Press/Push USB Flash Drive With Deploying And Retracting Functionalities With Elasticity Material And Fingerprint Verification Capability

• US 20070292009A1
• Filed: 08/27/2007
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Lee, Charles, Shen, Ming-Shiang, Ni, Jim
• Application Number:
  US11/845,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20070292009A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing

Abstract

A pen-type computer peripheral device includes an elongated housing containing a PCBA having a plug connector and a fingerprint sensor mounted thereon. The PCBA is secured to a positioning member that is actuated by way of a press-push button that is exposed through a slot defined in a wall of the housing. By pressing and pushing (sliding) the press-push button along the slot, the fingerprint sensor and the plug connector are moved between a retracted position, in which the fingerprint sensor is positioned inside of the housing and the plug connector is covered by a portion of the housing wall, and a deployed position in which the fingerprint sensor is exposed through the slot and the plug connector extends through a front housing opening such that both the fingerprint sensor and the plug connector are exposed outside of the housing.

Claims

1. A portable computer peripheral apparatus comprising:

an elongated housing having a wall defining a first opening and an end portion defining an end opening;

at least one electronic device mounted inside of the housing;

a fingerprint sensor movably connected to the housing and electronically connected to said at least one electronic device;

a plug connector movably connected to the housing and electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and

positioning means for manually moving the fingerprint sensor and the plug connector between a first position, in which the fingerprint sensor is positioned inside of the housing and the plug connector is covered by a portion of the wall, and a second position in which the fingerprint sensor is exposed through the first opening and the plug connector extends through the end opening such that both the fingerprint sensor and the plug connector are exposed outside of the housing.

2. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein said positioning means comprises a positioning member that is fixedly connected to the plug connector and includes a press-push button,

wherein the housing defines a slot, and

wherein the positioning member is mounted in the housing such that a portion of the press-push button extends through the slot and is exposed outside of the housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the positioning member comprises:

a base portion;

first and second slide rails fixedly connected to the base portion; and

a flexible wall connected to the base portion such that the flexible wall is resiliently bendable relative to the base portion,

wherein the press-push button is disposed on the flexible wall such that when the press-push button is pressed into the housing, the first and second slide rails press against a first inside surface of the housing such that the flexible wall bends into the housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein flexible wall includes a fixed end that is integrally connected to the base portion, and a free end that is disposed away from the base portion, and

wherein the press-push button is disposed on the flexible wall adjacent to the fixed end.

5. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the flexible wall includes opposing first and second ends that are integrally connected to the base portion such that standoff gap is defined between a central portion of the flexible wall and the base portion,

wherein the press-push button is disposed on the flexible wall adjacent to the central portion.

6. The apparatus of claim 3,

wherein the positioning member further comprises a locking structure disposed on the flexible wall,

wherein the housing further comprises a second locking structure and a third locking structure, and

wherein the positioning member is mounted in the housing such that the first locking structure engages the second locking structure when the plug connector is in the first position, and such that the first locking structure engages the third locking structure when the plug connector is in the second position.

7. The apparatus of claim 6,

wherein the first locking structure comprises a lock tab protruding from the positioning member, and

wherein the second and third locking structures comprise lock grooves defined on a second inside surface of the housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein locking tab is positioned on the flexible wall such that said lock tab is biased away from said positioning slots when said press-push button is pressed into said housing, and such that said lock tab is biased into an associated one of said positioning slots when said press-push button is released.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the positioning member is mounted in the housing such that the exposed portion of the press-push button is located at a first end of the slot when the plug connector is in the first position, and such that the exposed portion of the press-push button is located at a second end of the slot when the plug connector is in the second position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9,

wherein the plug connector is mounted onto a front edge of a card, wherein the card includes side edges defining cut-outs,

wherein the positioning member comprises connection tabs that are fixedly connected to the base portion and are one of snap-coupled, ultrasonically welded, and thermal adhered onto the card such that each connection tab extends into an associated one of said cut-outs.

11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the slot through which the portion of the press-push button extends and the first opening through which the fingerprint sensor is exposed comprise a single opening in the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the housing comprises a relatively wide upper wall defining said single opening.

13. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the slot through which the portion of the press-push button extends and the first opening through which the fingerprint sensor is exposed comprise separate, spaced-apart openings in the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the housing comprises a relatively wide upper wall defining said first opening, and housing defines a relatively narrow side wall defining said slot.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) movably mounted inside of the housing,

wherein the plug connector is attached to a first end of the PCB, and

wherein the fingerprint sensor and said electronic device are mounted onto one or more surfaces of the PCB.

16. The apparatus of claim 15,

wherein said positioning means comprises a positioning member including a wall defining a sensor opening, and

wherein the positioning member is attached to the PCB such that the wall covers a portion of the PCB and the fingerprint sensor is exposed through the sensor opening.

17. The apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the housing comprises an elongated upper wall, an elongated lower wall, and a pair of elongated side walls extending between the upper and lower walls such that the upper, lower, and side walls form a generally rectangular cross-section, and

wherein the end portion of the housing is located at a first end of the upper, lower, and side walls.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the housing comprises:

a first portion including the lower wall and a first portion of the side walls; and

a second portion including the upper wall and a second portion of the side walls that is mated to the first portion of the side walls.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plug connector comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) plug.

20. A portable computer peripheral apparatus comprising:

an elongated housing including a first housing wall defining a slot, a second housing wall disposed opposite to the first housing wall, and an end portion defining an end opening;

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) mounted inside of the housing, the PCBA including at least one electronic device and a plug connector that is electronically connected to said at least one electronic device; and

a positioning member including;

a base portion that is fixedly connected to the PCBA;

a flexible wall that is integrally connected to the base portion and disposed adjacent to the first housing wall,

a first locking structure that is fixedly disposed on the flexible wall;

first and second slide rails fixedly connected to the base portion and disposed adjacent to the second housing wall; and

a press-push button that is fixedly disposed on the flexible wall,

wherein the positioning member is movably disposed inside the housing such that a portion of the press-push button extends through the slot and is exposed outside the housing, such that when the press-push button is pressed into said housing, the first and second slide rails contact the second housing wall and the flexible wall is bent from an original shape such that the first locking structure is biased away from the first housing wall, and when said press-push button is subsequently released, the flexible wall resiliently returns to the original shape and the first locking structure is pressed against the first housing wall.

21. The apparatus of claim 20,

wherein flexible wall includes a fixed end that is integrally connected to the base portion, and a free end that is disposed away from the base portion, and

wherein the press-push button is disposed on the flexible wall adjacent to the fixed end.

22. The apparatus of claim 20,

wherein the flexible wall includes opposing first and second ends that are integrally connected to the base portion such that standoff gap is defined between a central portion of the flexible wall and the base portion,

wherein the press-push button is disposed on the flexible wall adjacent to the central portion.

23. The apparatus of claim 20,

wherein the housing further comprises a second locking structure and a third locking structure that are disposed on the first housing wall, and

wherein the positioning member is mounted in the housing such that the first locking structure engages the second locking structure when the plug connector is in the first position, and such that the first locking structure engages the third locking structure when the plug connector is in the second position.

24. The apparatus of claim 23,

wherein the first locking structure comprises a lock tab protruding from the positioning member, and

wherein the second and third locking structures comprise positioning slots defined on a second inside surface of the housing.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein locking tab is positioned on the flexible wall such that said lock tab is biased away from said positioning slots when said press-push button is pressed into said housing, and such that said lock tab is biased into an associated one of said positioning slots when said press-push button is released.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plug connector comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) plug.