Integrated PC Card host controller for the detection and operation of a plurality of expansion cards

• US 6,807,597 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2002
• Issued: 10/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maishi Electronic (Shanghai) Limited
• Original Assignee: 2micro International Limited
• Inventors: Oh, Hyang-Kyun, Huang, Yishao Max, Brayden, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL L
• Application Number:
  US10/173,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152047A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 710/301, 710/300, 710/313, 735/486, 702/109
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4068 Electrical coupling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4081 Live connection to bus, e.g. hot-plugging current or voltage limitation during live insertion H02H9/004
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/945 Adapter for pcb or cartridge

Abstract

An integrated controller for the detection and operation of both PC Cards, smart cards and passive smart card adapter cards. In one aspect, the invention detects the presence of standard expansion cards or passive smart card adapters by utilizing the reserved detection and voltage selection signal area defined by the PC Card specification. In another aspect, the invention provides an integrated controller that includes logic to operate either a standard expansion card or a passive smart card adapter by reassigning certain PC Card signal lines to operate a standard expansion card or a passive smart card adapter, thereby eliminating the need to provide pins in addition to those defined by the PC Card specification.

Claims

1. A system for the detection and operation of a Smart Card, comprising:

a socket for receiving a Smart Card;

an integrated controller comprising a first logic set for detecting said Smart Card, a second logic set for operating said Smart Card; and

a bus interface controller to provide communications with a bus interface and said smart card using conventional PC card communication protocols; and

a second socket for receiving a PC Card;

said integrated controller further comprising a third logic set to detect and operate said PC Card, said bus interface controller adapted to provide communication between said PC Card and said bus interface using said conventional PC Card communication protocols.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said bus comprises a PCI bus and said bus interface controller is adapted to communicate using PCI bus and conventional PC card communication protocols.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said PC Card is selected from the group of a CardBus Card or a PCMCIA card.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said PC Card communication protocols comprise CardBus and/or PCMCIA communication protocols.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said PC Card communication protocols comprise CardBus and/or PCMCIA communication protocols.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a MUX logic set adapted to provide input/output communications between said bus interface controller and said first and/or second logic sets.

4. An integrated controller for expansion media, comprising:

a first circuit adapted to detect and operate a Smart Card, a second circuit adapted to detect and operate a PC Card; and

a bus interface controller to provide communications with a bus interface and said Smart Card and/or said PC Card using conventional PC card communication protocols.

8. A controller as claimed in claim 4, wherein said PC Card communication protocols comprise CardBus communication protocols.

9. A controller as claimed in claim 4, wherein said PC Card communication protocols comprise PCMCIA communication protocols.