Electronic device with card interface

Claim 2

The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that : the predetermined connector pin is a command pin for transferring a command from the electronic device (10) to the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and also transferring a response in reply to the command from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10); and the operation mode acquiring means (141) acquires the operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) by executing transfer of the command and receipt of the response via the command pin of the card-shaped device (20, 20a).

Claim 3

The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising: operation condition acquiring means (141) for acquiring, via the predetermined connector pin, an operation condition of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), the operation condition including an operating voltage applied to the card-shaped device (20, 20a); and switch means (141) for switching a power supply voltage, supplied to the card-shaped device (20, 20a), from a predetermined initial voltage to the operating voltage included in the operation condition and acquired by the operation condition acquiring means (141).

Claim 4

The electronic device (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that : the predetermined connector pin is a command pin for transferring a command from the electronic device (10) to the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and also transferring a response in reply to the command from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10); the operation mode acquiring means (141) acquires the operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) by executing transfer of the command and receipt of the response via the command pin of the card-shaped device (20, 20a); and the operation condition acquiring means (141) acquires the operation condition of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) by executing transfer of the command and receipt of the response via the command pin of the card-shaped device (20, 20a).

Claim 5

The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that : the operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) indicates one of first, second and third operation modes; and the operation mode setting means (141) assigns all the data pins to a data transfer process when the operation mode information acquired by the operation mode acquiring means indicates the first operation mode; the operation mode setting means assigns a predetermined number of ones of the data pins to the data transfer process, assigns one of the remaining data pins to a process of transmitting a general purpose signal, assigns another of the remaining data pins to a process of informing the electronic device (10) of a state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and assigns yet another of the remaining data pins to a process of transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the second operation mode; and the operation mode setting means assigns another predetermined number, larger than the first-mentioned predetermined number, of ones of the data pins to the data transfer process, assigns one of the remaining data pins to the process of informing the electronic device of the state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and assigns another of the remaining data pins to the process of transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the third operation mode.

Claim 6

The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation mode acquiring means acquires, as well as the operation mode information, card type information that indicates whether the card-shaped device (20) is a memory card or an input/output card (20a), and that the electronic device (10) further comprises: plug-and-play information acquiring means (141) for acquiring, when the card type information acquired by the operation mode acquiring means indicates that the card-shaped device (20) is the input/output card (20a), plug-and-play information necessary for realizing a plug-and-play function, from the input/output card (20a); and automatic configuration means (141) for causing a device driver (142) peculiar to the type of the input/output card (20a) to automatically set up a system configuration for the input/output card (20a) on the basis of the plug-and-play information acquired by the plug-and-play information acquiring means (141).

Claim 7

The electronic device (10) according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising downloading means (141) for downloading, from the input/output card (20a), a device driver (142, 142a) peculiar to the input/output card (20a), if the plug-and-play information acquired by the plug-and-play information acquiring means (141) from the input/output card (20a) indicates that the device driver (142, 142a) peculiar to the input/output card (20a) is attached to the input/output card (20a), and wherein the automatic configuration means (141) causes the device driver (142, 142b) downloaded by the downloading means (141) to automatically set up the system configuration for the input/output card (20a).

Claim 8

The electronic device (10) according to claim 6, characterized by further comprising means (141) for downloading a first device driver (142, 142a), peculiar to the input/output card (20a), from the input/output card (20a) to the electronic device (10), if the plug-and-play information indicates that the first device driver (142, 142a) is attached to the input/output card (20a), and if there is no second device driver (142, 142a) already downloaded to the electronic device, or there is a second device driver (142, 142b) already downloaded to the electronic device (10) but having a version older than the first device driver (142, 142a), and wherein the automatic configuration means (141) causes an updated device driver (142, 142b) downloaded to the electronic device (10) to automatically set up the system configuration for the input/output card (20a).

Claim 9

The electronic device (10) according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising: a system memory (13) for storing various types of data; and a data transfer unit (15) for accessing the system memory (13) to thereby execute data transfer between the system memory (13) and the card-shaped device (20a).

