Smart USB modules and method of making

• US 10,251,293 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kingston Digital, Inc. (Kingston Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kingston Digital, Inc. (Kingston Technology Corporation)
• Inventors: Tang, Choon-Tak, Chou, Ke-Chun
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Sonji N
• Application Number:
  US14/244,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289402A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/385 for adaptation of a particular data processing system to different peripheral devices
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

A system and method for data storage are disclosed. In a first aspect, the system comprises a printed circuit board, a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the printed circuit board, an USB connector coupled to the CPU, and an USB receptacle connector coupled to the CPU. In a second aspect, the system is a smart USB device that includes a smart USB module and a USB drive coupled to the smart USB module.

Claims

1. A USB module, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the printed circuit board;

a wireless device coupled to the CPU, via a bus;

a memory buffer coupled to the bus;

a USB connector coupled to the CPU; and

a USB receptacle connector coupled to the CPU, the USB receptacle connector coupling with a client USB drive to form a smart USB device that functions as both a client USB drive and a smart USB device,

wherein the wireless device establishes a wireless connection between the smart USB device and a portable device,

wherein the smart USB device functions as a smart USB device as the wireless device utilizes any of IEEE802.11, Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, and Bluetooth to establish the wireless connection between the smart USB device and the portable device, and

wherein the memory buffer is accessible to the portable device that is wirelessly connected to the smart USB device to access data stored on the memory buffer.

2. The USB module of claim 1, wherein the USB connector is on one end of the USB module and the USB receptacle connector is on the other end of the USB module.

3. The USB module of claim 1, wherein the USB connector connects to any of a computing device, the portable device, and a USB-power adapter.

4. The USB module of claim 1, wherein the USB receptacle connector connects to a USB connector of the client USB drive.

5. The USB module of claim 1, wherein the wireless device is integrated into the CPU.

6. The USB module of claim 1, further comprising:

a top housing; and

a bottom housing coupled to the top housing, wherein the printed circuit board, the CPU, the USB connector, and the USB receptacle connector are housed between the top and the bottom housings.

7. A smart USB device for data storage, the smart USB device comprising:

a smart USB module, wherein the smart USB module includes;

a printed circuit board,

a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to the printed circuit board,

a USB connector coupled to the CPU, via a bus,

a wireless device coupled to the CPU, via the bus,

a memory buffer coupled to the CPU, via the bus, and

a USB receptacle connector coupled to the CPU; and

a client USB drive coupled to the smart USB module via the USB receptacle connector to form the smart USB device that functions as both a client USB drive and a smart USB device,

wherein the wireless device establishes a wireless connection between the smart USB device and a portable device,

wherein the smart USB device functions as a smart USB device as the wireless device utilizes any of IEEE802.11, Wi-Fi, mobile broadband, and Bluetooth to establish the wireless connection between the smart USB device and the portable device, and

wherein the memory buffer is accessible to the portable device that is wirelessly connected to the smart USB device to access data stored on the memory buffer.

8. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein the USB connector is on one end of the smart USB module and the USB receptacle connector is on the other end of the smart USB module.

9. The smart USB device of claim 8, wherein the USB connector is coupled to a USB-power adapter to power the smart USB device.

10. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein the USB connector connects to any of a computing device, the portable device, and an USB-power adapter.

11. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein the smart USB module further comprises:

a top housing; and

a bottom housing coupled to the top housing, wherein the printed circuit board, the CPU, the USB connector, and the USB receptacle connector are housed between the top and the bottom housings.

12. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein the smart USB module further comprises:

a rechargeable battery coupled to the CPU to power the smart USB device.

13. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein once the smart USB device is powered, it automatically connects with any of a portable device and a cloud-based network without the usage of a manual push button.

14. The smart USB device of claim 7, wherein the smart USB device includes a first configuration when connected non-wirelessly to a device, and includes a second configuration when connected wirelessly to the device.