Patent Application
20130290602
1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a data storage device, more particularly, a data storage device with more than one interface.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
Data storage devices such as SD (Secure Digital) card, SSD (Solid State Drive) , Portable USB Flash Memory Device, and so on are used in daily lives extensively for storing data of various digital devices. These data storage devices come with advantages of small in size, abundance in storage capacity, and standard interfaces, etc.
For example, most digital cameras require SD cards or other data storage devices to store image data taken by digital cameras. Once the image data has been stored in these data storage devices, the data can be transferred to other digital devices such as computers for later use.
Usually, function of data storage devices is limited to as being able to be written or read by digital devices, and only one interface is disposed on each data storage device. However, as technology advances, it becomes necessary to integrate more diverse functions into one single data storage device for enabling the data storage device to perform more diverse functions instead of a single function.
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a data storage device. The data storage device comprises a memory, a controller, a first module, a first interface, and a second interface. The controller is used to access data in the memory. The first module is used to perform a first predetermined function. The first interface and the second interface are coupled to the controller. The second interface is inaccessible to the first module and vice verse.
An embodiment of the present invention discloses a data storage device operating method. The data storage device comprises a first interface and a second interface. The method comprises selectively connecting the data storage device to a host device through the first interface or the second interface of the data storage device, performing a first predetermine function when the first interface is connected to the host device, and performing a second predetermine function when the second interface is connected to the host device.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Please refer to
The memory 102 may include a flash memory. The first interface 108 and the second interface 110 may be identical interfaces. That is, the first interface 108 and the second interface 110 are compatible to the same interfaces. For example, both the first interface 108 and the second interface 110 may be selected from a group comprising of MMC (Multi Media Card) interface, SD interface, SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) interface, USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface, or any other interface of memory product . In one embodiment of the present invention, the first interface 108 and the second interface 110 may be two different types of interfaces. Furthermore, the first interface 108 may include a first set of contacts 120 and the second interface 110 may include a second set of contacts 122. Both the first set of contacts 120 and the second set of contacts 122 are disposed on the main substrate 130. The first set of contacts 120 and the second set of contacts 122 may be disposed at opposite ends of a same side, or at opposite ends of different sides of the main substrate 130. The first interface 108 and the second interface 110 of the data storage device 100 are used to connect to a host device (not shown), such as a personal computer, a digital photo frame, or a digital camera etc., for passing signals provided from the host device to the controller 104.
Please refer to
When a user connects the data storage device 100 to the host device by the second interface 110, puts the second interface 110 communicating with the host device by contacting physically with an interface of the host device, while the first interface 108 is without physical contact to any interface of the host device. The predetermined function of the wireless module 206 is not enabled because there is no signal passing through the second interface 110 to the controller 104 as shown in
On the contrary, when the user connects the data storage device 100 to the host device by the first interface 108, instead of the second interface 110, puts the first interface 108 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 to enable the predetermined function of the wireless module 206. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface can perform both the data storage function and exchanging data wirelessly through the wireless module 206. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, one signal would be enough to instruct the controller 104 to enable the predetermined function of the wireless module 206.
Please refer to
When the user connects the data storage device 100 to the host device by the second interface 110, puts the second interface 110 communicating with the host device. The encryption module 306 is not being accessed and not being enabled because there is no signal passing through the second interface 110 to the controller 104 as shown in
On the contrary, when the user connects the data storage device 100 to the host device by the first interface 108, puts the first interface 108, instead of the second interface 110, communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 to enable the encryption module 306. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface, the data storage device 100 can perform a data encryption function, that is, the data received by the first interface 108 can be encrypted via the encryption module 306 and then stored in the encryption block 302 in the memory 102. Once the data is stored in the encryption block 302, a decryption procedure must be performed when reading, copying, or modifying the data. And the data can only be accessed through the first interface 108. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, one signal would be enough to instruct the controller 104 to enable the predetermined function of the encryption module 306.
Please refer to
Please refer to
In one embodiment, when the user connects the data storage device 400 to the host device by the first interface 108, puts the first interface 108 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 providing the first command to enable the first predetermined function of the wireless module 506. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface can perform both the data storage function and exchanging digital data wirelessly through the wireless module 506. In this embodiment, the encryption module 512 and the encryption block 502 in the memory 102 are only accessible to the second interface 110, not the first interface 108.
In another embodiment, when the user connects the data storage device 400 to the host device by the first interface 108, puts the first interface 108 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 providing the first command to enable both the wireless module 506 and the encryption module 512. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface can perform both exchanging digital data wirelessly through the wireless module 506 and the data encryption function (the data received by the first interface 108 can be encrypted via the encryption module 512 and then stored in the encryption block 502 in the memory 102. Once the data is stored in the encryption block 502, the decryption procedure must be performed when reading, copying, or modifying the data). In this embodiment, the encryption module 512 and the encryption block 502 in the memory 102 are or are not accessible to the second interface 110.
On the contrary, when the user connects the data storage device 400 into a digital device by the second interface 110, puts the second interface 110 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the second interface 110 to instruct the controller 104 providing the second command to enable the encryption module 512. The second interface 110 is inaccessible to the wireless module 506 as mentioned above. Therefore using the second interface 110 as the connecting interface can perform the data encryption function (the data received by the second interface 110 can be encrypted via the encryption module 512 and then be stored in the encryption block 502 in the memory 102. Once the data is stored in the encryption block 502, the decryption procedure must be performed when reading, copying, or modifying the data). The data stored in the encryption block 502 may be accessed through the first interface 108 and/or the second interface 110.
Please refer to
In one embodiment, when the user connects the data storage device 400 into the host device by the first interface 108, puts the first interface 108 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 providing the first command to enable the first predetermined function of the encryption module 606. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface can perform the data encryption function (the data received by the second interface 108 can be encrypted via the encryption module 606 and then stored in the encryption block 602 in the memory 102. Once the data is stored in the encryption block 602, the decryption procedure must be performed when reading, copying, or modifying the data) . In this embodiment, the wireless module 612 is only accessible to the second interface 110, not the first interface 108.
In another embodiment, when the user connects the data storage device 400 into the host device by the first interface 108, puts the first interface 108 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the first interface 108 to instruct the controller 104 providing the first command to enable both the first predetermined function of the encryption module 606 and the second predetermined function of the wireless module 612. Therefore using the first interface 108 as the connecting interface can perform both the data encryption function and exchanging digital data wirelessly through the wireless module 612. In this embodiment, the wireless module 612 is or is not accessible to the second interface 110.
On the contrary, when the user connects the data storage device 400 into a digital device by the second interface 110, puts the second interface 110 communicating with the host device. Signals Evcc and Eck can be sent from the host device through the second interface 110 to instruct the controller 104 providing the second command to enable the wireless module 612. Therefore using the second interface 110 as the connecting interface can perform both the data storage function and exchanging digital data wirelessly through the wireless module 612.
Concluding from embodiments hereinbefore, the user may selectively connects the data storage device 100 to the host device through the first interface 108 or the second interface 110 of the data storage device 100. If the first interface 108 is connected to the host device, the data storage device 100 may perform the first predetermined function. If the second interface 110 is connected to the host device, the data storage device 100 may perform the second predetermined function. Furthermore, the first predetermined function is different from the second predetermined function.
In summary, the present invention is to make the first interface of the data storage device gain access to at least one additional module to perform at least one additional predetermined function which the second interface may not gain access to and perform. When the second interface is used to communicate with the host device, specific function(s) corresponding to second interface is/are enabled. When the first interface is used to communicate with the host device, specific function(s) and the additional first predetermined function corresponding to the first interface is/are enabled. In so doing, diverse functions instead of a single function maybe integrated and performed in one single data storage device. For example, if users are not required to exchange data wirelessly, they can plug the data storage device in a way that the wireless module is disabled to save battery power of the host device. If users are required to encrypt the data, they can plug the data storage device in a way that the encryption module is enabled to encrypt the data. In a word, the present invention facilitates usage of the data storage device and makes it much easier for users to obtain different functions they might need in one data storage device.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.
