Patent Application
20080156676
1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a memory card holder and organizer.
2. Description of the Related Art
The strong growth in demand for portable consumer electronics is driving the need for high-capacity storage devices. Non-volatile semiconductor memory devices are becoming widely used to meet the ever-growing demands on digital information storage and exchange. Such devices, referred to herein in general as memory cards, include for example an SD Card, a Pico Card, a Compact Flash, a Smart Media Card, a Mini SD Card, an MMC, an RS-MMC, an xD Card, a Transflash memory card, a Memory Stick, a Subscriber Identity Module card (SIM card), and the like. Their size, portability, and rugged design, along with their high reliability and large storage capacity, have made memory cards ideal for use in a wide variety of electronic devices, including for example digital cameras, digital music players, video game consoles, PDAs and cellular telephones. However, their size also has a drawback in that memory cards are easily misplaced. Moreover, individuals will often have several memory cards, often of the same type. Their size makes it difficult to mark individual memory cards to allow the individual to distinguish one from another and label the contents stored on each card.
There exist a number of cases in the marketplace in which a number of memory cards may be stored and carried. For example, RoadWired, a Division of Three Point Ventures, LLC markets a memory card carrying case under the product name FlashFolio®. The product is a folio including mesh pockets on one side for storing a plurality of memory cards and a page opposite the mesh pockets allowing a user to give a written description of what is on the memory cards on the opposite page. This and other known cases have certain drawbacks. First, the known carriers are integrated cases that do not allow for expansion. If a case is full, a user may not augment it to carry additional memory cards. Second, the existing solutions do not allow for exchange of individual identified cards. And third, these cases tend to be fabricated of molded plastic and/or include multiple components. In view of these drawbacks, a simple memory card holder is desired which provides for identification and exchange of individual memory cards, as well as a holder which allows for expansion to include additional memory cards in the holder as needed.
The present invention, roughly described, relates to a memory card holder and organizer providing consumers with a compact, convenient, and complete solution to organize their flash memory cards and catalog the contents of each memory card. Embodiments of the invention provide an individual memory card holder including a piece of paper, cardboard or other stock to which is affixed a memory card pocket for holding a memory card. The stock further includes an indexing space next to the memory card pocket, which indexing space may have lines printed on the stock for a user to provide a description of the contents of the memory card stored in the pocket.
The individual memory card holder provides greater flexibility than do currently known multiple card holders. The individual card holder provides consumers with a standalone piece that can simply be inserted into a wallet, organizer, scrapbook, business card holder, or otherwise easily shared with others. The card holder may be used with photos returned from a photo lab. In a further embodiment, the individual card holder may be a traditional business card, with a memory card pocket on its rear surface.
In a further aspect of the present invention, one or more individual memory card holders may be stored within pockets on a folio panel, or page. The card holders may be on a front surface of a folio page, and the back surface may have a corresponding number of pockets. The pocket on the back of a page may be used for storing print-outs of the contents of the memory card within the corresponding pocket on the front surface of the folio. The rear pocket may additionally or alternatively store memorabilia or other information related to or stored on the corresponding memory card.
The folio page may be provided within a bound folio, such as for example a three-ring binder. One advantage of the folio page is that any number of such pages may be bound together within a folio so that any number of memory cards may be organized and stored together within a single folio. Thus, for example, folio pages may be provided as refills to a folio to add more space in the folio for storage of additional memory cards. Additionally, the standalone index memory card holder may be provided as refills and purchased separately.
Embodiments will now be described with reference to
Referring initially to the front view of
Pocket 104 is provided to receive a memory card 110. It is understood that pocket 104 may be a generic size capable of receiving any of a variety of different sized and shaped memory cards. Pocket 104 may alternatively be sized and/or shaped to receive a particular type memory card. Any memory card format may be accommodated within the pocket 104, including but not limited to SD Card, a Pico Card, a Compact Flash, a Smart Media Card, a Mini SD Card, an MMC, an RS-MMC, an xD Card, a Transflash memory card, a Memory Stick, a Subscriber Identity Module card (SIM card). The pocket may further accommodate pre-recorded content memory cards (such as game cards, Disney® cards, etc. that are pre-loaded with music, games, etc.). The holder 100 may further be sized in embodiments to hold USB memory drives as well. Pocket 104 may include a push-up 104a and/or a pull-up 104b which are cut out sections from the vinyl (or other material from which pocket 104 is formed) to facilitate easy removal of a memory card 110 from pocket 104. Push-up 104a and/or pull-up 104b may be omitted in alternative embodiments of the present invention.
Indexing space 106 may be lines printed on the stock 102 for a user to provide a description of the contents of the memory card 110 stored in pocket 104. Indexing space 106 need not include lines in alternative embodiments. For example, the indexing space may alternatively be a box or empty space provided specifically for receiving a description.
In embodiments, holder 100 may have a length of between 2″ and 4″ and a width of between 2″ and 3″, and may in embodiments be the size of a typical U.S. or international business card. It is understood that the length and/or width of card holder 100 may be less than or greater than the dimensions set forth above in alternative embodiments.
In embodiments, the back of card holder 100 may be blank. In an alternative embodiment shown in the rear view of
The individual memory card holder 100 provides greater flexibility than do current known multiple card holders. The stand-alone card holder 100 provides an option not provided by current systems where holders are integrated within an organizer. The individual card holder 100 provides consumers with a standalone piece that may be sized to fit within a wallet/organizer/business card holder, or otherwise easily shared with others. A memory card holder 100 may alternatively be affixed within a scrapbook, or easily mailed through the Postal Service. It is further contemplated that a card holder 100 may be dropped off with, or provided by, a photo lab. When pictures are returned, the envelope including the pictures may also include a card holder 100 including the memory card from which the pictures were printed. The individual may add a description of the pictures to the card holder 100.
In a further embodiment shown in
In embodiments described with respect to
Referring now to
Folio page 126 may be provided within a bound folio. Holes 138 may be provided which allow folio page 126 to be added to or removed from a 3-ring binder. One advantage of folio page 126 is that any number of such pages may be bound together within a folio so that any number of memory cards may be organized and stored together within a single folio. Thus, for example, folio pages may be purchased as refills to a folio to add more space in the folio for storage of additional memory cards. This option provides a flexible and fully customizable organizer for a consumer. No known conventional card holder today holds more than 20 memory cards. Using the folio pages, a great many more than 20 memory cards may be stored. Embodiments may include 100 or more memory cards. Consumers may also mix and match different pages 126 within a folio to suit particular needs. Thus, in an example, a folio may include pages 126 including card pockets 128 on the front and pockets 130 on the back, pages 126 including card pockets 128 on the front and indexing space on the back, and/or pages 126 with different size pockets 128/130.
Referring now to
As described above, all memory card pockets 104 provided on a folio page may be the same size. However, as shown for example on
Referring now to
The foregoing detailed description of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.
