Cooperative interconnection and operation of a non-volatile memory card and an input-output card

• US 7,680,974 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Socket Communications, Inc., SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Corporation (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Mills, Kevin J., Ott, Leonard L., Miller, Robert C., Cedar, Yoram, Wallace, Robert F., Brewer, Wesley G., Gifford, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, TRISHA U
• Application Number:
  US11/461,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20060264109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 710300-302, 439/295, 439/296, 439/352, 439/436
• US Class Current: 710/301
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07743 External electrical contacts
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0047 for reading/sensing record carriers having edge contacts

Abstract

Very small non-volatile memory cards are modified to include a connector to which a connector on a separate data input-output card electrically and mechanically mates when pushed together. The input-output card transfers data directly between an external device and the non-volatile memory, without having to go through the host to which the memory card is connected. The input-output card communicates with the external device through a wired or a wireless communication channel.

Claims

1. A method of communicating data between a non-volatile memory card and an external device, the method comprising:

when a non-volatile memory card is connected with a host system via a set of electrical contacts located at a first edge of the memory card and the memory card is electrically and mechanically attached to an input-output card via a connector located at a second edge of the memory card opposite the first edge and a mating connector on the input-output card;

receiving data at the memory card from the external device through the input-output card rather than through the host system, wherein receiving the data includes transferring the data received from the external device to memory located on the memory card via the input-output card and via the connector located at the second edge of the memory card and the mating connector on the input-output card while the connector located at the second edge of the memory card is attached directly to the mating connector on the input output card, but without transferring the data to the host via the electrical contacts at the first edge of the memory card;

wherein the memory card comprises a secure digital (SD) memory card and wherein the set of electrical contacts comprises plural data contacts for receiving data in parallel from the host system for storage in the memory of the memory card and to send data in parallel from the memory card to the host system; and

wherein one of the connector located at the second edge of the memory card and the mating connector on the input-output card includes resilient elements that are biased towards each other and the other of the connector located at the second edge of the memory card and the mating connector on the input-output card includes structures insertable between the resilient elements for effecting the electrical and mechanical attachment of the memory card to the input-output card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein data is wirelessly communicated between the input-output card and the external device through an antenna included within the input-output card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving occurs when the connector located at the second edge of the memory card and the mating connector on the input-output card are connected together in a manner to automatically both establish electrical contact between and mechanically latch the memory and input-output cards together to resist their pulling apart.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data at the memory card from the external device through the input-output card utilizes a controller in the memory card that also controls the transfer of data from the memory in the memory card to the host system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of contacts is located on a surface of the memory card near the first edge of the memory card.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the connector located at the second edge of the memory card includes the structures, wherein the mating connector on the input-output card includes the resilient elements, and wherein structures include metal contacts located on opposite sides of the memory card.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the connector located at the second edge of the memory card includes the resilient elements, wherein the mating connector on the input-output card includes the structures and wherein the structures include pins that engage the resilient elements.