Practical multi-purpose color-coded flash drive organizer with compartmentalized separate memory sectors for enhanced efficiency and better effective anti-confusion performances in global personal, educational, professional, business and organizational works

• US 20130027868A1
• Filed: 07/23/2012
• Published: 01/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Antony-Euclid C. Villa-Real
• Original Assignee: Antony-Euclid C. Villa-Real
• Inventors: Villa-Real, Antony-Euclid C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,215,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/679.31
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/447 Shutter or cover plate
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0278 of USB type details relating to connectors H01R27/00

Abstract

Multi-purpose anti-confusing, time-saving, cost-effective hybrid flash drive organizers, methods and systems with easily recognizable color-coded external sectors, color-coded differential LED signal lights, correlating respectively with related internal/external electronic components, achieving easier organized data/information sharing, transfer, storage, retrieval and display when connected to host system; one embodiment having attachable/detachable sectors providing different combinations of USB connectors; another embodiment of with uni-body housing having one common USB prong; another embodiment with at-least a pair of USB prongs; all offering faster conveniences to millions of global flash drive users in all walks of life, providing vast applicability for numerous personal, professional, educational, organizational and business works; providing to different manufacturers, distributors and merchandisers with greater range of practical applications and marketing advantages; broadly applicable to inter-link with desktop/laptop computers, netbooks, tablet PCs or other compatible portable hand-held or stationary electronic multi-media devices.

Claims

I. I, the present inventor of the present invention claim:

1. A practical multi-purpose flash drive organizer device for aiding the user achieve better non-confusing organized computer-related performances in various fields of endeavor, comprising of a combination of:

(a) easily distinguishable color-coded sectors of the housing of said device for conveniently facilitating in aiding the user to choose which particular sector of said device is to be activated to achieve more efficient organizational performance;

(b) at-least one USB connector in the respective sector for electrically connecting and linking with a host computer system linked to a compatible monitor;

(c) at-least one LED signal activity lights, located externally of said housing, and which gets activated and turns On when the respective sector of said device is electrically linked and activated with the host system;

(d) at-least one microprocessor in said device for processing data/information when actively electrically linked with a host system;

(e) at-least one ROM incorporated within said device for storing and retrieving at-least one program when actively electrically linked with a host system;

(f) at-least one RAM in said device for storing, editing, updating, deleting, displaying, transferring and exchanging data/information when actively electrically linked with a host system;

(g) at-least one cap for covering the respective USB connector or connectors of said device;

(h) at-least one external labeling area for easily writing and identifying data/information contents within said device;

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the designated color-coded sectors of said housing are differentiated by certain variety of colors for specific color-coding;

said sectors of said housing capable of being detached from each other, and, then also capable of being reconnected again and electrically linked to each other again to allow a variety of combinations of USB connectors, when at-least two compatible USB connectors are needed by the user of said device.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the color-coded sectors of said housing are structurally of uni-body type and completely joined, but have separate internal components that are not linked to each other, yet having separate USB connectors at each end of each respective color-coded sectors.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein in-between the respective color-coded sectors there is a common data/information buffer to allow the transfer and exchange of data/information between said color-coded sectors.

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, within the internal portions of the color-coded sectors there can be a plurality of microprocessors for operating said device.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein between the at-least two color-coded sectors there is only one common microprocessor for operating said device.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the internal portion of each color-coded sector there are two separate but communicating RAMs.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the internal portion of the color-coded sectors there are at-least two partitioned memory RAM cells.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein within the color-coded sectors there is only one ROM for storing and operating the program files when actively electrically linked with a compatible host system.

10. A device according to claim 2, wherein there is a pair of complementing electrically conductive plates or points to allow the exchange of data/information between the linkable color-coded sectors.

11. An effective practical multi-purpose flash drive organizer device having easily distinguishable external color-coded sectors of the housing providing the user of said device better user-friendly convenience in easily delineating which of the said color-coded sectors having at-least one electrical USB connectors capable of being plugged into a corresponding compatible computer USB interface of a host computer system, so as to enable the user of said device to easily display and work on certain definite desired selection or selections of data/information stored within the memory or memories of said device and outputted from said device, as well as inputted into said device through the connected corresponding host computer system and linked compatible monitor with which said device is electrically connected.

