Portable data transfer and mass storage device for removable memory modules

• US 6,658,202 B1
• Filed: 09/09/1998
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zulu 360 LLC
• Original Assignee: SmartDisk Corporation
• Inventors: Drennan, Offie Lee, Battaglia, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/149,448
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 386/117, 386/46, 386/124, 386/125, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.9, 348/220.1, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 386/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device

Abstract

A hand-held battery powered device for transferring data between one or more flash memory modules and a mass storage device. The device includes one or more slots to accept a flash memory module into a housing which includes fixed or removable mass storage device and logic circuitry disposed within the housing for transferring data between the flash memory module and mass storage device. Ports are disclosed for transferring data from the resident mass storage device to the user'"'"'s computer.

Claims

1. For use in transferring image data between a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s computer, a portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device embodied in a housing connectable to both a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s notebook or desktop computer and which is of a size which can be held in a user'"'"'s palm, said repository device comprising:

a housing of a size to be held in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand and including a memory input port sized to receive a digital camera flash memory module and including an output port for coupling said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer;

a hard disk drive operatively coupled to receive and store picture image data from a digital camera flash memory module inserted into said memory input port and for storing said image data, said hard disk drive being accessible for downloading said image data from said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer;

data transfer circuitry for controlling the transfer of data stored in said digital camera flash memory module inserted into said memory input port to said hard disk drive,

an LCD display device for displaying data indicative of the picture image data of the flash memory module, and

an output interface, coupled to said hard disk drive, for use in transferring image data stored in said hard disk drive to said user'"'"'s computer, said output interface being compatible with an interface of said user'"'"'s computer.

2. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, further including:

processing circuitry for reformatting a digital camera memory module inserted into said memory input port to place said digital camera memory module into a state where it can be reused in the user'"'"'s digital camera for picture capture without erasing desired picture image data.

3. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said output interface includes a USB interface operatively coupled to said hard disk drive for transferring picture image data to a user'"'"'s computer.

4. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, further including:

at least one control key for initiating predetermined operations relating to said digital camera memory module.

5. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 4, wherein said at least one control key is part of a keyboard and wherein said data transfer circuitry is responsive to user initiation of a key to control the transfer of data from said memory module to said hard disk drive.

6. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, further including:

a display for indicating the status of said repository device.

7. A portable, band-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, further including:

a further memory input port in said housing sized to receive a further storage module, said data transfer circuitry being operable to selectively transfer the contents of said digital camera memory module and said further storage module to said hard disk drive.

8. A portable, hand-held, digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said hard drive is removable.

10. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 8, wherein said processing circuitry is operable to reformat a memory module inserted into one of the memory input ports to place the memory module into a state where it can be reused.

9. For use in transferring data between a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s computer, a portable, hand-held, general purpose, digital data transfer and repository device embodied in a housing connectable to both a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s notebook or desktop computer and which is of a size which can be held in a user'"'"'s palm, said repository device comprising:

a housing of a size to be held in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand and including a memory insertion section for receiving a first digital flash memory module, and for receiving a second digital flash memory module and including an output port for coupling said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer,

a hard disk drive contained within said hand-held housing and operatively coupled to receive and store digital data from said first digital flash memory module and said second digital flash memory module, said hard disk drive being accessible for data transfer between said portable repository device and a user'"'"'s computer;

processing circuitry contained within said hand-held housing for controlling the transfer of data stored in said first digital flash memory module and second digital flash memory module to said hard disk drive;

an LCD display device for displaying data indicative of the contents of at least one of said first digital flash memory module and said second digital flash memory module, and

an output interface, coupled to said hard disk drive, for use in transferring data between said hard disk drive and said user'"'"'s computer, said output interface being compatible with an interface of said user'"'"'s computer.

11. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 9, wherein said output interface includes a USB interface operatively coupled to said hard disk drive for transferring data to a user'"'"'s computer.

12. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 9, further including a display.

