Super-Digital (SD) Flash Card with Asymmetric Circuit Board and Mechanical Switch
First Claim
1. An enhanced-internal-spacing flash-memory device comprising:
- an upper case;
a lower case;
a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) that comprises;
a circuit board having wiring traces;
a flash-memory chip mounted to a first surface of the circuit board;
a controller chip mounted to the first surface of the circuit board, the controller chip having a input/output interface circuit for interfacing to an external computer, and a processing unit for accessing the flash-memory chip in response to commands from the external computer received by the input/output interface circuit;
a switch, mounted to the circuit board, having a sliding tab protruding through the upper case, the sliding tab being slidable by a user to indicate to the controller chip to prevent writing to the flash-memory chip;
contact pads formed on a second surface of the circuit board, the contact pads for connecting the controller chip to the external computer;
wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface;
wherein the upper case is attached to the lower case during assembly with the PCBA between the upper case and the lower case, with the contact pads exposed through contact-pad openings between the upper case and the lower case, the upper and lower cases encapsulating the circuit board; and
supporting dividers formed on the lower case between pairs of the contact-pad openings, the supporting dividers supporting the circuit board at a slanting angle to a primary surface the upper case, wherein the first surface of the circuit board and the primary surface of the upper case are non-parallel at the slanting angle, wherein the flash-memory chip is block-addressable and not randomly-addressable.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A flash-memory device has a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) with a PCB with a flash-memory chip and a controller chip. The controller chip includes an external Secure-Digital (SD) interface, and a processing unit to read blocks of data from the flash-memory chip. The PCBA is encased inside an upper case and a lower case, with SD contact pads on the PCB that fit through contact openings in the upper case. Dividers between openings in the upper case that expose the SD contact pads also support the PCB at a slanted angle to the centerline of the device. The PCB slants upward at the far end to allow more thickness for the chips mounted to the bottom surface of the PCB. A user-slidable switch may be slanted to compensate for the PCB slant. The PCB may have a flex section to facilitate the slant without a slanted switch.
45 Citations
21 Claims
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1. An enhanced-internal-spacing flash-memory device comprising:
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an upper case;
a lower case;
a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA) that comprises;
a circuit board having wiring traces;
a flash-memory chip mounted to a first surface of the circuit board;
a controller chip mounted to the first surface of the circuit board, the controller chip having a input/output interface circuit for interfacing to an external computer, and a processing unit for accessing the flash-memory chip in response to commands from the external computer received by the input/output interface circuit;
a switch, mounted to the circuit board, having a sliding tab protruding through the upper case, the sliding tab being slidable by a user to indicate to the controller chip to prevent writing to the flash-memory chip;
contact pads formed on a second surface of the circuit board, the contact pads for connecting the controller chip to the external computer;
wherein the second surface is opposite the first surface;
wherein the upper case is attached to the lower case during assembly with the PCBA between the upper case and the lower case, with the contact pads exposed through contact-pad openings between the upper case and the lower case, the upper and lower cases encapsulating the circuit board; and
supporting dividers formed on the lower case between pairs of the contact-pad openings, the supporting dividers supporting the circuit board at a slanting angle to a primary surface the upper case, wherein the first surface of the circuit board and the primary surface of the upper case are non-parallel at the slanting angle, wherein the flash-memory chip is block-addressable and not randomly-addressable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A thin flash-memory device comprising:
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upper case means for partially encasing the thin flash-memory device;
lower case means for partially encasing the thin flash-memory device;
main circuit board means for connecting chips with wiring traces;
secondary circuit board means for connecting pads with wiring traces;
flash-memory chip means for storing blocks of data, the flash-memory chip means being mounted to a first surface of the main circuit board means, wherein the flash-memory chip means are block-addressable and not randomly-addressable;
controller chip means, mounted to the first surface of the main circuit board means, for controlling access to the flash-memory chip means, the controller chip means comprising an input/output interface means for interfacing to an external computer, and processing unit means for accessing the flash-memory chip means in response to commands from the external computer received by the input/output interface means;
switch means, mounted on the main circuit board means, having a switch tab that slides, for indicating to the controller chip means to prevent writing to the flash-memory chip means; and
contact pad means, formed on a second surface of the secondary circuit board means, for connecting to the external computer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification