Extended USB Dual-Personality Card Reader

• US 20080067248A1
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nan, Nan, Ni, Jim, Ma, Abraham, Hiew, Siew
• Granted Patent: US 7,440,286 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/441
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07741 comprising a first part operating as a regular record carrier and a second attachable part that changes the functional appearance of said record carrier, e.g. a contact-based smart card with an adapter part which, when attached to the contact card makes the contact card function as a non-contact card

Abstract

A dual-personality card reader system supports both USB and micro-SD devices using a card reader and an extended 9-pin USB socket. The card reader includes a PCBA having four standard USB metal contact pads and several extended purpose contact pads disposed on an upper side, components and IC chips covered by a molded case on a lower side, a molded lead-frame connector mounted on the PCBA and including five forward-facing extended purpose pins and eight rear-facing micro-SD connector pins that communicate with the PCBA through the extended purpose contact pads, and a housing including a slot for receiving a micro-SD card such that it communicates with the PCBA through the micro-SD connector pins. The extended 9-pin USB socket includes standard USB contacts and extended use contacts that communicate with the PCBA through the standard USB metal contacts and forward-facing extended purpose pins. The PCBA includes dual-personality electronics for SD/USB communications.

Claims

1. An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) dual-personality card reader having a connector plug that is compatible with both a standard USB socket and an extended multiple pin USB socket having both four standard USB contacts and a plurality of dual-personality contacts, said card reader comprising:

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having opposing first and second surfaces,

a plurality of metal contacts disposed on the first surface of the PCB, the plurality of metal contacts including four standard USB contact pads and a plurality of extended purpose contact pads,

a dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the second surface, and

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the PCB such that each conductive trace is electrically connected between at least one of said plurality of metal contacts and said a dual-personality communication IC;

a plurality of first extended-use contact structures and a plurality of second extended-use contact structures disposed on the first surface of the PCB such that the first extended-use contact structures are disposed between the second extended-use contact structures and the standard USB contact pads, wherein each of said first and second extended-use contact structures is connected to a corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads; and

an external housing mounted over the first surface of the PCB,

wherein said standard USB contact pads and said plurality of first extended-purpose contact structures are disposed outside of said housing and form said connector plug arranged such that each of said standard USB contact pads is contacted by a corresponding standard USB contact of said extended multiple pin USB socket and each of said first extended-purpose contact structures is contacted by a corresponding dual-personality contact of said extended multiple pin USB socket when said connector plug is inserted into said extended multiple pin USB socket, and

wherein said external housing includes a socket for detachably receiving a flash memory device such that each contact pad of the flash memory device contacts a corresponding one of said second extended-use contact structures, thereby enabling communication between said flash memory device and said dual-personality communication IC.

2. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of second extended-use contact structures include eight first contact pins, each said first contact pin being attached to said corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads, and wherein said socket defines an opening sized to receive a micro Secure-Digital (micro-SD) card such that each of eight contact pads of said micro-SD card contacts a corresponding one of said eight first contact pins.

3. The card reader according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of first extended-use contact structures comprises five second metal spring structures soldered to said corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads, whereby the connector plug comprises said five second metal spring structures and said four standard USB contact pads.

4. The card reader according to claim 3, wherein the eight first metal spring structures and the five second metal spring structures are fixedly connected to a molded plastic body.

5. The card reader according to claim 1, further comprising a molded lead-frame connector including a plastic molded body having a front edge, an opposing rear edge, and a bottom surface extending between the front and rear edges,

wherein said first extended-purpose contact structures comprise forward-facing pins extending from the front edge of the plastic molded body, and wherein each forward-facing pin includes an associated first contact pad disposed on said bottom surface,

wherein said second extended-purpose contact structures comprise rear-facing pins extending from the rear edge of the plastic molded body, and wherein each rear-facing pin includes an associated second contact pad disposed on said bottom surface, and

wherein each said first and second contact pads is soldered to a corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads.

6. The card reader according to claim 5, wherein each of said forward-facing pins further includes a step portion extending from said associated first contact pad into said plastic molded body, and wherein each of said rear-facing pins further includes a step portion extending from said associated second contact pad into said plastic molded body.

7. The card reader according to claim 5, wherein each of said forward-facing pins and said rear-facing pins comprises a curved spring section.

8. The card reader of claim 5,

wherein the external housing comprises:

a first housing portion defining a trough for receiving said PCBA such that said molded lead-frame connector extends above the trough, and

a second housing portion that attached to the first housing such that the second housing portion covers said second extended-use contact structures, wherein said second housing portion includes a rear wall defining a slot opening for receiving said flash memory device; and

wherein said card reader further comprises a metal head cover attached to said first housing portion and defines a front opening for accessing said standard USB contact pads and said first extended-purpose contact structures.

