The present invention relates generally, as indicated, to memory devices and methods, and more particularly, to a miniaturized USB type universal memory system and method.
Removable, transportable memory is an increasingly popular way to store data such as text, images, program code and the like on peripheral devices, such as those used in connection with computers, other electrical and electronic apparatus, and the like, and to transport data from one device to another. Exemplary devices that can use transportable memory include a variety of portable electronic devices, such as digital still cameras, digital movie cameras, personal digital assistant (PDAs), printers, portable digital audio players (e.g., mpeg and mp3 player), electronic devices to play movies, cell phones, home phones, car audio devices, home audio devices, game devices such as video game players, and less portable devices such as computers, printers, telephones, household appliances, and so forth. As but one example, in the field of digital photography, a digital camera is used to take a picture, and the data representing the image is stored in a memory device. The data stored in such a camera memory device usually is transferred to a computer or to a printer for viewing, editing and/or printing of the picture that had been taken by the digital camera. Data transfer is typically accomplished by creating a data connection between devices, or by physical transportation of a removable memory from one device to another device. Many different types of removable memory devices are available currently, many of which are incompatible with each other. Removable memory is referred to by a variety of names such as “digital media”, “digital media cards”, “flash memory cards”, as well as others. Several exemplary memory devices currently existing are those referred to as Smart Media Card, MultiMedia Card, Memory Stick, D-picture Card (sometimes referred to as xD-picture Card) and Compact Flash. In general, these devices implement a quantity of non-volatile memory such as Flash EEPROM memory as well as the circuitry, logic, and physical interconnections necessary to read and write data. Even though these various memory cards perform essentially the same function, because of the variety of implementations, a memory card that operates in one device is often physically and/or electrically incompatible with another device.
The physical dimensions of the aforementioned respective memory devices are different. Removable media is generally card-shaped in that it is notably thinner in one dimension as compared to the other two dimensions. Typically these cards have at least one dimension that is several times, e.g., ten times, smaller than either of the other dimensions which creates a distinct, card like appearance. However, this arrangement is difficult to manufacture and leads to breakage due to bending. Also, the variation in physical dimensions prevents exchange of digital memory between devices. For example, the Smart Media Card is wider and thinner than the MultiMedia Card. As a result, a device with a port that accepts a specific type of memory device is unable to accept any other type of memory device in that port. For example, a device that has a port that accepts a Memory Stick is unable to accept a Smart Media Card. In addition, the electrical interfaces to these different cards usually are different.
Personal computers usually do not come with any built in ports for directly receiving a memory device such as those mentioned above. Therefore, such memory devices usually cannot be plugged directly into the majority of personal computers. Hence, to interface a computer with the memory device (e.g., to store data in or to retrieve data from the memory device), a special adapter that is designed to accept a particular memory device is used. Such an adapter usually includes an electrical cable and an electrical connector that may be plugged into (connected to) a standard port on the computer. These adapters are sold separately from the personal computer and usually plug into a USB port or a serial port on the personal computer. An adapter may support multiple types of memory devices, but it usually does not support all types of memory devices that are available, and new memory devices will generally not be compatible with previously built adapters. Thus, one problem with the need to use these adapters is that the user may not have the correct adapter readily available in order to access his own specific memory device. For example, a user may want to access a Smart Media Card, but he may have an adapter that only accepts a Memory Stick.
The connector arrangement used in such adapters sometimes is referred to as a termination or as an electrical termination or similar nomenclature; the combination of connector and cable sometimes is referred to as a cable termination assembly or similar nomenclature. The form factor for such connectors and/or of the housing thereof typically is a standard shape or at least the shapes are reasonably standardized to allow the connector to plug into a standard socket or port of a computer or of a peripheral device, such as a printer, external disc drive, etc., and, for example, to provide for connections to the cable to which it is attached or to a circuit board on which it is mounted. Although the shape of such connectors for connection to a computer and, thus, the form factor of such connectors at the computer connection end and/or peripheral device connection end may have been somewhat standardized, the connections made by the mentioned adapters to memory devices clearly have not been standardized, as different sizes, shapes and electrical and mechanical connection arrangements are specially designed to accommodate the respective memory devices, such as those mentioned above.
Data as used herein is defined as anything such as program code, information, or signals that may be stored or retrieved from a memory device. The data may be in digital form or in some other form. Examples of data are pictures taken from digital still cameras, movies from digital video cameras, songs downloaded from CDs, from mp3 players, or from the internet, spreadsheets from an Excel spreadsheet or a Quattro spreadsheet, databases, computer games, documents from a word processing software, and saved emails from Outlook software, as well as any other information able to be stored in a memory device.
