Multi-purpose personal portable electronic system

• US 20030218064A1
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: StorCard, Inc.
• Original Assignee: StorCard, Inc.
• Inventors: Nigam, Anil, Conner, Finis
• Application Number:
  US10/384,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20030218064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/439
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1656 Details related to functional adaptations of the enclosure, e.g. to provide protection against EMI, shock, water, or to host detachable peripherals like a mouse or removable expansions units like PCMCIA cards, or to provide access to internal components for maintenance or to removable storage supports like CDs or DVDs, or to mechanically mount accessories mounting of accessories to a computer display G06F1/1607; display hoods G06F1/1603; cooling arrangements for portable computers G06F1/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/006 the housing being a portable casing

Abstract

A portable electronic device includes a housing, a display area provided on one side of the housing, and a slot configured to receive an approximately credit card sized card. The card has a first semiconductor device provided at a first location on the card and a storage area provided on a second location on the card. The first semiconductor and storage area are coupled to each other for data transfer by a data path.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display area provided on one side of the housing; and

a slot configured to receive an approximately credit card sized card having a first semiconductor device provided at a first location on the card and a storage area provided on a second location on the card, the first semiconductor and storage area being coupled to each other for data transfer by a data path.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

an electronic component configured to receive data from the card and display images corresponding to the data on the display area.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to provide a specific function as required by the card inserted into the slot.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the device is configured to take on a function of a phone, personal digital assistant, video player, video recorder, digital camera, audio recorder, audio player, or position locator, or a combination thereof according to the specific function associated with the card that is inserted into the slot.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a thumb print sensor for authenticating identity of a user.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reader to read data stored in the storage area of the card using the first semiconductor device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the slot is configured to receive the card that is inserted within a reader, the reader being configured to read data stored in the storage area of the card via interconnects coupled to the first semiconductor device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the reader is a disk drive having a shape of a PCMCIA card.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage area is a rotatable magnetic disk for storing data.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage area is a second semiconductor device. 10B The device of claim 1, wherein the second semiconductor device is a Flash memory unit.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the device uses a microprocessor provided in the card to execute one or more programs stored in the storage area of the card.

12. A multi-functional portable electronic device, comprising:

a housing;

a display area provided on one side of the housing; and

a slot configured to receive a card having a first semiconductor device provided at a first location on the card and a storage area provided at a second location on the card, the first semiconductor and storage area being coupled to each other for data transfer by a data path, the card being configured to provide an application specific function,

wherein the device is configured to provide a function according the application specific function of the card that is inserted into the slot.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the device is configured to provide a function of a phone, personal digital assistant, video player, video recorder, digital camera, audio recorder, audio player, or position locator, or a combination thereof according to the application specific function of the card that is inserted into the slot.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the card has an approximate size of a credit card.

15. The device of claim 12, further comprising:

a reader to read data stored in the storage area of the card using the first semiconductor device.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the slot is configured to receive the card that is inserted within a reader, the reader being configured to read data stored in the storage area of the card via interconnects coupled to the first semiconductor device.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the reader is a hard drive having a shape of PCMCIA card.

18. An authentication card associated with a specific user, comprising:

identification information of the specific user;

an integrated circuit accessible from an exterior of the card, the integrated circuit being provided on a first location on the card; and

a storage area provided on a second location on the card that is remote from the first location.

19. The card of claim 18, wherein storage area is a Flash memory.

20. The card of claim 18, further comprising:

a bus connecting the integrated circuit and the storage area, wherein data is stored and retrieved to and from the storage area using the integrated circuit.

21. The card of claim 18, wherein the card has a form factor of a credit card and the bus includes a flexible circuit.

22. The card of claim 18, wherein the card has a thickness of about 0.25 inch to about 0.020 inch.

23. The card of claim 18, further comprising:

a microprocessor to process data stored in the storage area; and

a plurality of semiconductor devices.

24. The card of claim 23, wherein one or more application programs are stored in the storage area.

25. The card of claim 18, further comprising:

a high speed interface coupled to the storage area.

26. The card of claim 18, wherein the card is used to authenticate the identity of a possessor of the card.

27. The card of claim 26, wherein the card is a drivers license, identification card, security card, credit card, transactional card, or debit card.

28. A method for using a card-like device, comprising:

inserting the card-like device into a host device, the card-like device having an integrated circuit provided on a first location of the card-like device and a storage area provided on a second location of the card-like that is remote from the first location, an application program being stored in the storage area of the card-like device, the card-like device having a thickness of no more than 0.25 inch; and

processing information using the application program stored in the card-like device with an input device of the host device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the host device is a portable digital viewer to view at least video information.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the host device is a Notebook computer or desktop computer.