12. A device as claimed in claim 11 having one visible external LED activity light indicator.

13. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said device is provided with a plurality of separate visible external LEDs activity light indicators.

14. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the color-coded sectors of said housing are unitary in structure, having only one common housing, one USB interface connector and one swingable cover for the USB interface connector.

15. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said external color-coded sectors of said housing are both detachable and attachable with each other, yet having electrical contact points between said separate external sectors of said housing, so as to allow various connectivity and switchable capabilities for providing effective selective combinations between USB, Mini-USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt inter-exchangeability for greater range of compatible adaptability in establishing electrical connections with various kinds of compatible electronic devices.

16. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the internal electronic components within said device have one or several intercommunicating RAMs or writeable or rewriteable flash memory partitioned cells.

17. A device according to claim 11 having at-least one or several micro-processors.

18. A device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said external color-coded sectors of said housing being provided with external electrical interface components at each of the respective color-coded sector ends, and, also being provided with labeling areas for the user to use for better convenient organizational labeling of relevant respective contents in any language or symbols to well designate the desired data/information to achieve better organized file recognition during work performance using said multi-purpose flash drive organizer device.

19. A device of claim 11, wherein there is provided at-least one color-coded cover or covers for the corresponding external electrical USB interface connectors;

said color-coded cover or covers having available labeling areas for the user of said device to easily use for marking definite needed data/information regarding the relevant respective important contents in said device or corresponding sector.

20. A device as claimed in claim 13 having a plurality visible external LED activity light indicators external LEDs activity light indicators of different colors.

21. A device as claimed in claim 13, wherein said plurality of visible external LEDs activity light indicators are not of different colors.

22. A method as illustrated in FIG. 101 flowchart for providing multi-purpose, convenient and organized utility for millions of users of a multi-purpose color-coded flash drive organizer device;

said method involving the use of said flash drive organizer device that can be optimally plugged into a variety of selected specific compatible host system such as a desktop computer, laptop, netbook and/or any other compatible electronic device;

said method using said flash drive organizer having at-least one USB interface connector or connectors which can be of the first, second, or fourth embodiments of said flash drive organizer device, having external labels of “

ALL CORRECT” and

“

NOT FINAL”

on its first and second sectored halves, respectively;

said method comprising of steps;

(a) starting at Step 300, the user of said flash drive organizer electrically connecting said device to a compatible host system and verifying whether or not the respective USB connector of the ALL CORRECT color-coded half-sector or with the respective is really connected to the host system with the proper USB connector in Step 304;

(b) double checking in Step 304 to see that the right color-coded half sector of said device is really connected to the host system with the right USB connector of the ALL CORRECT COLOR-CODED HALF SECTOR of said device by checking in Step 308 if the LED-1 light is turned on, then the process continues to Step 308 indicating that said device is correctly connected to the respective ALL CORRECT color-coded half sector is in use;

(c) modifying and/or reading the desired contents of the desired chosen data file in Step 310, and then saving the modified chosen data file in Step 312;

(d) deciding to whether to convert the chosen modified data file to the NOT FINAL or not in Step 314;

(e) if Yes, deciding whether to copy of the file in the current folder or not in step 316, and if deciding Yes to file and save the modified file content into the “

ALL CORRECT”

sector in Step 318 then in Step 320, entering the PIN or password, if required in Step 320, and then in Step 322 the file is copied to the Data Buffer, then in Step 324, unplugging the flash drive organizer device and connecting it to the other side and transferring the file into the “

NOT FINAL”

sector;

then in Step 356 is the end;

(f) if in Step 314 the decision is not to convert the data into NOT FINAL, then in Step 356 is the end;

(g) in Step 316 the decision is not to make a copy of the current file, then in Step 326, entering the PIN or password, if required, then in Step 328, moving the file to the Data Buffer, then unplugging the flash drive organizer device and connecting it to the other side and transferring the file through the NOT Final data connector through the host system.

