Memory card socket and data processing device including the same

• US 9,753,503 B2
• Filed: 08/14/2015
• Issued: 09/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Han, Seok-Jae, Kim, Dong-Min, Choi, Jin-Hwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Haughton, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Ingrid
• Application Number:
  US14/826,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20160048178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 36167931, 36167958
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1613 for portable computers cooling arrangements therefor G06F1/203; constructional details or arrangements for pocket calculators, electronic agendas or books G06F15/0216; constructional details of portable telephone sets: with several bodies H04M1/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1679 for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA G06F1/1681 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/183 Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for printed circuit boards, internal connecting means for buses G06F13/409
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/085 using an arrangement for locking the inserted card
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 13/0856 the locking arrangement comprising a notch in the card and a complementary locking means in the card reading station
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0026 the galvanic contacts of the connector adapted for landing on the contacts of the card upon card insertion

Abstract

A data processing apparatus includes an electronic device configured to store data and instructions; a memory card; and a memory card socket in which the memory card is inserted. In certain disclosed systems and methods, the memory card socket includes: an insertion portion through which the memory card is inserted; a lock portion formed around an edge of the insertion portion, and that is configured to control attaching and detaching of the memory card based on instructions received from the electronic device; and a main body including the insertion portion and the lock portion and configured to accommodate the memory card via the insertion portion.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

an electronic device configured to store data and instructions;

a memory card; and

a memory card socket into which the memory card is inserted,

wherein the memory card socket comprises;

an insertion portion through which the memory card is inserted;

a lock portion formed around an edge of the insertion portion and that is configured to control attaching and detaching of the memory card based on the instructions received from the electronic device; and

a main body including the insertion portion and the lock portion and configured to accommodate the memory card via the insertion portion,

wherein at least one surface of the insertion portion includes at least one light emitting device, and the at least one light emitting device emits different colored light based on a lock command and an unlock command.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the electronic device issues the lock command, the lock portion is maintained in a locked state in which the memory card is not removable the memory card socket, and

when the electronic device issues the unlock command, the lock portion is maintained in an unlocked state in which the memory card is removable from the memory card socket.

3. The data processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the lock portion is in the unlocked state and the memory card is mounted in the main body via the insertion portion, the electronic device automatically causes the lock portion to be in the locked state.

4. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the lock portion comprises:

a first element configured to attach and detach the memory card; and

a second element controlled by the electronic device.

5. The data processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the electronic device issues the lock command, the second element couples with the first element, and when the electronic device issues the unlock command, the second element decouples from the first element.

6. The data processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein at least one surface of the insertion portion has at least one color that is different from at least one color of the main body.

7. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the memory card comprises a notch at an edge thereof, and the lock portion is configured to engage with the notch.

8. The date processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein data and instructions installed on the memory card include an operating system (OS) of the electronic device.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic device further comprises:

an embedded memory, wherein the memory card and the embedded memory are physically separated from each other, and the electronic device recognizes the memory card and the embedded memory logically as one storage space.

10. A memory card socket mounted in an electronic device that comprises a controller, the memory card socket comprising:

an insertion portion into which a memory card is inserted;

a lock portion formed around an edge of the insertion portion, wherein the controller controls attaching and detaching of the memory card by the lock portion; and

a main body including the insertion portion and the lock portion, wherein the main body accommodates the memory card via the insertion portion,

wherein the main body further comprises a latch unit, and the latch is engaged with a curved portion formed on the memory card.

11. The memory card socket of claim 10, wherein when the software issues a lock command, the lock portion is set in a locked state causing the memory card to remain fixed at a location so as not to be detached from the memory card socket, and when the controller executes an unlock command, the lock portion is set in an unlocked state causing the memory card to be removable from the memory card socket.

12. The memory card socket of claim 10, wherein the lock portion includes a rotary shaft and wherein the lock portion rotates within a predetermined angle range about the rotary shaft.

13. The memory card socket of claim 10, wherein the lock portion and the latch unit are formed on the same surface of the main body.

14. A data processing apparatus comprising:

an electronic device including at least one processor;

an embedded memory configured to store data and instructions;

a memory card;

a memory card socket,

wherein the memory card socket comprises;

an insertion portion through which the memory card is inserted; and

a lock portion formed around an edge of the insertion portion and that is configured to control attaching and detaching of the memory card based on instructions received from the electronic device,

wherein at least one surface of the insertion portion includes at least one light emitting device, and the at least one light emitting device emits different colored light based on a lock command and an unlock command.

15. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the lock portion comprises:

a first element configured to attach and detach the memory card; and

a second element controlled by the electronic device.

16. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a main body including the insertion portion and the lock portion and accommodating the memory card via the insertion portion.

17. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the memory card and the embedded memory are two physical storage devices, and the electronic device recognizes the memory card and the embedded memory as one logical storage space.

18. The data processing apparatus of claim 14, wherein when the lock portion is in the unlocked state and the memory card is mounted in the main body via the insertion portion, the electronic device automatically causes the lock portion to change to the locked state.