Credit card sized USB flash drive

• US 7,344,072 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Miller, Robert C., Gonzalez, Carlos J., LaPedis, Ronald, Cuellar, Edwin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee; Michael G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo; Tuyen Kim
• Application Number:
  US11/536,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 536 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/380, 235/441, 235/451
• US Class Current: 235/441
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/077 Constructional details, e.g. mounting of circuits in the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07732 the record carrier having a housing or construction similar to well-known portable memory devices, such as SD cards, USB or memory sticks housings for electrical equipment in general, see H05K5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07733 the record carrier containing at least one further contact interface not conform ISO-7816
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 33/0488 in boxes or containers comprising additional sound reproducing or activating means

Abstract

A flash memory mass storage drive stores user files in a convenient credit card sized drive. Embodiments function as both a credit card and a mass storage drive. Communication may be through a host interface connector such as a USB connector, a magnetic interface, a smart card interface, and/or a near field communication interface. In certain embodiments the drive comprises a portion that is sufficiently thin to be swiped through a standard credit card, ATM, or point of sale device. The USB connector of the drive can easily be plugged into even a crowded receptacle of a host computing device.

Claims

1. A flash memory drive comprising:

a re-programmable non-volatile flash memory; and

a body having a perimeter and two principal faces, the faces having a length and a width of a credit card such that there is a long side and a short side of the body,

a member extendable some distance away from the body of the drive, the member comprising a USB connector on a distal portion of the member,

the member rotating about an axis of rotation at a proximal end of the member, the axis of rotation operable to change location within the perimeter of the body.

2. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation can be moved by a user in order to change to the position of the member for insertion of the member into a host device.

3. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the member is able to extend away from two or more substantially perpendicular sides of the perimeter in a direction other than perpendicular to both of the two or more substantially perpendicular sides.

4. The flash memory drive of claim 1, wherein the perimeter further comprises one or more corners, the member operable to change angle about the axis and extend away from the one or more corners.

5. A portable credit card system comprising:

a first element comprising a credit card interface for conducting credit card transactions; and

a second element comprising;

a USB flash memory drive comprising a mass storage flash memory, a memory controller, and a USB connector coupled to the memory controller,

the second element detachable from the first element in order to be connected to a USB port of a host computing device,

the second element attachable to the first element in order to be stored in a wallet, such that when the first and second element are attached, the credit card system has a length and width of a credit card.

6. The credit card system of claim 5, the first element further comprising a first mating connection to connect to the second element.

7. The credit card system of claim 6, the second element further comprising a second mating connection to connect to the first element.

8. The credit card system of claim 7, wherein the first and second mating connection comprise a male and female groove system.

9. The credit card system of claim 8, wherein the second element slides in relation to the first element.

10. The credit card system of claim 9, wherein the second element slides in and out of the first element.

11. The credit card system of claim 7, wherein the second element snaps into and out of the first element.

12. The credit card system of claim 11, wherein the first mating connection comprises a pliable material that is bent in order to insert or extract the second element.

13. The credit card system of claim 5, wherein the second element comprises a pocket that holds the first element.

14. A flash memory drive comprising:

a re-programmable non-volatile flash memory;

a body having a length and a width of a credit card; and

a rigid member comprising a USB connector on a distal portion of the member,

a portion of the body having a thickness acceptable for insertion into a standard credit card reader,

the body configured to bend back upon itself thereby sufficiently exposing the USB connector of the member so that it may be inserted into a USB receptacle.

15. The drive of claim 14, wherein the drive further comprises a near field communications antenna on the body of the drive.

16. The drive of claim 15, wherein the drive further comprises near field communications control circuitry located at the member and coupled to the near field communications antenna on the body.

17. The drive of claim 15, wherein the near field communications antenna is flexible and bends with the body of the card when the body is bent back upon itself.

18. The drive of claim 14, wherein the drive further comprises a clip, the clip latching the body in an unbent position.