(h) deciding in Step 338 whether or not to convert the modified data file to the ALL CORRECT;

(i) if the decision is NO, then it ends in Step 356;

(j) if the decision is YES, then in Step 340, deciding whether to make a copy of the data file or not;

(k) if the decision is YES, then copying the file into the current folder in Step 342;

(l) entering the PIN or password if required in Step 344;

(m) copying the file in the DATA BUFFER in Step 346;

(n) unplugging the respective flash drive organizer device connector and connecting the other side of USB connector of the corresponding other sector and transferring the file to the ALL CORRECT with the respective USB connector through the compatible linked host system in Step 348, then ending the process in Step 356;

(o) if at Step 340, the decision is NO, then at Step 350 entering the PIN or password. if required;

(p) moving the file to the DATA BUFFER in Step 352;

(q) unplugging the connected respective USB connector of the flash drive and connecting the other USB connector and transferring the file to the ALL CORRECT sector in Step 348, and ends in Step 356;

23. A flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 102 illustrating the various main electronic components and electronic connections of said device in its first and second embodiments with two USB connectors in this instance, when manufactured with only one Micro-Controller Unit (MCU-1) comprising of:

(a) a USB connector 202 capable of connecting to a host computer system 200 (desktop computer, laptop, netbook, TV, etc) through the USB connector 202 of the first half sector of said embodiment, or the USB connector 218 of the second half sector of said embodiment;

said respective USB connectors being internally linked to the Micro-Controller Unit-1 labeled 204, which handles the communications with the USB interface of a host computer system 200, and the MCU-1 labeled 204 being also connected to both LED-1 labeled 206 of the first half sector, and LED-2 labeled 212 of the second half sector of the embodiment, and with the USB connector 202 being also internally electrically linked to LED-1 which becomes lit when being used to indicate that the first half sector of said embodiment is activated;

(b) a USB connector 218 when connected and linked to a USB host system 200, the respective LED-2 is being lit to indicate that the second half sector of said embodiment is activated and being used;

(c) RAM 262 of said device being connected to MCU-1, and said RAM 262 which is divided into three partitions, Partition-1 labeled 264, Partition-2 labeled 266, and Partition-3 labeled 268, allowing the user to select into which RAM partition each selected file data/information is to be stored for better classification, and, thus enabling the user of said device to easily retrieve and work on the exact file contents from the relevant selected partition where the selected file is currently located and then quickly access and work on or display the exact desired file contents when rapidly needed, after quickly looking for the exact desired file contents.

24. A flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 103, equipped with the needed electronic components and electrical linkages between the respective components of said device of the first and second embodiments with two USB connectors in this instance, as manufactured with two separate and independent MCUs, wherein the first half sector 250 of said device connects to the USB computer host system 200 (desktop computer, laptop, netbook, TV, etc) using the USB connector 202;

said half sector 250 containing an MCU-1 labeled 204, which controls the communications with the USB host system 200 and linked to the LED-1 labeled 206 to indicate when said respective half sector is being accessed by the USB interface of host system 200;

said MCU-1 labeled 204 being also linked to a Read-Only Memory ROM cell 254, containing various programs and applications stored by the current user or by the manufacturer of said device;

said programs and applications could be (but are not limited) to hardware drivers, purchased software, bootable disk, etc.;

said second half sector 252 of said device being composed of an MCU-2 labeled 216, an LED-2 labeled 212, and a RAM 256;

said MCU-2 labeled 216 and LED-2 labeled 212 having the same functions and capabilities as those of the first half sector 250, with the only difference being that said MCU-2 labeled 216 is not connected to a ROM, but to a RAM 256, allowing the user of said device to read, write, and edit the documents stored in said RAM 256 of said second half sector 252 of said device; and

, aside from FIG. 103 another version of the flash drive organizer device is included being illustrated in FIG. 104 as utilizing yet another variant of electronic structure involving the first and second embodiments of the said device having two USB connectors, and having both halves sectors 240 and 242 being identically structured electronically;

said halves sectors 240 or 242 can each time be connect to the USB interface of a host system 200 via each of the respective USB connectors 202 and 218, with all the communications being handled by the first half'"'"'s MCU-1 labeled 204, and by the second half'"'"'s MCU-2 labeled 216, respectively;

said both MCUs 204 and 216 are each connected to their own LED indicators 206 for LED-1 and 212 for LED-2, respectively, and also connected to their own independent RAM cells 208 and 214, respectively, thus providing the respective user with a choice of storage to keep all of his/her data/information organized and separated for easier access and faster retrieval and/or display; and