9. The card reader of claim 5,

wherein the external housing comprises:

a main housing portion defining chamber for receiving a rear portion of said PCBA, wherein a back wall of said main housing portion defines a slot for receiving said flash memory device; and

a tray extending from a front opening of said main housing portion, said tray supporting a front portion of said PCBA, and

wherein said card reader further comprises a metal head cover attached to said main housing portion and surrounding said tray, said metal head cover defining a front opening for accessing said standard USB contact pads and said first extended-purpose contact structures.

10. The card reader of claim 5,

wherein the external housing comprises:

a main housing portion including walls defining a relatively wide chamber for receiving a rear portion of said PCBA, and a relatively narrow plug portion integrally molded to the walls for receiving a front portion of said PCBA, and

a tray disposed in the plug portion of the main housing portion, said tray supporting a front portion of said PCBA, and

wherein said plug portion defines a front opening for accessing said standard USB contact pads and said first extended-purpose contact structures.

11. The card reader of claim 5, wherein the external housing comprises a main housing portion including walls defining a chamber for receiving a rear portion of said PCBA, and a front tray structure for receiving a front portion of said PCBA such that said standard USB contact pads and said first extended-purpose contact structures are exposed over said front tray structure.

12. The card reader according to claim 1, wherein said PCBA further comprises at least one surface-mount-type passive components, soldered to the second surface, and wherein said dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) comprises a die that is connected to said plurality of traces by bond wires.

13. The card reader of claim 12, further comprising a single-piece molded casing formed on the second surface of the PCBA such that said dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) and said surface-mount-type passive components are covered by said molded casing, and such that substantially all of the first surface of the PCB is exposed;

14. The card reader of claim 1, wherein said PCBA further comprises one or more flash memory circuits, and said dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) includes means for transmitting data between the flash memory circuits and said host by way of said standard USB contact pads.

15. An extended Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) dual-personality card reader having a connector plug that is compatible with both a standard USB socket and an extended multiple pin USB socket having both four standard USB contacts and a plurality of dual-personality contacts, said card reader comprising:

a modular core component including;

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) including;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having opposing first and second surfaces,

a plurality of metal contacts disposed on the first surface of the PCB, the plurality of metal contacts including four standard USB contact pads and a plurality of extended purpose contact pads,

a dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the second surface, and

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the PCB such that each conductive trace is electrically connected between at least one of said plurality of metal contacts and said a dual-personality communication IC;

a molded lead-frame connector including a plastic molded body having a front edge, an opposing rear edge, and a bottom surface extending between the front and rear edges, a plurality of forward-facing pins extending from the front edge of the plastic molded body, and a plurality of rear-facing pins extending from the rear edge of the plastic molded body, wherein each forward-facing pin includes an associated first contact pad disposed on said bottom surface, wherein each rear-facing pin includes an associated second contact pad disposed on said bottom surface, and wherein each said first and second contact pads is soldered to a corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads; and

an external housing mounted over the first surface of the PCB,

wherein said standard USB contact pads and said plurality of forward-facing pins are disposed outside of said housing and form said connector plug arranged such that each of said standard USB contact pads is contacted by a corresponding standard USB contact of said extended multiple pin USB socket and each of said first extended-purpose contact structures is contacted by a corresponding dual-personality contact of said extended multiple pin USB socket when said connector plug is inserted into said extended multiple pin USB socket, and

wherein said external housing includes a socket for removably receiving a flash memory device such that each contact pad of the flash memory device contacts a corresponding one of said plurality of rear-facing pins, thereby enabling communication between said flash memory device and said dual-personality communication IC.

16. A method for producing an USB card reader comprising:

producing a PCBA, a molded lead-frame connector, and an external housing, wherein the PCBA includes;

a printed circuit board (PCB) having opposing first and second surfaces,

a plurality of metal contacts disposed on the first surface of the PCB, the plurality of metal contacts including four standard USB contact pads and a plurality of extended purpose contact pads,

a dual-personality communication integrated circuit (IC) mounted on the second surface, and

a plurality of conductive traces formed on the PCB such that each conductive trace is electrically connected between at least one of said plurality of metal contacts and said a dual-personality communication IC; and

wherein the molded lead-frame connector includes a plastic molded body having a front edge, an opposing rear edge, and a bottom surface extending between the front and rear edges, a plurality of forward-facing pins extending from the front edge of the plastic molded body, and a plurality of rear-facing pins extending from the rear edge of the plastic molded body, wherein each forward-facing pin includes an associated first contact pad disposed on said bottom surface,

wherein each rear-facing pin includes an associated second contact pad disposed on said bottom surface, mounting the molded lead-frame connector on the PCBA to form a sub-assembly such that each said first and second contact pads is soldered to a corresponding contact pad of said plurality of extended purpose contact pads; and

mounting the sub-assembly in the external housing.