Patent Application
20140099805
1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates in general to electronic communication devices and more particularly to mobile electronic devices, such as a mobile telephone with a connector for accepting a SIM card or a SD card.
2. Background Art
Mobile electronic devices, such as cellular phones, tablets, etc., are now required to accept multiple types of end-user external inserted cards. An example of an inserted card is a Subscriber Identity Module card (SIM card) which is an integrated circuit that securely stores the International Mobile Subscriber Identity and related keys used to identify and authenticate subscribers, store a limited amount of data such as a maximum of 250 contact names and phone numbers, as well as subscribers identity, security, and personal information to identify users on a cell phone network, and can be transferred between different mobile devices. SIM cards have become more miniaturized over the years. They come in the full-size SIM 1st form factor (1FF), mini-SIM 2nd form-factor (2FF), micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF), and nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF). The 4FF SIM can be put into adapters for use as a 2FF or 3FF SIM, so they are backward compatible. On some networks, the mobile phone is locked to its carrier SIM card, meaning that the phone only works with SIM cards from the specific carrier.
Secure Device cards (SD cards), also known as Super Density cards, are another example of inserted cards used in mobile devices. SD cards are non-volatile memory cards used to store data for use in a range of portable devices. SD cards retain data without drawing power from the battery of a mobile device. SD cards are available in three different form factors. The standard SD, the miniSD, and the microSD (originally named the TransFlash or TF). The microSD (uSD) is the smallest memory card that can presently be purchased. It is about a quarter of the size of a standard SD card. There are adapters which make the uSD able to fit in the products which have slots for standard SD and miniSD. The uSD format was created by the company SanDisk. The amount of power used by uSD cards is different for each card because they are made by different manufacturers, but the card typically has a range of 20-100 mA at a supply voltage of 2.2 V.
The United States and Europe are SIM and uSD supported. Asia is dual SIM supported. However, each company producing SIM cards and each country uses its own version of SIM card. Tablet devices use SIM cards if they have a cell version, or uSD cards if they have a WiFi only version. Music players use uSD cards.
The present invention relates to a card connector, especially to a card connector which is adapted for insertion of cards of different types, such as SIM and uSD. Within a mobile device, different connectors are needed to load different cards. However, one card connector only loads one corresponding card, so the mobile device needs to be designed with different card connectors. Using multiple different connectors is costly from a supply chain standpoint because multiple different connectors must be stocked. Therefore, a card connector which can load different cards is desirable.
At present, a card connector which can load different cards has a plurality of inserting cavities for receiving different cards. In such situations, there is a problem of how to avoid accepting different cards at the same time. Because the card connector is needed to design special softwares and add inspecting contacts to expand its functions, there are numerous difficulties in design and manufacture.
A stacked card connector including a first card connector such as a SIM card connector and a second card connector such as an SD card connector has been used. A conventional SD card connector usually comprises a push-push ejector for guiding/ejecting an SD card. Typically a user inserts a SIM card in the SIM card connector and withdraws the SIM card out of the SIM card connector with their fingers.
Some conventional mobile devices accept and use a uSD card and either a 3FF SIM card or 4FF SIM card. Users of products that have both a 3FF SIM and uSD card connector often have difficulty in visually distinguishing which slot in the product accepts which card, because the slots are similar in size and shape. The 3FF SIM is 15 mm×12 mm and the uSD is 15 mm×11 mm. The 4FF SIM measures 12.3 mm×8.8 mm. There is always a concern that the user will incorrectly insert the SIM card into the SD card connector, or vice versa, potentially damaging the SIM card, SD card, connector, and/or mobile device.
In the past, a single connector was used to accept one and the other type of memory card by using either a combination (combo) system with separate connections and retention footprints, or a stacked system with separate slots and orientations. These combination systems and stacked systems have met with varying degrees of success, but are often cumbersome and take up a lot of space.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an electronic connector capable of accepting a single subscriber identity module or a memory card which overcomes most, if not all, of the preceding disadvantages.
An improved electronic connector capable of accepting a single subscriber identity module or a memory card is provided, which is effective, economical, and easy to use. Desirably, the novel single connector provides a single cavity dual function memory card connector system that can accept a uSD card, a 3FF SIM card, or a 4FF SIM card. The user-friendly single connector is particularly suitable for the 4FF and uSD option.
The special single connector can allow the user to easily insert and place either the SIM card or uSD card into one or more single connectors in the mobile electronic device. The detection (detect) software in the mobile electronic device can safely distinguish and identify the presence, identity, and location of the card. Furthermore, the detect function software can detect which card type is in which connector. The single connector can have two sets of contacts, each set specific to one of the memory cards accepted. The single connector cannot accept more than one card at a time.
The improved single connector device can have the 6 or 8 required pins, depending on the carrier, for a SIM card (micro or nano), the 8 required pins for a uSD card, as well as detect pins and a push-pull or a push-push style ejection and removal system. Detection (detect) software can also be used without overtly impacting the x, y, or z dimensions. Either a single push-push connector designed to accept, retain, and orient either a SIM nano card or a uSD card, or a tray and connector system connector designed to accept, retain, and orient either a SIM nano card or a uSD card can be used.
Advantageously, the novel single connector can allow suppliers to stock a single connector that could be used across all mobile electronic devices, to increase sales volume and lower cost.
