MULTI-LEVEL CELL (MLC) DUAL PERSONALITY EXTENDED eSATA FLASH MEMORY DEVICE

• US 20080318449A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Shen, Ming-Shiang, Lee, Charles C., Yu, I-Kang, Ma, Abraham
• Application Number:
  US12/113,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/78
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 29/00 Coupling parts for selective co-operation with a counterpart in different ways to establish different circuits, e.g. for voltage selection, for series-parallel selection, programmable connectors

Abstract

A multi-level cell (MLC) dual-personality extended External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) flash drive includes a MLC dual-personality extended eSATA plug connector connected to a flash drive and removably connectable to a host. The connector is adaptable to receive electoral data from both a USB and eSATA interface.

Claims

1. A multi-level cell (MLC) dual-personality extended External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) flash drive comprising:

A dual-personality extended eSATA plug connector connected to a MLC flash drive and removably connectable to a host, the connector being selectably adapted to interface with either an extended eSATA receptacle connector or a standard eSATA receptacle connector.

2. A flash drive, as recited in claim 1, wherein said MLC extended dual-personality eSATA plug connector has disposed thereon a first row of contact fingers compliant with the USB standard, and a second row of contact fingers compliant with the SATA standard.

3. A flash drive, as recited in claim 2, wherein said MLC extended dual-personality eSATA plug connector has disposed thereon a first row of four contact fingers and a second row of 7 contact fingers.

4. A flash drive, as recited in claim 2, wherein said MLC extended dual-personality eSATA plug connector has disposed thereon a first row of pins compliant with the USB standard, and a second row of pins compliant with the SATA standard, and operative to facilitate an electrical connection between a host and the printed circuit board (PCB) of said flash drive.

5. A flash dive, as recited in claim 4, wherein said MLC extended dual-personality eSATA plug connector has disposed thereon a first row and a second row of pins, each operative to receive electrical data.

10. A flash drive as recited in claim 1 further comprising a fingerprint sensor mounted on one end thereof, and operative to authenticate and confirm the user'"'"'s fingerprint.

11. A flash drive as recited in as recited in claim 2, further including a housing formed from upper and bottom housings joined together to substantially encapsulate said flash drive, while leaving the plug connector exposed.

12. A flash drive as recited in as recited in claim 5, further including a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) connected to the plug connector operative to store the received electrical data and encapsulated by said housing.

13. A flash drive as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an upper housing having a top surface and lateral sides descending from said top surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, a top slide button opening located on said upper housing, a slide button and a lock tab located on a core unit carrier, wherein said core unit carrier rests below said upper housing and said slide button is exposed and accessible through said top slide button opening, and a deployed and retracted lock grooves formed on the underside of the upper housing surface; and

a bottom housing having a bottom surface and lateral sides descending from said bottom surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, the bottom housing connected to said upper housing, together the upper housing and bottom housing thereby including within, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), with the front openings of the upper housing and bottom housing aligned, forming an opening on one end of the coupled housings,

wherein pressing and pushing said slide button of said flash drive in the direction of the opening on one end of the housings extends a connector plug for interfacing the flash drive with an electronic device and said lock tab of said flash drive become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing, and pressing and pushing said slide button in the direction opposite of the opening on one end of the housings retracts the connector plug and said lock tabs become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing.

14. A flash drive as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

an upper housing with a top surface and lateral sides descending from said top surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, and deployed lock grooves and retracted lock grooves formed on the inside of the top surface, the deployed lock grooves located closer to the front opening than the retracted lock grooves; and

a bottom housing with a bottom surface and lateral sides descending from said bottom surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, the bottom housing coupled with said upper housing, together the upper housing and bottom housing thereby containing within, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), with the front openings of the upper housing and bottom housing aligned, forming an opening on one end of the coupled housings,

wherein pressing and pushing said press/push button of said flash drive in the direction of the opening on one end of the housings extends a connector plug for interfacing said flash drive with an electronic device and said lock tab of said flash drive become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing, and pressing and pushing said press/push button in the direction opposite of the opening on one end of the housings retracts the connector plug and said lock tab become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing.

15. A flash drive as recited in claim 12, further comprising:

a swivel cap;

a pivot pin where said swivel cap attaches to said flash drive thereby allowing the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and rotate around said flash drive; and

lock pins disposed on the top and bottom sides of the swivel cap and operative to lock and unlock the swivel cap in place, wherein the swivel cap locks substantially in a first locking position and a second locking position, wherein the locking and unlocking design requires the lock pins to raise up and out of lock holes to rest on upper and bottom housings when unlocked, and descend downward until the lock pins rest in the lock holes when locked.