, still yet another version of the flash drive organizer device being included as in FIG. 105 utilizing the linkage between the electronic components of said device embodiment 260 in its third embodiment, which has only one USB interface connector 202, with USB connector 202 of embodiment 260 connecting to the USB interface host system 200 through its only USB connector 202, which is linked to only one MCU-1 labeled 204 that handles all communications with the USB interface host system 200;

said only one USB connector 202 of said device embodiment still possessing two LEDs 206 and 212, respectively, which are linked to MCU-1 labeled 204 and can indicate to the user which part of the RAM cell 262 is being accessed;

the RAM cell 262 being divided into three partitions 264, 266 and 268 for the user to categorize his/her data/information in the respective partition for faster storage retrieval and display of the desired data/information currently or at some later date(s); and

, also including another version of flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 106A utilizing another variant of the electronic structure of the first and second embodiments of said device with two USB connectors in this instance, comprising of;

the two halves sectors 220 and 222, each of the halves sectors containing their own USB connectors 202 and 218, respectively to be enabled to connect each time to the USB interface of host system 200;

said device of the first and second embodiments having respective MCU-1 labeled 204 and MCU-2 labeled 216 to handle all communications between the linked components; and

said device of the first and second embodiments having respective LED indicators 206 and 212 to indicate which respective half is currently active and in use (i.e. being read or displayed or written into); and

said device of the first and second device embodiments having their respective RAM-1 labeled 208 and RAM-2 labeled 214 to store the data/information or retrieve or display the selected data/information there-from; and

device of the first and second embodiments having RAM-1 and RAM-2 both connected to Data Buffer 210 to allow data/information to be transferred between the two halves sectors of the same first and second device embodiments, for example, in the case of a draft becoming the complete and final versions of a document; and

, again also including another version of flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 106B representing a variant of the electronic structure of the second embodiment of said device comprising of two USB connectors 202 and 218, each of said two USB connectors, linked respectively to each corresponding ends of the two sector halves 220 and 222 of said device being interchangeable, and said two sector halves 220 and 222 each containing its own USB connectors 202 and 218 to connect to the corresponding compatible USB interface of a host system 200;

said device having respective MCU-1 labeled 204 and MCU-2 labeled 216 to handle all communications between the respective components;

said device having respective LED indicators 206 and 212 to indicate which half sector is currently active (i.e. being read or displayed or written into);

said device having respective RAM-1 labeled 208 and RAM-2 labeled 214 to store the data/information or retrieve or display from the respective data/information, and said device having two data/information buffers 210a and 210b;

the respective selected data/information can be contained in each data/information buffer for the respective two sector halves, and when the two sector halves are connected, the gold-plated electrical connectors connect the two data/information buffers, allowing the respective MCU of either respective sector halves to access both data/information buffers, having electrically linking connections for allowing communications and transfer of relevant selected data/information; and

, also including yet another version of flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 107A having electronic components and linkages between the various components of said device embodiment having two USB connectors 202 and 218, which are each respectively connected to each corresponding ends of the two separate sector halves of said device;

said two sector halves of said device embodiment being completely independent from each other;

said device connectable to the USB interface of a host system 200 through said device USB connector 202 of the first half 220, or said device USB connector 218 of the second half 222;

said device if connected to the first half, the MCU-1 labeled 204 that is connected to the USB host system 200 through the USB connector 202 will turn on the LED-1 labeled 206 and will communicate with the flash memory RAM-1 labeled 208;

said device if connected to the USB host system 200 through the USB connector 218, the MCU-2 labeled 216 will turn on the LED-2 labeled 212 and will communicate with the flash memory RAM 2 labeled 214; and

, still including yet another version of flash drive organizer device as in FIG. 107B having a variation of having a mini-USB connector 224 replacing the standard USB connector in said device'"'"'s second half 222;

said mini-USB connector 224 could also be replaced by a micro-USB connector, or could even be replaced by a FireWire connector or a Thunderbolt connector, or even a connector for a yet undeveloped data transfer technology for yet other variations of the embodiment of said device in general.

