Card reader

• US 6,959,864 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2000
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Spyder Navigations LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones UK Limited (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Buschmann, Ulrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Stcyr, Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/746,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20010019077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 235/451, 235/379, 235/380, 235/492, 235/375, 235/382, 235/442
• US Class Current: 235/451
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/08 Feeding or discharging cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0013 by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers connectors in general H01R13/00; connectors for SIM cards used in mobile phones or the like H04B1/3816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0034 the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0073 having multiple insertion slots, the respective slots suited for the same or different card form factors

Abstract

The invention relates to the design of card readers for cards equipped with memory. Such cards, and also the data stored in the memory of such cards, are generally utilized to produce and/or maintain operating states of technical devices. It is also known that the user personally can store data in certain areas of the memory. However, as the memory design and usage has been standardized for the most part and the memory capacity reserved for use by the user is relatively small, the memory capacity reserved for the user can only be increased by providing the device with additional cards equipped with memory. However, as all cards used in a device to supply the full functionality must operate together in a prescribed manner, it is the task of the invention to specify a card reader that organizes this operation. To accomplish this, it is specified that a monitoring device 17 or a closing device 24 is present that prevents the insertion of a second card 11.1 when there is a first card 11.2 inserted in the first slot 12.2, or that ensures, when there are two cards 11 in the slots 12, that the first card 11.2 is removed from its corresponding slot 12 before second card 11.1 is removed.

Claims

1. A card reader comprising

a first slot containing an insertion aperture for inserting a card equipped with a memory;

a second slot also containing an insertion aperture for inserting another card equipped with memory; and

a monitoring device that prevents the logging on of a second card inserted in said second slot when said first slot already has a first card inserted in said first slot that, when said second card has been inserted said second slot, monitors said second card'"'"'s position in said second slot and logs off the first card located in said first slot when said first card'"'"'s position changes.

2. The card reader according to claim 1 such that:

said first slot and said second slot are arranged one over the other, whereby the insertion apertures of said first slot and said second slot point in the same direction.

3. The card reader according to claim 1 further comprising a closing device that is a moveable cover equipped with a stop base that exposes the insertion aperture of said second slot when in said cover'"'"'s first position and that blocks said insertion aperture when in said cover'"'"'s second position, whereby the stop base is seated against said first card located in said first slot to prevent the cover from moving when said first card has been inserted in said first slot.

4. The card reader according to claim 1 further comprising an ejection device on said second slot that ejects said second card inserted in said second slot from the insertion aperture when a closing device allows access to the insertion device on said second slot.

5. The card reader according to claim 4 such that:

said ejection device is formed by a mechanism that supplies the mechanical energy required to eject said second card inserted in said second slot on after closing and/or opening said closing device.

6. The card reader according to claim 5 such that:

said ejection device has a cradle that moves in the direction of insertion and of ejection of the second card insertable in the second slot;

a gear located on a rotatable shaft that can be slid in the direction of the shaft axis whose teeth with even numbered ordinal numbers are wider in the direction of the shaft axis that the teeth with odd-numbered ordinal numbers;

a cam connected to the cradle whose front edge makes physical contact with the teeth with even-numbered ordinal numbers and whose longitudinal edge always remains a shorter distance from the teeth with odd-numbered ordinal numbers;

a tongue connected to said closing device that can be moved not only in the direction of the shaft axis, but also in the direction of rotation of the shaft and that has a lug on its free end to mesh in the space between an even and an odd-numbered tooth of the gear;

two stationary ramps located one behind the other in the direction of rotation of the shaft that are periodically in physical contact with the front surface of the teeth with even numbered ordinal numbers and that has a first energy storage device connected to the cradle.

7. The card reader according to claim 6 further comprising a second energy storage device that is connected to the closing device that, when the closing device is open, contains stored energy.

8. The card reader according to claim 7 further comprising a sliding tongue connected to said cradle that follows the movements of said cradle whose free end is formed as a moveable hook;

and a pin on said closing device that, when said closing device is open to insert the second card in the second slot, is secured by a moveable hook to prevent the release of the energy stored in said second energy storage device.