Small card adaptor and host apparatus for insertion of the same

• US 20040161978A1
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Godo Kaisha IP Bridge 1 (IP Bridge, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,046,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/638
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/065 with built-in electric apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/94 Holders formed as intermediate parts for linking a counter-part to a coupling part

Abstract

A small card adaptor into which a small card is inserted so as to be connected to a personal computer includes a small card identifying portion for identifying the kind of the inserted small card, and a controller for receiving an instruction issued by the personal computer based on the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion and transferring the received instruction to the small card.

Claims

1. A small card adaptor into which a small card is inserted so as to be connected to a host apparatus, comprising:

a small card identifying portion for identifying a kind of the inserted small card; and

a controller for receiving an instruction issued by the host apparatus based on the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion and transferring the received instruction to the small card.

2. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the controller gives a result of processing, performed by the small card based on the instruction transferred from the controller, to the host apparatus.

3. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the small card adaptor is inserted into an adaptor slot provided in the host apparatus, and

the small card is inserted into a card slot provided in the small card adaptor.

4. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the instruction issued by the host apparatus includes a command code and a parameter for giving an instruction to the small card, and

the controller includes a plurality of registers for setting the command code and the parameter.

5. A small card adaptor according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of registers are configured so as to comply with a PC card ATA standards interface.

6. A small card adaptor according to claim 4, wherein the controller includes a small card interface control portion for transferring the command code and the parameter set in the plurality of registers to the small card.

7. A small card adaptor according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of registers include a Status Register provided with a DRDYbit, and

the host apparatus sets the DRDYbit provided in the Status Register in accordance with the result of identification of the kind of the small card by the small card identifying portion.

8. A small card adaptor according to claim 7, wherein the kind of the small card includes a communication card for communication of the host apparatus through an electric communication line and a memory card for storing image data,

when the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion is the communication card, the host apparatus sets the DRDYbit provided in the Status Register to be zero, and

when the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion is the memory card, the host apparatus sets the DRDYbit provided in the Status Register to be 1.

9. A small card adaptor according to claim 8, wherein the communication card is communicated through a wireless electric communication line.

10. A small card adaptor according to claim 8, wherein the communication card is any one selected from the group consisting of a wireless LAN card, a PHS card, a modem card, a LAN card, a GPS card, a Bluetooth card, a camera card, a scanner card, and an IO card.

11. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the controller is provided with a CIS (Card Information Structure) information storing region in which CIS information is stored in accordance with the kind of the small card.

12. A small card adaptor according to claim 11, wherein the host apparatus reads the CIS information stored in the CIS information storing region, and issues the instruction based on the read CIS information.

13. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the kind of the small card includes a communication card for communication of the upper apparatus through an electric communication line, and a memory card for storing image data.

14. A small card adaptor according to claim 13, wherein the memory card is a SD (Secure Digital) memory card.

15. A small card adaptor according to claim 13, further comprising a card slot into which either of the communication card and the memory card is inserted.

16. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the host apparatus is a host computer.

17. A small card adaptor according to claim 16, wherein the host computer is a personal computer.

18. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the host apparatus is any one of a digital camera, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), and a handy terminal.

19. A small card adaptor according to claim 1, wherein the host apparatus includes application software that issues an application instruction for operating the small card;

an operation system (OS) that issues an OS instruction for operating the small card based on the application instruction issued by the application software; and

driver software that issues the instruction for operating the small card based on the OS instruction issued by the operation system.

20. A small card adaptor according to claim 19, wherein the driver software issues the instruction based on the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion.

21. A small card adaptor according to claim 19, wherein the application software includes browser software for the Internet and software for electronic mail.

22. A host apparatus into which the small card adaptor of claim 1 is inserted, comprising:

an adaptor slot for receiving the small card adaptor; and

driver software for issuing the instruction to be transferred to the small card based on the kind of the small card identified by the small card identifying portion provided in the small card adaptor.

23. A host apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

application software that issues an application instruction for operating the small card; and

an operation system (OS) that issues an OS instruction for operating the small card based on the application instruction issued by the application software,

wherein the driver software issues the instruction based on the OS instruction issued by the operation system.

24. A host apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the application software includes browser software for the Internet and software for electronic mail.

25. A host apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the instruction issued by the driver software includes a command code and a parameter for giving an instruction to the small card, and

the command code and the parameter are set in a plurality of registers provided in the controller.

26. A host apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the controller is provided with a CIS (Card Information Structure) information storing region in which CIS information is stored in accordance with the kind of the small card, and

the operation system reads the CIS information stored in the CIS information storing region, and sets up the driver software based on the read CIS information.

27. A host apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the host apparatus is a host computer.

28. A host apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the host computer is a personal computer.

29. A host apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the host apparatus is any one of a digital camera, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistance), and a handy terminal.