The physical size of the actual storage medium of the previously mentioned memory devices usually is small, but in order effectively to use the storage medium, the packaging of the memory device is relatively large and bulky compared to the size of the storage medium. In addition, the adapters necessary to connect the memory device to a personal computer are relatively large and bulky and are a hassle to carry if the user is frequently mobile. For example, a tourist taking pictures of scenic places with a digital camera and carrying his laptop in order to view those pictures would also have to carry the adapter in order to view those pictures on the laptop. Forgetting to bring the adapter or bringing the wrong adapter clearly is a problem. There are USB memory devices, which are intended to be an external memory for transporting data between two computing devices, but they are large enough that they cannot reasonably be contained largely within the peripheral.
One aspect of the invention relates to a memory device for interconnection with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) Series A type receptacle of an electronic device, including a housing wherein the housing is largely rectangular, with the width and height of a USB Series A plug standard housing; a connector within the housing, electrical terminals in the housing; the housing and terminals of a form to connect with a USB Series A receptacle of an electronic device; and a data memory and a controller within the housing.
Another aspect relates to a memory device, including a circuit board; an I/O controller; a data memory; a memory controller; and an electrical connector having terminals for electrical connection to another device, wherein the terminals of the electrical connector are on the circuit board, and wherein the electrical connector includes a standard shape housing and at least part of each of the circuit board, controller, data memory, memory controller and terminals is in the housing.
Another aspect relates to a memory device able to connect directly to a peripheral and connect directly to a computer, including a data memory; a controller; and an electrical connector having terminals to connect to another device, wherein the electrical connector includes a standard shape housing.
Another aspect relates to a method of transporting data between a peripheral and a computer (or processor), including storing data in a portable memory device directly using a computer or a peripheral; transporting the portable memory device to the other of such a computer or a peripheral; and delivering data from the portable memory device directly to such other computer or peripheral, said delivering being while the portable memory device is largely within the peripheral during use of the peripheral.
Another aspect relates to a system of transporting data between a peripheral and a computer (or processor) including storing data in a portable memory device directly using a computer or a peripheral; transporting the portable memory device to the other of such a computer or a peripheral; and delivering data from the portable memory device directly to such other computer or peripheral, wherein the portable memory device utilizes a nearly universally available standard communication protocol and can fit fully within or nearly fully within the peripheral during use of the peripheral.
Another aspect relates to a method of transporting data between at least two peripherals that do not accept the same flash memory card type, including storing data in a portable memory device directly using a peripheral, while the portable memory is fully or nearly fully within the peripheral; transporting the portable memory device to another peripheral; and delivering the data from the portable memory device directly to such other peripheral.
Another aspect relates to a storage apparatus, including a memory unit for preserving data received from an electronic device; a connector (e.g. a Universal Serial Bus connector) for connecting the apparatus to an electronic device (e.g. a computer or digital camera); a communication control system between the connector and the memory unit for arranging data received from a connected electronic device through the connector and the memory unit to the desired format for transmission to the memory unit and a connected electronic device, respectively; and a casing retaining the memory unit, the communication control system, and the connector as an integral unit, the casing having a form factor in at least two directions comparable to the form factor in the same two directions of a standard electrical connector casing.
Another aspect relates to a storage apparatus, including a connector (e.g. a Universal Serial Bus connector) for connecting the apparatus to an electronic device (e.g. a computer or digital camera) and for being a medium for data sent between the apparatus and the electronic device; and at least one memory unit for preserving data received from the connected electronic device and for later retrieval of the data by the electronic device or another electronic device; and a communication control system between the connector and the memory unit for arranging data received from the connected electronic device through the connector and the memory unit to the desired format for transmission to the memory unit and the connected electronic device respectively; and wherein the connector includes a housing containing at least part of the memory unit and at least part of the communication control system, and wherein the storage apparatus is small enough to fit fully or nearly fully within at least one of the electronic devices, and wherein the dimensions of the storage apparatus housing are the same in at least two dimensions as a standard connector.
Another aspect relates to an electronic memory device, including a relatively non-volatile memory, and a housing having electrical conductivity for at least one of grounding, guarding and static discharge, the memory being at least partly in the housing, the housing having a form factor to plug directly into a connector port of an electronic device, and the housing fitting either completely or nearly completely into some electronic devices.
Another aspect relates to a portable computing device or peripheral including a receptacle to house a memory device of the type disclosed herein, wherein the memory device is largely within the portable computing device.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments, however, are merely indicative of a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
Also, although various features are illustrated and described with respect to embodiments and arrangements in the several figures, it will be appreciated that features shown and/or described with respect to a given embodiment, arrangement or illustration may be used in other(s) of the embodiments or arrangements disclosed herein and equivalents thereof.
