Removable media ejection system
First Claim
1. A media ejection system comprising:
- a housing receptive to a removable medium;
an ejection mechanism for ejecting a medium disposed in said housing;
a memory wire coupled to said ejection mechanism;
a digital processor operative to issue an ejection command; and
a controller responsive to said ejection command for controlling a current flow in said memory wire, whereby said wire may activate said ejection mechanism.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A media ejection system includes a peripheral unit having a housing, an ejection mechanism, and a memory wire coupled to the ejection mechanism. The system further includes a digital processor for issuing ejection commands, and a controller responsive to the ejection command for controlling a current flow through the memory wire. When sufficient current flows through the memory wire, it contracts to activate the ejection mechanism, thereby ejecting a removable medium (such a PCMCIA card) from the housing of the peripheral unit. A method of the invention includes the steps of receiving an ejection request, issuing a ejection command in response to the ejection request, where the ejection command includes parameters for controlling current flow through the metal alloy, and electrically energizing the memory alloy in accordance with the parameters such that the memory alloy undergoes a dimensional change to activate a removable medium ejection mechanism.
77 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A media ejection system comprising:
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a housing receptive to a removable medium; an ejection mechanism for ejecting a medium disposed in said housing; a memory wire coupled to said ejection mechanism; a digital processor operative to issue an ejection command; and a controller responsive to said ejection command for controlling a current flow in said memory wire, whereby said wire may activate said ejection mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A media ejection system comprising:
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a peripheral unit including (a) a housing receptive to a removable medium; (b) an ejection mechanism for ejecting a medium disposed in said housing; and (c) a memory wire coupled to said ejection mechanism, said memory wire being operative to contract in response to an activation current flowing through said memory wire to thereby activate said ejection mechanism; processor means for processing ejection requests, said processor means being capable of issuing an ejection command in response to an ejection request; and controller means coupled to said memory wire and being operative to provide said activation current to said memory wire in response to said ejection request. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for ejecting a removable medium comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving an ejection request; (b) issuing an ejection command in response to said ejection request, said ejection command including at least one control parameter for electrically controlling at least one dimension of a memory alloy; and (c) electrically energizing said memory alloy in accordance with said at least one control parameter such that said memory alloy changes in said at least one dimension to activate a removable medium ejection mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A PCMCIA peripheral comprising:
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a housing receptive to a PCMCIA card; an ejection mechanism for ejecting said PCMCIA card from said housing; a memory wire having an intrinsic resistance coupled to said ejection mechanism; and an ejection controller selectively allowing a current to flow in said memory wire, thereby causing a heating of said wire due said current flow, such that said wire contracts to activate said ejection mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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Specification