US6738259B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus supporting multiple memory card formats
Assignee: GlassBridge Enterprises Inc
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Filing: 2001-11-19
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Granted: 2004-05-18
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Expires: 2021-11-19
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus is described that is capable of receiving a number of different types of flash memory cards using a single slot. The apparatus includes a housing that defines a slot to receive different types of removable memory cards. The slot includes a central region of a first height and outer regions of a second height. A plurality of electrically conductive contact areas are disposed within the slot. The apparatus may receive, for example, any one of a Smart Media flash memory card, a Memory Stick flash memory card, a Secure Digital flash memory card, and MultiMedia flash memory card.
Inventors
- 👤 Trung V. Le
- 👤 Robert W. Tapani
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 08:11
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R27/00; G; G06; G06K; G06K19/00; G06K19/06; G06K19/067; G06K19/07; G06K19/077; G06K19/07737; G06K19/07741; H05; H05K; H05K5/00; H05K5/02; H05K5/0256; H05K5/026; H05K5/0265; H05K5/0286; H05K5/0291; G11; G11B; G11B33/00; G11B33/12; G11B33/121; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S439/00; Y10S439/945; Y10S439/948
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
107 words
An apparatus comprising: a housing defining a slot to receive one of a plurality of types of removable memory cards, wherein the slot includes a central region of at least a height and a width to receive an entire memory card selected from a set comprising at least three different types of memory cards of at least two different widths and outer regions of a second height that extend the central region to a width to receive a memory card of a fourth type and a plurality of electrically conductive contact areas arranged within the housing to provide electrical contact with the different types of memory cards.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
107 words
An apparatus comprising: a housing defining a slot to receive one of a plurality of types of removable memory cards, wherein the slot includes a central region of at least a height and a width to receive an entire memory card selected from a set comprising at least three different types of memory cards of at least two different widths and outer regions of a second height that extend the central region to a width to receive a memory card of a fourth type and a plurality of electrically conductive contact areas arranged within the housing to provide electrical contact with the different types of memory cards.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of each of the contact areas is disposed within the central region of the slot.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a bias mechanism coupled to the housing to bias a memory card toward the contact areas.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
37 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bias mechanism coupled to the housing within the central region of the slot to bias memory cards toward a first side of the central region of the slot.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the bias mechanism biases a memory card to move the memory card a distance of at least approximately 3.5 mm from a second side of the central region of the slot.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an insertion stop within the central region of the slot to limit an insertion depth of memory card of a predetermined width or greater.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the housing has dimensions substantially conforming to a size specification of a CompactFlash removable memory card.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the central region of the slot has a height of approximately 2.8 mm and a width of at least approximately 24 mm.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer regions of the slot extend the width of the slot to at least approximately 37 mm and have a height of at least approximately 0.76 mm.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive interface for coupling to a memory card reader.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an electrically conductive interface for coupling the apparatus to a connector for one of a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a serial interface, a parallel interface, and a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising circuitry for converting signals received from the contact areas.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
45 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry converts the signals to conform to one of a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) bus, a Universal Serial Bus (USB), a serial interface, a parallel interface, and a small computer system interface (SCSI) interface.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of contact areas comprises: a first contact area for electrically coupling to a Smart Media memory card; a second contact area for electrically coupling to a Memory Stick memory card; a third contact area for electrically coupling to a Secure Digital memory card or a MultiMedia memory card.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-05-18 | 2007-11-17 | 2008-05-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-05-18 | 2011-11-17 | 2012-05-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-05-18 | 2015-11-17 | 2016-05-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |