Universal non-volatile memory card used with various different standard cards containing a memory controller
First Claim
1. A system for connecting non-volatile memory to two or more host systems having distinct electronic and physical connections for removably receiving incompatible electronic cards, comprising:
- at least one non-volatile mass storage memory sub-card, andtwo or more electronic cards having incompatible electronic and physical interfaces adapted to connect respectively with said two or more host systems but individually including a receptacle that removably receives said at least one non-volatile memory sub-card and further individually including a controller connected to the receptacle for operating non-volatile memory within said at least one memory sub-card inserted into the receptacle to transfer data between the memory therein and a host to which the electronic card is connected.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mother/daughter card non-volatile memory system includes a daughter card containing the memory and a mother card containing the memory controller and host interface circuits. The daughter memory card contains as little more than the memory cell array as is practical, in order to minimize its cost, and has an interface for connecting with a variety of mother controller cards having physical attributes and host interfaces according to a number of different published or proprietary memory card standards. Different types of memory cards may be used when the operating parameters of the memory are stored within it in a protected location, the mother card controller then reading these parameters and adapting its operation accordingly. A radio frequency antenna may be included on a surface of the card along with its electrical contacts, in order to provide a radio frequency identification function.
132 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for connecting non-volatile memory to two or more host systems having distinct electronic and physical connections for removably receiving incompatible electronic cards, comprising:
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at least one non-volatile mass storage memory sub-card, and two or more electronic cards having incompatible electronic and physical interfaces adapted to connect respectively with said two or more host systems but individually including a receptacle that removably receives said at least one non-volatile memory sub-card and further individually including a controller connected to the receptacle for operating non-volatile memory within said at least one memory sub-card inserted into the receptacle to transfer data between the memory therein and a host to which the electronic card is connected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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- 16. A method of removably connecting a mass storage memory sub-card to two or more host systems that accept different ones of two or more incompatible electronic cards, comprising using a common mass storage memory sub-card that is removably connectable with said two or more incompatible electronic cards according to a common physical and electrical interface.
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26. A memory system adapted to be removably connected with a host system, comprising:
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an electronic card containing host interface circuits connected with a first connector adapted to be received by a receptacle of the host and a memory controller connected with a second connector, and a mass storage sub-card having a third connector that mates with the second connector for removable connection to said electronic card, said mass storage sub-card containing memory partitioned into at least a first portion for storing user data from the host and a second portion not accessible to the host for storing data of operating parameters for the non-volatile memory to which the memory controller has access for controlling operation of said sub-card. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A mass storage memory card, comprising:
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at least one non-volatile memory integrated circuit chip encased in a card, a radio frequency tag circuit also encased in the card, and a plurality of electrically conductive contacts and a radio frequency metallic antenna formed across at least one outside surface of the card, at least some of the plurality of contacts being connected to said memory integrated circuit chip and said antenna being connected to said radio frequency tag circuit. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An electronic memory card system, comprising:
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a plurality of electronic cards individually including a memory controller and having a physical shape, an arrangement of electrical contacts and an electrical signal interface through the contacts according to a different one of a plurality of published or proprietary card standards in order to be removably connected with a host system having a receptacle and a signal interface that are complimentary thereto, a mass storage sub-card of a given physical shape including a memory array connected with external contacts thereon in a given pattern, said plurality of electronic cards individually including a receptacle for removably receiving the mass storage sub-card and connecting the memory thereof with the memory controller of said electronic cards, whereby the sub-card is connectable with any of the plurality of electronic cards. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. An electronic memory card system, comprising:
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a first electronic card individually including a first memory controller substantially without mass data storage memory and having a physical shape, an arrangement of electrical contacts and an electrical signal interface for removable interconnection with a first host system, a second electronic card individually including a second memory controller substantially without mass data storage memory and having a physical shape, an arrangement of electrical contacts and an electrical signal interface for removable interconnection with a second host system, wherein the second electronic card does not interface with the first host system and the first electronic card does not interface with the second host system, a sub-card containing mass data storage memory, and a receptacle provided on each of the first and second electronic cards for removably receiving and operating said sub-card with a common electrical interface with the respective first and second controllers, whereby the sub-card may be interchanged between the first and second electronic cards. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. An electronic card system, comprising:
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a plurality of electronic cards individually including a host interface circuit and having a physical shape, an arrangement of electrical contacts and an electrical signal interface through the contacts according to different ones of a plurality of published or proprietary card standards, a mass storage memory sub-card having a physical shape, arrangement of a first set of electrical contacts and electrical signal interface through the first set of electrical contacts from a first electronic circuit within the sub-card according to one published or proprietary card standard other than said plurality of published or proprietary card standards, said sub-card including a second electronic circuit connected to at least some of the electrical contacts and to an additional second set of electrical contacts provided on the sub-card, and said plurality of electronic cards individually including a receptacle into which said sub-card is removably insertable, the receptacle having contacts that mate with the sub-card first and second sets of electrical contacts to connect with the electronic circuit within any of a plurality of the electronic cards, thereby to provide a functionality of the sub-card in a physical form and with an electrical interface according to individual ones of a plurality of published or proprietary card standards.
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36. A method of removably connecting mass non-volatile memory storage to two or more host systems which accept different ones of two or more removable cards that are physically or electrically incompatible with each other, comprising:
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connecting said two or more removable cards to the hosts, wherein the removable cards individually include a memory controller but not the mass non-volatile memory storage, and using a common sub-card which contains the mass non-volatile memory storage and that is removably connectable with said two or more cards according to a common physical and electrical interface in order to connect with the memory controllers therein.
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37. A method of using at least first and second electronic cards which have electrical interfaces that are physically or electrically incompatible with each other and which are adapted to be removably connected with respective ones of at least first and second mating receptacles, comprising:
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connecting, with said first and second mating receptacles, forms of the respective first and second electronic cards that individually contain a memory controller substantially without non-volatile mass data storage, wherein the memory controller is electrically connected with a socket into which a common card is removably connectable, wherein the common card contains non-volatile mass data storage accessible by the memory controller through the socket, and interchanging the common card between the sockets of the first and second electronic cards. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A method of providing a given electronic function according to any one of a plurality of published or proprietary card standards, comprising:
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including the electronic function in a sub-card having a particular physical shape, an arrangement of contacts on the outside thereof and a given electrical interface with the internal electronic function through the contacts, providing at least first and second electronic cards having physical card shapes, arrangements of contacts and electrical signal interfaces according to respective first and second published or proprietary card standards that are incompatible with each other, said first and second electronic cards including a receptacle and set of electrical contacts that mate with said sub-card when removably placed in the receptacle and an electronic circuit that electrically interfaces with both the sub-card and the electrical signal interface of a published or proprietary card standard.
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Specification