6. An extended dual-personality eSATA receptacle connector having disposed thereon a top row of contact fingers compliant with the USB standard, and a bottom row of contact fingers compliant with the SATA standard.

7. An extended dual-personality eSATA receptacle connector, as recited in claim 6, wherein said connector has disposed thereon a top row of four contact fingers and a bottom row of seven contact fingers.

8. An extended dual-personality eSATA receptacle connector, as recited in claim 6, wherein said connector has disposed thereon a first row of pins compliant with the USB standard, and a second row of pins compliant with the SATA standard, and operative to facilitate an electrical connection between a host and the printed circuit board (PCB) of said flash drive.

9. An extended dual-personality eSATA receptacle connector, as recited in claim 8, wherein said connector has disposed thereon a first row and a second row of pins, each operative to receive electrical data.

16. A multi-level cell (MLC) dual-personality extended External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) flash drive comprising:

connector means for connection to a host; and

means connected to the connector means for selectably receiving electrical data from either a USB or a eSATA interface.

17. A flash drive as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for facilitating an electrical connection between a host and the printed circuit board (PCB) of said flash drive.

18. A flash drive as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for authenticating and confirming the user'"'"'s fingerprint.

19. A flash drive as recited in claim 16, further comprising means for joining together and substantially encapsulating said flash drive, while leaving the plug connector exposed.

20. A flash drive as recited in claim 16, further comprising:

connector means for connection to a plug connector; and

means connected to the connector means for storing the received electrical data.

21. A flash drive as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

upper housing means having a top surface and lateral sides descending from said top surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, a top slide button opening located on said upper housing, a slide button and a lock tab located on a core unit carrier, wherein said core unit carrier rests below said upper housing and said slide button is exposed and accessible through said top slide button opening, and deployed and retracted lock grooves formed on the underside of the upper housing surface; and

a bottom housing means having a bottom surface and lateral sides descending from said bottom surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, the bottom housing connected to said upper housing, together the upper housing and bottom housing thereby including within, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) means having the front openings of the upper housing and bottom housing aligned, forming an opening on one end of the coupled housings,

wherein pressing and pushing said slide button of said flash drive in the direction of the opening on one end of the housings extends a connector plug for interfacing the flash drive with an electronic device and said lock tab of said flash drive become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing, and pressing and pushing said slide button in the direction opposite of the opening on one end of the housings retracts the connector plug and said lock tab become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing.

22. A flash drive as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

an upper housing means with a top surface and lateral sides descending from said top surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, and deployed lock grooves and retracted lock grooves formed on the inside of the top surface, the deployed lock grooves located closer to the front opening than the retracted lock grooves; and

a bottom housing means with a bottom surface and lateral sides descending from said bottom surface, a front opening located within one of said lateral sides, the bottom housing coupled with said upper housing, together the upper housing and bottom housing thereby containing within, a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), with the front openings of the upper housing and bottom housing aligned, forming an opening on one end of the coupled housings,

wherein pressing and pushing said press/push button of said flash drive in the direction of the opening on one end of the housings extends a connector plug for interfacing said flash drive with an electronic device and said lock tab of said flash drive become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing, and pressing and pushing said press/push button in the direction opposite of the opening on one end of the housings retracts the connector plug and said lock tab become secured within said lock grooves of the upper housing.

23. A flash drive as recited in claim 20, further comprising:

a swivel cap means to cover and uncover the plug connector;

a pivot pin means connected to the swivel cap means attached to said flash drive thereby allowing the swivel cap to rotate substantially into a first and a second locking position and rotate around of said flash drive; and

lock pins means disposed on the top and bottom sides of the swivel cap and operative to lock and unlock the swivel cap in place, wherein the swivel cap locks substantially in a first locking position and a second locking position, wherein the locking and unlocking design requires the lock pins to raise up and out of lock holes to rest on upper housing when unlocked, and descend downward until the lock pins rest in the lock holes when locked.

24. A method of selectively interfacing a multi-level cell (MLC) dual-personality extended External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (eSATA) flash drive to a host comprising:

Providing a top row of four USB contact fingers of MLC dual-personality extended eSATA plug connector that is removably connectable to a host;

Providing a second row of seven eSATA contact fingers of MLC dual-personality extended eSATA plug connector;

Selectively using either the first row or the second row to interface the flash drive with a host.