Use of small electronic circuit cards with different interfaces in an electronic system

• US 7,350,714 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Pinto, Yosi, Wallace, Robert F., Brewer, Wesley G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech; Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US11/383,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20060202034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 235/487, 235/492, 235/382, 235/441, 902/2, 902/26
• US Class Current: 235/487
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0719 at least one of the integrated circuit chips comprising an arrangement for application selection, e.g. an acceleration sensor or a set of radio buttons application selection on smart cards using pure software control, see G07F7/10
• 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 19/07739 comprising a first part capable of functioning as a record carrier on its own and a second part being only functional as a form factor changing part, e.g. SIM cards type ID 0001, removably attached to a regular smart card form factor
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• 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

Abstract

Electronic systems, such as automobile radios, portable and other computing devices, and global positioning system receivers, often require that a correct security code be inputted from a small memory card that is removably inserted into a card slot of the system before the system is rendered operable in total or in part, or before certain data can be retrieved. The same type of memory card is also used to store digital data that is utilized by the system in conjunction with its function that is enabled by the security code, such data cards being removably inserted into the same card slot as the card containing the security code. Alternately, both the utilization data and the security code are included on a single card. An example application is an automobile radio wherein data supplied by the second card are of music that is reproduced through the radio'"'"'s audio system.

Claims

1. An electronic card that is removably insertable into a receptacle which makes electrical contact with contacts on the electronic card, wherein a physical shape of the card and an arrangement of the contacts conform with a first published card standard, while an electrical interface through the contacts conforms to a second published card standard, the first and second card standards specifying incompatible physical card shapes, arrangements of contacts and electrical signal interfaces.

2. The card according to claim 1, wherein the first card standard is that of the MMC or SD Card, while the second card standard is an ISO/IEC 7816 standard.

3. The card according to claim 1, wherein the electronic card has an electrical signal interface through said contacts that conforms to only the second card standard.

4. The card according to claim 1, wherein data of a security code is stored in the card in a manner to be accessible through the card contacts according to the electrical interface of the second card standard.

5. The card according to claim 1, wherein the electronic card additionally includes an electrical signal interface through said contacts that conforms to the first card standard.

6. The card according to claim 5, wherein the electronic card includes data stored therein of a security code that is accessible through the card contacts according to the electrical interface of the second card standard, and additionally includes content data stored therein that is accessible through the card contacts according to the electrical interface of the first card standard, wherein the security code is adapted for use in enabling utilization of the content data.