42)
7 defines two recess areas (421,422) in an upper face thereof, while the upper
8 shell (41 ) also defines two corresponding recess areas (not shown) in a
9 lower face thereof facing to the two recess areas (421,422) of the lower
shell (42), respectively. Therefore, the housing formed by the upper shell
11 (41 ) and the lower shell (42) defines two chambers. One chamber is used to
12 hold the terminal seat (43) and is provided as a memory card slot (45), as
13 shown in FIG. 5, for receiving a memory card (30). The other chamber is
14 used to hold the USB connector (44).
Still with reference to FIG. 4, the terminal seat (43) is substantially of
16 an H-shaped body which has two parallel rims (433) and a rib (432)
17 connected to the two rims (433). Each of the rims (433) defines a sliding
18 slot (430) in the inner side thereof, such that the memory card (30) can
19 smoothly slide into the terminal seat (43). A plurality of connection
terminals (431 ) are extended through the rib (432). Each connection
21 terminal (431 ) has one end for facing to the interface port (31 ) of the
22 memory card (30), and another end connected to the USB connector (44).
23 Therefore, when the memory card (30) is inserted into the adapter module
24 (40), as shown in FIG. 5, the interface port (31) of the memory card (30)
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1 receives the connection terminals (431) of the terminal seat (43), such that
2 the interface port (31 ) is electrically connected to the USB connector (44)
3 via the plurality of connection terminals (431 ).
4 With reference to FIG. 6, when USB connector (44) of the adapter
module (40) is inserted into a USB slot (51 ) of the computer (50), the
6 memory card (30) inside the adapter module (40) is thus connected to the
7 computer (50) via such a USB interface arrangement. Because the memory
8 card (30) communicates with the computer (50) via the high speed USB
9 interface ( 1 O 1 ), the data transfer between the memory card (30) and the
computer (50) is fast. Accordingly, the computer (50) can read data from or
11 write data to the memory card (30) in a fast and convenient manner.
12 In addition to directly inserting the adapter module (40) into the USB
13 slot (51 ) of the computer (50), the adapter module (40) can be inserted
into
14 the USB slot (61 ) of a hub (60) that is further connected to the computer
1 s (50).
16 The above description depicts the dual interface memory card and the
17 adapter module in accordance with the present invention. It is appreciated
18 that such a design can be applied to the existing STONE card, Smart Media
19 card, MMC card, Memory Stick card, Compact Flash card, and the like.
Consequently, it is convenient to use a computer to read data from or write
21 data to different kinds of memory cards.
22 Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its
23 preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible
24 modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit
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and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.
