Universal serial bus (USB) flash drive having locking pins and locking grooves for locking swivel cap

• US 8,095,971 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Technology, Corporation
• Original Assignee: Supertalent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, David, Nan, Nan, Yu, I-Kang, Ni, Jim Chin-Nan, Shen, Ming-Shiang
• Primary Examiner(s): DADA, BEEMNET W
• Application Number:
  US11/929,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20080276099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 713/167, 713/185, 713/186, 713/189, 713/193, 726/9, 439/76.1, 439/660, 439/135, 361/752
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1416 by checking the object accessibility, e.g. type of access defined by the memory independently of subject rights G06F12/1458 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07354 by biometrically sensitive means, e.g. fingerprint sensitive fingerprint sensors in general G06V40/12; biometrically activated access control G07C9/25
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4984 Retaining clearance for motion between assembled parts

Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention a Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap includes a USB device, a swivel cap having a top swivel cap face and a bottom swivel cap face. The swivel cap is connectably attached to the USB device, four locking pins, two of which disposed on the top swivel cap face and two of which disposed on the bottom swivel cap face, two top locking grooves disposed on a top surface of the USB device, and two bottom locking grooves disposed on a bottom surface of the USB device, wherein the locking pins disposed on top swivel cap face coupled with the two top locking grooves and the locking pins disposed on the bottom swivel cap face couple with the two bottom locking grooves allowing the swivel cap to lock in fully open (180 degrees) and fully closed (0 degree). A USB connector is connected to the USB device to couple the USB flash drive to a host device. A fingerprint sensor area is disposed on the top side of the USB device, the fingerprint sensor scans fingerprints of a user of the portable flash drive with swivel cap and optional fingerprint verification capability, and allowing access to data stored on the portable flash drive with swivel cap and optional fingerprint verification capability.

Claims

1. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap comprising:

a USB device;

a swivel cap having a top swivel cap face and a bottom swivel cap face,

the swivel cap connectably attached to the USB device;

four locking pins, two of which disposed on the top swivel cap face and two of which disposed on the bottom swivel cap face;

two top locking grooves disposed on a top surface of the USB device;

two bottom locking grooves disposed on a bottom surface of the USB device, wherein the locking pins disposed on top swivel cap face couple with the two top locking grooves and the locking pins disposed on the bottom swivel cap face couple with the two bottom locking grooves allowing the swivel cap to lock in an open and closed positions;

a USB connector connected to the USB device to couple said USB flash drive to a host device;

wherein the PCBA has fore and aft portions and top and bottom sides, the USB flash drive with locking swivel cap further comprising,

a fingerprint sensor disposed on the aft portion, top side of the PCBA;

four USB contact fingers disposed on the fore portion, top-side of the PCBA;

a controller chip disposed on the fore portion, bottom side of the PCBA;

a memory chip disposed on the aft portion, bottom side of the PCBA; and

a light emitting diode (LED) disposed on the aft portion, top side of the PCBA behind the fingerprint sensor and aft portion, bottom sides of the PCBA behind the memory chip; and

a fingerprint sensor area disposed on the top side of the USB device, said fingerprint sensor operative to scan fingerprints of a user of the portable flash drive with swivel cap and optional fingerprint verification capability, and allowing access to data stored on the portable flash drive with swivel cap and optional fingerprint verification capability.

2. A USB flash drive with locking swivel cap, as recited in claim 1, further including a slim USB device comprised of:

a slim USB housing having a front and a back;

a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) configured to fit inside the slim USB housing;

a PCBA support configured to snap inside the front of the slim USB housing, and

a transparent plastic end-cap configured to snap into the back of the slim USB housing,

wherein the slim USB housing is configured to house the PCBA, the PCBA support, and transparent plastic end-cap.

3. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap, as recited in claim 2, wherein the USB flash drive with locking swivel cap is in conformance with USB standards.

4. A Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap, as recited in claim 2, comprising a transparent plastic end-cap positioned to keep the PCBA from becoming misaligned and to allow light from the LED on the PCBA to pass through.

5. A USB flash drive with locking swivel cap, as recited in claim 1, further including upper and lower transparent, plastic swivel blocks configured to allow light from the LED to pass through the upper and lower transparent, plastic swivel blocks and further configured to allow the locking swivel cap to connect thereto.

13. A USB flash drive with locking swivel cap, as recited in claim 1, wherein the top two locking pins rest within a pivot block aperature, the USB flash drive further having a pivot block aperture having an interior face where two lock groove snap couplings protrude, and lock groove snap couplings generally protruding inward relative to the pivot block aperture at an angle that is substantially 0 and 180 degrees about the y-axis, the two top lock pins resting within the pivot block aperture, two lock groove snap couplings protruding on the interior face of the pivot block aperture, the lock groove snap couplings generally protruding inward relative to the pivot block aperture at an angle that is substantially 0 and 180 degrees about the y-axis.

6. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap comprising:

inserting a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) support into a slim USB housing forming a slim USB housing with PCBA support;

inserting the PCBA into a slim USB housing with PCBA support to form a slim USB housing with PCBA;

inserting a transparent end-cap into the slim USB housing with PCBA to form a slim USB device;

placing the slim USB device and a lower transparent pivot block into a lower housing;

placing an upper transparent end-block into the lower housing and snapping the upper housing to the lower housing forming the USB device;

connecting the plastic swivel-cap to the USB device; and

wherein the PCBA has fore and aft portions and top and bottom sides, the USB flash drive with locking swivel cap further comprising,

a fingerprint sensor disposed on the aft portion, top side of the PCBA,

four USB contact fingers disposed on the fore portion, top-side of the PCBA,

a controller chip disposed on the fore portion, bottom side of the PCBA;

a memory chip disposed on the aft portion, bottom side of the PCBA, and

a light emitting diode (LED) disposed on the aft portion, top side of the PCBA behind the fingerprint sensor and aft portion, bottom sides of the PCBA behind the memory chip.

7. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6, where further, maintaining in place, the PCBA support inside the slim USB housing by four locking tabs.

8. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6 by inserting the PCBA into the slim USB housing with PCBA support to form the slim USB housing with PCBA.

9. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6 where further, maintaining in place the transparent plastic end-cap inside the slim USB housing with PCBA by two locking tabs.

10. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6 where the slim USB device is placed into the lower housing along with the lower pivot block.

11. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6 where the upper pivot block is placed directly on top of the lower pivot block and the upper housing is snapped into the lower housing forming the USB flash drive with locking swivel cap.

12. A method manufacturing the Universal Serial Bus (USB) flash drive with locking swivel cap as recited in claim 6 where the locking swivel cap is removably connected to the USB device in order to form the USB device with locking swivel cap.