The special single connector can also allow regions to easily choose what service to offer. A device destined for the U.S. can require a SIM (micro or nano) card and a uSD card, while a device destined for Asia can allow dual SIM (micro or nano), with no modification to the printed circuit board design and layout.
The user-friendly single connector can enable product platforming for multiple worldwide markets for memory usage. Product platforming can be greatly improved by use of the novel single connector and printed circuit board (PCB) layout space for internal memory in a mobile communications product in the U.S. and Europe, which are SIM and uSD supported with on-board memory not placed. Product platforming can also be improved in Asia, which is dual SIM supported with on-board memory placed. Product platforming can be further improved in devices which are SIM and uSD supported with on-board memory placed. Moreover, product platforming can be improved in devices with a tablet layout, in which a single connector on a printed circuit board can be used for carrier cell version with a SIM card or WiFi only version with a uSD card. In each of these cases, the device can simply have a bill of materials change, with no change to the PCB layout. Product platforming can also be improved in music players, which can have expandable memory through multiple cards and use uSD cards.
The recently adopted 4FF SIM size can take advantage of the versatility of the novel single connector while avoiding problems caused by conventional stacked systems. The software driven multi-card usage when coupled with onboard memory further increases the versatility of the single connector hardware design.
From a device standpoint, this novel single connector cooperates with the card reader to accept cards of different standards in a single cavity. At the system level, the novel single connector has the ability to insert either a SIM card or uSD card into the same slot and have the phone or other electronic mobile device recognize it.
In the illustrated embodiment, an electronic communications device can be provided one or more single connectors for accepting different data cards. The single connector can have a first data card-receiving cavity for receiving a first data card and a second data card-receiving cavity for receiving a second data card. Desirably, the cavities have portions overlapping each other to provide a single footprint comprising an interchangeable single data card-receiving opening for receiving and accepting only one of the data cards at a time in the electronic communications device.
The following is a detailed description and explanation of the preferred embodiments of the invention and best modes for practicing the invention.
Referring to
The electronic communications device can be moveable and pivotable from a landscape orientation mode (landscape mode or landscape orientation) to a portrait orientation mode (portrait mode or portrait orientation) and vice versa. The electronic communications device can comprise an electronic visual display 112 (
The electronic communications device can have a modular impact-resistant housing 118 (
As shown in
As shown in
In the illustrative embodiment, the first data card comprises a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, preferably a micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF) card or most preferably a nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF) card, and the second data card comprises a secure device (SD) card, preferably a miniSD card or most preferably a microSD (uSD) card. The first set of data card-contacts of the SIM card can comprise six electronic data-card contacts or eight electronic data-card contacts, while the first set of electrical connector contacts of the single connector can comprise a set of six pins or a set of eight pins for engaging and contacting the six data card-contacts or eight data card-contacts, respectively, when the SIM card is in the interchangeable single data card-receiving opening. The second set of data card-contacts of the SD card can comprise eight electronic data card-contacts, while the second set of electrical connector contacts of the single connector can comprise a set of eight pins for engaging and contacting the eight data card-contacts when the SD card is in the interchangeable single data card-receiving opening. In some circumstances, it may be desirable to use a SIM card, SD card, or other data cards and electrical connector contacts with a different number of pins than 6 or 8, or a different pin arrangement.
The single connector 104 of
The electronic communications device can comprise a portable electronic device with one or more electronic data card readers 175 and 176 (
In
The card access tray can have substantially parallel wider elongated sides 183-184 (
The card access tray can comprise a generally rectangular tray, a removable tray, a slidable tray, or combinations of the preceding trays. The tray can be molded of fabricated of plastic, aluminum or other light weight metal, or a composite material. The tray-receiving opening can include elongated transverse grooves which can provide rails or tracks for slidably receiving the card access tray. The card access trays can have detents providing track-engageable locks for interlockingly engaging the tracks and securing the tray when the tray is in the closed position.
The electronic communications device can comprise a portable electronic device, such as: a radiotelephone, cellular (cell) phone, mobile phone, smart phone, qwerty phone, flip phone, slider phone, android phone, tablet phone, camera phone, clamshell device, portable networking device, portable gaming device, mobile communications device, personal digital assistant (PDA), wireless e-mail device, a two way pager, internet communication device, android tablet, ipod, ipad, kindle, electronic reading device, incoming call notifier, answering machine, or combinations of any of the preceding.
The images displayed on the electronic display comprising a screen can comprise one or more of the following: graphics, color graphics, black graphics, moving graphics, text, numbers, alpha numeric images, characters, icons, animation, video clips, logos, photographs, decorations, designs, symbols, information, and data.
The data card(s) can comprise: a subscriber identity module card (SIM card), full-size SIM 1st form factor (1FF) card, mini-SIM 2nd form-factor (2FF) card, micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF) card, nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF) card, secure device card (SD card), standard SD card, miniSD card, microSD (uSD) card, memory card, storage card, expanded external memory card, or combinations of any of the preceding.
Among the many advantages of the single connector capable of accepting a micro-SIM 3rd form-factor (3FF) card, nano-SIM 4th form-factor (4FF) card, micro secure device (uSD) card or other memory card, are:
The single connector provides unexpected surprisingly good results.
Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is to be understood that various modifications, substitutions, and rearrangements of parts, components, and/or process (method) steps, as well as other uses of the single connector and electronic communications device can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the novel spirit and scope of this invention.