25. A method and process as in FIG. 108 flowchart for providing the user of a multi-purpose color-coded flash drive organizer device with easy recognition of which sector of said device is to be plugged in and be linked to an active USB interface of a compatible host system in order to efficiently save time and effort in the user'"'"'s performance of whatever desired relevant task which the user chooses to accomplish, and illustrating the steps and processes taking place when one portion or sector of said device is setup as read-only, for example, when having Program Data in one half sector, and Editable Data/Information in another sector of said device, thereby preventing transfer of editable data from editable sector of said device to the Program read-only sector of said device;

said method comprising the steps of;

(a) starting process at Step 400, then, the user plugs the correct USB connector of said flash drive of either with the Program Data sector or the Editable Data sector into a host system in Step 402;

(b) checking in Step 404 whether or not said device is connected with the Program sector/connector to the host system 402;

(c) if Yes that said device is connected to the Program Data sector/connector of said device in Step 406, then,

(d) LED-1 will be turned on in Step 408 to indicate this correct Program sector/connector is in use, and the user may access and work with the read-only data in Step 410. The process then ends in Step 412.

(e) if said device is not connected to the Program Data sector/connector of said device, then said device is connected to the Editable Data sector/connector of said device in Step 414, then LED-2 will be turned on to indicate this particular Editable sector/connector of said device is in use in Step 416, and the user may the access, modify, read, or display the files from the corresponding memory of said device in Step 418. Then, saving the modified file or displayed data file in Step 420, then, the process ends in Step 412.

26. A practical multi-purpose color-coded flash drive organizer device for user-friendly global use in USB-related performances in various fields of personal or business or educational, medical, insurance, research, entertainment, gaming and other organizational or institutional works for achieving better efficiency, comprising:

(a) a housing with differential color-coded external sectors for aiding the user of said device in a non-confusing way for rapidly delineating which sector containing the desired selected file and file contents to work on, modify, edit and display, store, exchange or transfer through the selected sector'"'"'s USB connector inter-linked with a host computer system and monitor;

(b) at-least one USB connector located at the end of at-least one sector for inter-linking with a compatible computer host system;

(c) at-least one internal microprocessor located within the housing and the color-coded sector or sectors;

(d) at-least one ROM containing the program files for operating the said flash drive organizer;

(e) at-least one RAM or partitioned memory cells for storing and extracting selected rewriteable or final data/information or not-final editable data/information;

(f) at-least one LED signaling activity lights to indicate whether or not the selected sector is properly linked and activated for proper operations;

(g) at-least one covering cap to protect and expose the respective at-least one selected USB connector;

(h) at-least one labeling area in either/or both the external housing or at-least one color-coded sector and/or at the external face of the covering cap for the user to label the desired whichever relevant data/information, name, phone or email of the user according to the desired relevant needs.

(i) all the needed proper electronic linkages and related components and or sub-components.

27. A device as in claim 26, wherein in certain embodiments wherein at-least one data/information buffer is provided for use as temporary storage and link for transferring data/information between the memory RAMs of partitioned memory cells, or, wherein in other certain embodiment there is no data/information buffer provided for temporary storage and link for transferring data/information between the memory RAMs or partitioned memory cells when the housing is a uni-body and fused and non-detachable but having color-coded sectors, and, in some embodiments, the housing with the respective color-coded sectors can be capable of detachment and reattachment for allowing various combinations of interchanging different desired sizes and capabilities or kinds of USB connectors to be more adaptable to the respective host electronic devices;

said interchangeable color-coded sectors being provided with complementary compatible electrical contact points so as to allow exchange and transfer of data/information between the respective detachable and attachable sectors, and wherein the ROM for the programs and non-writeable data/information being located internally in a separate sector and the at-least one RAM or RAMS or writeable and rewritable one or partitioned memory cells are internally located in a separate sector, and wherein the writeable and rewriteable files are each categorized as FINAL versus ALL CORRECT DATA, or PROGRAMS versus EDITABLE DATA, or PROFESSIONAL/BUSINESS versus PERSONAL, or MUSIC versus VIDEO, or MEDICAL/HEALTH HISTORY versus UPDATABLE MEDICAL DATA, or DOWNLOADS versus ORIGINAL DATA, MEDIA FILES versus DATA FILES, or PHARMACEUTICAL versus DIAGNOSTIC, GAMES/PROGRESSIVE GAME SCORES versus MUSIC/VIDEO/PICTURE FILES, or INSURANCE versus INCOMES/TAXES versus EXPENSES, or FRIENDS/RELATIVES versus IMPORTANT CONTACTS, etc. as according to the needs of the respective users of the innovative flash drive organizer.