13. For use in transferring data between a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s computer, a portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device embodied in a housing connectable to both a user'"'"'s notebook or desktop computer and which is of a size which can be held in a user'"'"'s palm, said repository device comprising:

a housing of a size to be held in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand and including a memory input port for receiving a digital flash memory module and including an output port for coupling said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer,

a hard disk drive contained within said hand-held housing and operatively coupled to receive and store digital data from said digital flash memory module inserted into said memory input port, said hard disk drive being accessible for data transfer between said portable repository device and user'"'"'s computer;

at least one control key for initiating an operation relating to the data stored in said digital flash memory module;

processing circuitry contained within said hand-held housing for controlling the transfer of data stored in said digital memory module to said hard disk drive,

an LCD display device for displaying data indicative of the contents of the flash memory module, and

an output interface, coupled to said hard disk drive, for use in transferring data between said hard disk drive and said user'"'"'s computer, said output interface being compatible with an interface of said user'"'"'s computer.

14. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said processing circuitry is operable to reformat a memory module inserted into said memory input port to place the memory module into a state where it can be reused.

15. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 13, wherein said output interface includes a USB interface operatively coupled to said hard disk drive for transferring data to a user'"'"'s computer.

16. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository device in accordance with claim 13, further including:

a further memory input port in said housing sized to receive a further storage module, said processing circuitry being operable to selectively transfer the contents of said digital memory module and said further storage module to said hard disk drive.

17. A method of operating a portable, hand-held digital camera picture image data transfer and repository device to permit a digital camera flash memory module to be reused and to transfer said image data between a removable flash memory module of a digital camera and a user'"'"'s computer, said data transfer and repository device including an output port for coupling said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer, a hard disk drive and further including an output interface, coupled to said hard disk drive, for use in transferring image data stored in said hard disk drive to said user'"'"'s computer, said output interface being compatible with an interface of said user'"'"'s computer, said method comprising the steps of;

inserting into a memory input port of said repository device a digital camera flash memory module having picture image data stored therein;

transferring picture image data from the digital memory module to said hard disk drive within said repository device;

displaying data on an LCD display on said repository device indicative of the contents of said flash memory module, and

reformatting said digital camera flash memory module so that it may be reinserted into a digital camera for picture taking.

18. A method according to claim 17, further including the step of:

transferring picture image data to a user'"'"'s computer via said output interface in said portable repository device.

19. A method according to claim 17, further including the step of:

displaying on a display screen on said portable device data indicative of at least part of the contents of said digital camera memory module.

20. For use in transferring data between a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s computer, a portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository apparatus embodied in a housing connectable to both a removable flash memory module and a user'"'"'s notebook or desktop computer and which is of a size which can be held in a user'"'"'s palm, said repository device comprising:

a housing of a size to be held in the palm of a user'"'"'s hand including an output port for coupling said portable repository device to a user'"'"'s computer;

a memory input receiving section in said housing for receiving a digital flash memory module,

a hard disk drive contained within said hand-held housing and operatively coupled to receive and store digital data from said digital flash memory module inserted into said memory input receiving section, said hard disk drive being accessible for data transfer between said repository device and a user'"'"'s computer;

an LCD display for displaying data indicative of at least part of the contents of said digital flash memory module;

processing circuitry contained within said hand-held housing for modifying the contents of said digital memory module so that it may be reused in said user'"'"'s device, and

an output interface, coupled to said hard disk drive, for use in transferring data between said hard disk drive and said user'"'"'s computer, said output interface being compatible with an interface of said user'"'"'s computer.

21. A portable, hand-held, digital data transfer and repository apparatus in accordance with claim 20, wherein said output interface includes a USB interface operatively coupled to said hard disk drive for transferring data to and from a user'"'"'s computer.

22. A portable, hand-held, data transfer and repository apparatus in accordance with claim 20, wherein said user'"'"'s device is a digital camera and wherein said processing circuitry is operable to reformat a digital camera memory module inserted into said memory input receiving section to place said digital camera memory module into a state where it can be reused in said digital camera for picture capture.

23. A portable, hand-held, data transfer and repository apparatus in accordance with claim 20, further including:

at least one control key for initiating predetermined operations relating to said digital memory module.

24. A portable, hand-held, data transfer and repository apparatus in accordance with claim 23, wherein processing circuitry is responsive to user initiation of a key to control the transfer of data from said memory module to said hard disk drive.

25. A portable, had-held, data transfer and repository apparatus in accordance with claim 20, further wherein said memory input receiving section is operable to receive a further memory module structurally distinct from said digital memory module and further including data transfer circuitry operable to transfer the contents of said digital memory module to said hard disk drive and to transfer the contents of said further storage module to said hard disk drive.