Although the invention is shown and described with respect to one or more preferred embodiments, it is obvious that equivalents and modifications will occur to others skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of the specification. The present invention includes all such equivalents and modifications, and is limited only by the scope of the claims.
In the annexed drawings:
In general, the present invention relates to a universal, transportable memory system that may leverage a wide installed base of standardized communication ports such as USB ports found on many computing devices (or other parts currently existing or developed in the future). Unlike prior approaches which provided specialized and proprietary memory interfaces for internal memory, the present invention provides a memory device that uses a generally available I/O interface implemented in a form factor that meets the needs of portable electronic devices. In this manner, a memory device in accordance with the present invention benefits from the rapid development and cost benefits achieved by the general purpose memory markets, while providing the benefits of portability and compactness that are advantageous for portable electronic devices.
Referring, now, in detail to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like parts, and initially to
A common aspect or feature of each of the exemplary systems or devices 11 is that each has a connector receptacle 17. An arrow 18 represents the possibilities of use, connection, insertion in, etc. of the memory device 10 with the respective devices 12-16. The terms connector receptacle or connection receptacle may be used interchangeably and equivalently herein; similarly, the terms connector plug and connection plug may be used interchangeably and equivalently. The connector receptacle 17 of each electronic device or system 11 has the same form factor (size and shape). Moreover, each of the connector receptacles 17 has the same type of electrical connection mechanism in it or those electrical connection mechanisms are similar enough to be able to connect with the memory device 10; and those electrical connection mechanisms may be relatively standard. One example of an electrical connection mechanism is that known as a universal serial bus (USB) electrical connection or connector receptacle, etc. There are several types of USB ports, one of which is referred to as a USB series A connector receptacle. In the current USB specification, for example, the memory device is similar to or has a similar form factor to a USB series A plug.
The memory device 10 has a form factor and electrical connection mechanism or arrangement to mate properly with the connection ports 17 of the several systems/devices 11. The memory device 10 also has control and memory features to interact in a standardized way or uniform way with the respective systems/devices 11 when plugged into a respective connector port 17 to provide data to the system/device and/or to receive data from such system/device.
The size and shape of the memory device 10 is such that it is about the same cross-sectional area along its entire length and that when it is plugged into a connector receptacle 17 it is largely within the connector receptacle. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the memory device 10 is relatively small and compact while being able to carry out the data storage and retrieval functions described below. In other embodiments the size and shape may vary consistent with the relatively small and robust character of the memory device.
The term “largely within” means that the memory device 10 in such an embodiment is entirely within the connector receptacle to which it is connected or at least is sufficiently within the connector receptacle that any part of the memory device that is not within the connector receptacle does not extend so far outside the connector receptacle that the memory device would be prone to be engaged by something that could relatively easily break the memory device or the connector receptacle. One or more portions of the memory device 10 may be exposed outside the connector receptacle 17, e.g., to house part of the memory component or other component in the memory device, to facilitate manual or mechanical grasping of the memory device for placement in or withdrawal from the connector receptacle, etc.
The memory device 10 is an integral unit that not only connects to a connector receptacle 17 but also includes suitable control and memory functions to provide the desired functions of data storage, data transfer or outputting, and/or receiving of data. As is described further below, the form factor, e.g., the physical size and shape, of the memory device 10 is relatively small and the memory device is mechanically and electrically relatively robust inasmuch as it is an integral unit, e.g. one part.
Briefly referring to
Turning, now, to
The memory and control portion 21 of the memory device 10 includes a relatively non-volatile memory, such as, for example, a memory able to receive, to store, and to read out, e.g., to output, data, such as, for example, electronic signals, data representing logic one or logic zero values of a digital or binary data system, etc., as is used conventionally in computer program object code, data stored or used in a conventional computer or another system/device 11, etc. or other data or information. Such a memory is illustrated schematically at 23 in
The memory and control portion 21 also includes a control 24. The control 24 has several functions including controlling storage of data in the data memory 23 and retrieval of data from the data memory 23 and also communication control to control communication between the memory device 10 and the system or device 11 or to respond to control from the system or device 11. Control portion 21 supports, for example, serial and/or parallel communication to provide addressing and data communication. It will be appreciated that the control 24 may include separate portions, such as, for example, a memory control system 24m for directly controlling the data memory 23, for example, and a communication control system 24c that controls communication between the memory device 10, on the one hand, and a system/device 11, on the other hand. In this exemplary embodiment, the communication control system 24c is, for example, a USB controller, which are known, or may be another type of controller. Those two portions of the control 24 may be separate devices, such as, for example, respective integrated circuits, or they may be a common device such as a single integrated circuit that is able to carry out both functions. The memory 23 may be a separate device from the control 24 may be a number of devices, e.g., a number of flash ram devices or the like, that are physically separate from the control 24. Alternatively, if desired the memory 23 and the control 24 may be a single device, e.g., a single integrated circuit having both the desired data storage capability and the control capability described above or such other functions, if needed; or, if unnecessary, the control 24 or part of it may be omitted.
The memory 23 may be a relatively non-volatile memory (electronic or otherwise) that is able to store data without having its own internal power source, although if desired it may have its own internal power source. An example of such memory 23 is a flash memory, which is able to store data and to provide retrieval of data using power supplied by an external device, such as one of the systems/devices 11 connected to the memory via a connector port 17. The memory 23 may be a relatively non-volatile memory that uses a power source to retain data and/or otherwise to function to store and/or to output data. The memory 23 may be a volatile memory, e.g., random access memory (RAM) or it may be non-volatile, e.g. read only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), selective erasable PROM (EPROM), etc. Suitable exemplary technologies include MOS, Bipolar, ferroelectric, optical, nanotechnology, molecular and the like.
The memory 23 may store many types of data, some examples of which are mentioned elsewhere herein. When the memory 23 is used to store data representing music, movies, videos, voice, games or the like, such as typically may be stored in compact discs (CDs) or digital video discs (DVDs), it may be desirable to provide copy protection, data encryption, etc. features for the memory 23 and/or for the device 10 as a whole to try to avoid wrongful copying and/or use. Various formats for the data stored in the memory may be used; non-limiting examples include word processing formats, those known as xls, mpeg, jpeg, and pdf formats, and so forth. The memory 23 may hold multiple types and formats of data at the same time. Because the present invention is able to couple to a wider variety of electronic devices than previous portable memory designs, in some instances it would be able to store files of various formats simultaneously.
As is seen schematically in
The housing 25 also provides physical protection for the electrical terminals 22 and for the memory 23 and control 24. Being electrically conductive, the housing 25 also may provide electrical shielding, isolation, grounding and/or connection functions. The electrical terminals 22 and the memory 23 and control 24 may be enclosed substantially entirely within the housing 25 or may be partly enclosed and partly exposed, for example to allow for various electrical connection functions, heat dissipation functions, and the like. Openings 28 in the housing may be provided for retention purposes, e.g., for locating and/or retaining springs or the like to retain the memory device 10 in a conventional USB connector port. Thus, if desired, openings 28 may be provided in the housing at strategic locations to carry out retention and/or other purposes. For example, openings may be provided in the housing 25 to cooperate with an ejection device to eject the memory device 11 from a USB series A connector receptacle or the like. Moreover, an access opening 29 is provided at the front 30 of the housing 25 to allow for electrical connections to be made between the electrical terminals 22 and respective electrical terminals or the like in connector receptacles 17.
Referring to
The control 24 may be a single integrated circuit, chip or device or may be a number of integrated circuits, e.g., as is illustrated at 24c and 24m, that provide functions as a memory controller 24m and input/output controller or USB controller 24c (also referred to herein as communication control). In a number of conventional non-volatile memory devices, such as, for example, Compact Flash type memories or the like, a separate memory controller and I-O (input-output) or USB controller may be provided.
The circuit board 40 has two surfaces 41, 42. Conductive paths 43, e.g., an electrical bus, may be on the surface(s) of the circuit board 40, may be through the board and may be internal of the board, e.g., as in a multilevel circuit board. The conductive paths 43 electrically connect the electrical terminals 22, data memory 23 and control system 24 for usual operation of receiving, storing, and outputting or reading out data, for example. The electrical terminals 22, data memory 23, control system 24 and conductive paths 43 are on the circuit board 40 and form a sub-assembly 44. The sub-assembly 44 is located in the interior space 27 of the housing 25. The housing 25 and the sub-assembly 44 are secured together by suitable securement mechanism, such as, for example, adhesive, solder connection, mechanical retainer, e.g., a stud, rivet, or any other suitable mechanism to form an integral structure to retain the sub-assembly 44 with respect to the housing 25. As an example of such securement, stand-offs 45, e.g., plastic studs, electrically non-conductive rivets, screws, bolds, studs, or electrically conductive ones, etc., support and retain the circuit board 40 in the housing 25, as is illustrated in
In an embodiment of the memory device 10 the memory 23 and control 24 are mechanically and electrically connected to the circuit board 40. For example, the circuit board 40 may have a number of electrically conductive traces thereon and/or therein, and the memory 23 and control 24 may be attached at respective electrically conductive parts thereof, e.g., terminals or the like, to such electrically conductive traces, terminal pads or the like, using wire bonding techniques, or other techniques. Wiring bonding techniques tend to minimize the amount of space required to make electrical and mechanical connection of an integrated circuit, for example, to a circuit board, thus providing the electrical and mechanical attachment of an integrated circuit or the like to a circuit board and to respective electrically conductive portions of such a circuit board. Electrically conductive adhesive, solder and/or other techniques also may be used for such mechanical and/or electrical connecting of the memory 23, control 24 and/or other parts to the circuit board 40.
