Universal micro memory card

• US 20040182938A1
• Filed: 08/13/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carry Computer Engineering Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Carry Computer Engineering Co Ltd
• Inventors: Chen, Chia-Li, Hsieh, Hsiang-An
• Granted Patent: US 7,337,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02

Abstract

A universal micro memory card having a unique common transmission interface designed according to USB specifications and equipped with both USB pins and data transmission pins; said universal micro card detects the type of system interface connected to it with the initialization signals sent from the system end via the USB pins (D+ and D−), and then switches to the corresponding working mode; in that way, said universal micro memory card enables signal transmission from/to different memory card systems via said common transmission interface.

Claims

1. A universal micro memory card featured with:

said universal micro memory card has a common transmission interface designed on the basis of USB specifications, with a plurality of USB interface pins and at least a data transmission pin, to support different memory card systems transfer signals from/to said micro memory card via said common transmission interface.

2. The universal micro memory card as in claim 1, wherein said memory card system interfaces include USB, SD, or MS series, or other types of memory card system interfaces.

3. The universal micro memory card as in claim 1, wherein said USB interface pins include power supply pins and data transmission pins.

4. The universal micro memory card as in claim 3, wherein said data transmission pins transfer corresponding characteristic signals according to the transmission protocol of a specific memory card system interface.

5. A universal micro memory card featured with:

said micro memory card has a common transmission interface with one end connected electrically to the internal circuit of said micro memory card and the other end coupled with a conversion interface of preset specifications;

said micro memory card may be used with any type of memory card system interface, and said common transmission interface is designed on the basis of USB specifications with a plurality of USB interface pins and at least a data transmission pin.

6. The universal micro memory card as in claim 5, wherein said USB interface pins include power supply pins and data transmission pins.

7. The universal micro memory card as in claim 6, wherein said data transmission pins transfer corresponding characteristic signals according to the transmission protocol of a specific memory card system interface.

8. The universal micro memory card as in claim 5, wherein said memory card system interfaces include USB, SD, or MS series, or other types of memory card system interfaces.

9. A universal micro memory card with an internal rewritable memory card, wherein said universal micro memory card is featured with:

a common transmission interface designed on the basis of USB specifications, with a plurality of USB interface pins and at least a data transmission pin;

said common transmission interface utilizes D+ and D−

pins of USB interface to transfer a plurality of initialization signals sent from said memory card system interface, and;

an interface detection/switching circuit comprising a detection circuit and a switching circuit connected electrically to said common transmission interface;

said detection circuit is designed to automatically detect potential variation in said initialization signals to determine the type of the memory card system interface where said memory card is inserted;

said switching circuit switches the signal transmission route according to the detection result, and;

a micro controller that switches to the working mode corresponding to specific memory card system interface according to the detection result from said interface detection/switching circuit and processes signals from corresponding transmission route according to said working mode.

10. The universal micro memory card in claim 9 further comprises a data bus and a control signal bus connected to said interface detection/switching circuit and said micro controller;

said data bus and control signal bus serve as transmission routes to transfer different signals.

11. The universal micro memory card in claim 9 further comprises a voltage transformation/protection circuit connected to the power supply pins of USB interface to transform voltage from different memory card system interfaces into the voltage suitable for the internal circuit of said micro memory card.

12. The universal micro memory card as in claim 9, wherein said memory card system interfaces include USB, SD, or MS series, or other types of memory card system interfaces.

13. A universal micro memory card with an internal rewritable memory chip, said universal micro memory card is featured with:

a common transmission interface designed on the basis of USB specifications, with a plurality of USB interface pins and at least a data transmission pin;

said common transmission interface utilizes D+ and D−

pins of USB interface to transfer a plurality of initialization signals sent from said memory card system interface, and;

an interface detection/switching circuit comprising a detection circuit and a switching circuit connected electrically to said common transmission interface;

said detection circuit is designed to detect whether said initialization signals are available;

said switching circuit is designed to switch the signal transmission route, and;

a micro controller connected to said interface detection/switching circuit;

said micro controller receives said initialization signals and distinguish potential variation in said initialization signal, to determine the type of the memory card system interface where said micro memory card is inserted and switch to the working mode corresponding to said memory card system interface, and then process signals from specific transmission route according to the working mode.

14. The universal micro memory card in claim 13 further comprises a data bus and a control signal bus connected to said interface detection/switching circuit and said micro controller;

said data bus and control signal bus serve as transmission routes to transfer different signals.

15. The universal micro memory card in claim 13 further comprises a power_transformation/protection circuit connected to the power supply pins of USB interface to transform voltage from different memory card system interfaces into the voltage suitable for the internal circuit of said micro memory card.

16. The universal micro memory card as in claim 13, wherein said memory card system interfaces include USB, SD, or MS series, or other types of memory card system interfaces.