External storage device

• US 5,550,709 A
• Filed: 03/04/1994
• Issued: 08/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Phuong T.
• Application Number:
  US08/205,451
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 361/684, 361/737, 361/733, 361/754, 235/492, 439/160, 428/76
• US Class Current: 361/679.32
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07745 Mounting details of integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07747 at least one of the integrated circuit chips being mounted as a module
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0021 for reading/sensing record carriers having surface contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01078 Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]

Abstract

An external storage device includes an external storage device main and an external storage device unit. The external storage device main includes a thin type external storage device module formed into a one-side sealed package and having a storage medium series element containing at least one non-volatile semiconductor memory device, and a flat type external connection terminal connected to an input/output terminal of the storage medium series element and led and exposed to a backside of the external storage device module. The external storage device unit includes an external storage device main detachable section for engaging, insertedly attaching and detaching the external storage device main, a resilient contact electrically connecting to the external connection terminal of the external storage device main to be mounted, and at least a part of circuit function for driving and controlling the storage medium series element.

Claims

1. An external storage device characterized by comprising:

an external storage device main including,

a thin type external storage device module in which a storage medium series element containing at least one non-volatile semiconductor memory device is packaged, and which is formed into a one-sided sealed package, and

a flat type external connection terminal connected to an input/output terminal of the storage medium series element and led and exposed to a backside of the thin type external storage device module; and

an external storage device unit including,

means for engaging, insertedly and rigidly attaching and detaching the external storage device main,

a resilient contact electrically connecting to the flat type external connection terminal of the external storage device main, and

means for driving and controlling the storage medium series element.

2. An external storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external storage device main is formed in a card type.

3. An external storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external storage device main and the external storage device unit are respectively formed in a card type.

4. An external storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the card type external storage device unit has a recessed portion corresponding to shape and dimension of the card type external storage device main on its surface, the card type external storage device main being rigidly and detachably engaged with the card type external storage device unit at the recessed portion to form a card type external storage device.

5. An external storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the card type external storage device unit has an insertion and extraction section for attaching the card type external storage device main from a side face of the card type external storage device unit.

6. An external storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the storage medium series element of the external storage device main comprises an anti-electrostatic element for preventing electrostatic destruction.

7. An external storage device as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, wherein the non-volatile semiconductor memory device of an external storage device main is a NAND flash memory.

8. An external storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the external connection terminal surface of an external storage device main is coated with a gold plated layer.

9. An external storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the card type external storage device unit has a space for receiving the card type external storage device main therein.

10. An external storage device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the card type external storage device unit has a thickness of about 3.3 mm.

11. An external storage device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the card type external device main has a thickness of less than 1 mm.