As is seen in
An example of electrically conductive paths 43 of the circuit board 40 are illustrated at 46, 47 and 48. Such conductive paths 43 may be referred to as an electrical bus. At 46 and 47 a number of electrically conductive paths are represented by a single doubled sided arrow allowing for electrical connection between the memory 23 and the control 24, on the one hand, and between respective parts of the control 24, on the other hand. The electrical connections 48 are provided between the respective electrical terminals 22 and the control system 24.
As is illustrated in the drawings, the interior space 27 of the housing 25 of the memory device 10 is adequate in height to provide space for the electrical terminals 22 and for the insertion of corresponding electrical terminals and associated portions of a USB series “A” connector receptacle. The interior space 27 also is adequate to contain or to house the data memory 23 and control system 24 without any change or without a significant change in height dimension H or width dimension W of the housing 25 from that of a conventional USB series “A” connector plug. Thus, the form factor for the memory device 10 is the same or substantially the same as that of a conventional USB series “A” connector plug in the height and width dimensions. However, the length dimension L of the memory device 10 may be greater than that of a conventional USB connector thereby to provide adequate space for the data memory 23 and controller 24 within the housing while still being small enough to be largely within the device to which the memory device is connected or is to be connected.
Reference is made to
Furthermore, as is illustrated in
Also, as is illustrated in
Briefly referring to
Briefly turning to
Although the invention is described with respect to a small memory device 10 that has a USB type of form factor and can be installed in a computer, camera, etc., without sticking out or without sticking out very much, nevertheless, the principles of the invention may be used with connectors other than USB type.
Referring to
The circuit board 501 and forward portion 502 may be the same part, e.g. and integral structure that extends the entire length L of the circuit board and contacts arrangement 500, as is illustrated in
Referring to the top view of the circuit board 503 as it is illustrated in
Electrical contacts 22 are seen in
Briefly referring to
In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
The circuit board 503 may include one or more electrically conductive traces or paths, several of which are indicated generally at 520. Such electrically conductive paths may be on a single surface, on both surfaces, and/or within e.g., a multi-layer format, the circuit board 503. The several electrically conductive paths are illustrated schematically. It will be appreciated that the number and arrangement of those electrically conductive paths may be so designed as to carry out the desired functions, electrical connections, mechanical connections, etc. of the various parts of the subassembly 44 and memory device 10. Additionally, plated through openings, for example, as are illustrated schematically at 521, may be provided to effect electrical interconnections between electrically conductive paths, circuits, components, etc. on the respective surfaces 504, 516 of the circuit board 503.
In the bottom view of
Turning to
While
It will be appreciated that the arrangement of components, e.g., the components 505-508, 517, and 518 in the manner illustrated and described herein on both surfaces of the printed circuit board 503 makes efficient use of the circuit board “real estate” both above and below the circuit board within the connector so that the memory device 10 can be quite small and yet be a rather powerful device for the purposes described herein and for other purposes whether already existing or coming into existence in the future.
In
As is seen in
Briefly turning to
A bottom view of the circuit board 503 is illustrated in
The annular rim 515 (
The annular rim 515 extends slightly above the top surface 504 of the printed circuit board 503 to provide a further spacing function.
As was mentioned above, different types of terminals may be used in the subassembly 44 for the memory device 10. Another example of terminals is terminals that are plated or directly applied to the circuit board 503. The USB specification provides identification for such plated terminals formed of palladium plating and a top surface of gold thereon. Thus, using such plated terminals, the terminals may be plated directly to the top surface 504 of the circuit board 503 without the need to form grooves 541.
Briefly referring to
In
In
Ordinarily the removal strap 700 may be stored in the housing 25 of the device as is illustrated in
This patent application claims priority to United States Provisional patent application entitled “USB FLASH MEMORY DEVICE” filed on Nov. 24, 2003 and assigned Ser. No. 60/525,046 which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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