Claim 10

A card-shaped device (20, 20a) to be used by an electronic device (10) having a card interface (11), characterized by comprising: a connector section (23) having connector pins that include data pins, the connector section being connected to the electronic device (10) via the card interface (11); a register file (21) pre-storing operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a); transmitter means for transmitting the operation mode information, stored in the register file (21), via a predetermined one of the connector pins other than the data pins, when a command that requests reading of the operation mode information has been supplied from the electronic device (10) via the predetermined pin; and data transfer means (201) for executing data transfer between the card-shaped device (20, 20a) and the electronic device (10), using the data pins on which signal assignment has been executed by the electronic device (10) in accordance with the operation mode information.

Claim 11

The card-shaped device (20, 20a) according to claim 10, characterized in that : the predetermined pin is a command pin used for transferring a command from the electronic device (10) to the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and also transferring a response from the chard-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10) in reply to the command; and the transmitter means (201) transmits the operation mode information to the electronic device (10) by including the operation mode information in the response.

Claim 12

The card-shaped device (20, 20a) according to claim 10, characterized in that : the register file (21) pre-stores an operation condition of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), which includes an operating voltage applied to the card-shaped device (20, 20a); and the transmitter means (201) transmits the operation condition, stored in the register file (21), to the electronic device via the predetermined pin, when a command for confirming the operation condition has been supplied from the electronic device (10) via the predetermined pin.

Claim 13

The card-shaped device (20, 20a) according to claim 10, characterized in that : the operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) indicates one of first, second and third operation modes; and the data transfer means (201) operates as described below when a command, which indicates that an operation mode of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) can be changed to an operation mode indicated by the operation mode information, has been supplied from the electronic device (10) via the predetermined pin as a result of signal assignment executed on the data pins by the electronic device (10) in accordance with the operation mode information; the data transfer means (201) uses all the data pins for data transfer when the operation mode information indicates the first mode; the data transfer means (201) uses a predetermined number of ones of the data pins for data transfer, uses one of the remaining data pins for transmitting a general purpose signal, uses another of the remaining data pins for informing the electronic device (10) of a state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and uses yet another of the remaining data pins for transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the second operation mode; and the data transfer means (201) uses another predetermined number, larger than the first-mentioned predetermined number, of ones of the data pins for data transfer, uses one of the remaining data pins for informing the electronic device (10) of the state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and uses another of the remaining data pins for transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the third operation mode.

Claim 14

The card-shaped device (20, 20a) according to claim 10, characterized by further comprising a system input/output register (22) pre-storing plug-and-play information necessary for realizing a plug-and-play function, and wherein the transmitter means (201) transmits the plug-and-play information, stored in the system input/output register (22), to the electronic device (20, 20a) via the predetermined pin, when a command that requests reading of the plug-and-play information has been supplied from the electronic device (10) via the predetermined pin.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 15, characterized in that the signal assignment step includes the step of informing the card-shaped device (20, 20a), via the predetermined pin after the signal assignment, that an operation mode of the card-shaped device (20, 20a) can be changed to an operation mode indicated by the operation mode information and peculiar to the card-shaped device (20, 20a).

Claim 17

The method according to claim 15, characterized by further comprising the steps of: acquiring, via the predetermined pin, an operation condition of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), which includes an operating voltage applied to the card-shaped device (20, 20a), when acquiring the operation mode information of the card-shaped device (20, 20a); and switching a power supply voltage applied to the card-shaped device (20, 20a) from a predetermined initial voltage to the operating voltage included in the acquired operation condition.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 15, characterized in that : the operation mode information indicates one of first, second and third operation modes; and in the signal assignment step, all the data pins are assigned to a data transfer process when the operation mode information indicates the first operation mode; a predetermined number of ones of the data pins are assigned to the data transfer process, one of the remaining data pins is assigned to a process of transmitting a general purpose signal, another of the remaining data pins is assigned to a process of informing the electronic device (10) of a state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and yet another of the remaining data pins is assigned to a process of transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the second operation mode; and another predetermined number, larger than the first-mentioned predetermined number, of ones of the data pins are assigned to the data transfer process, one of the remaining data pins is assigned to the process of informing the electronic device (10) of the state of the card-shaped device (20, 20a), and another of the remaining data pins is assigned to the process of transmitting an asynchronous interrupt signal from the card-shaped device (20, 20a) to the electronic device (10), when the operation mode information indicates the third operation mode.