Abstract:
The present invention is a half length SIM card reader with a cover and a hinge. By using the half length SIM card reader, the restriction area on the printed circuit board is very small. The restriction area is about half the size of a SIM card, unlike other SIM card readers which require space longer than the SIM card. By having a small footprint, additional components are able to be included on the printed circuit board. Furthermore, the assembled cover with the hinge provides vertical operation of the SIM card.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to the field of computing. More specifically, the present invention relates to Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card readers. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A SIM card is a smart card that securely stores a key identifying a mobile phone service subscriber, as well as subscription information, saved telephone numbers, preferences, text messages and other information. 
         [0003]    A SIM card reader is a device that allows the contents of a SIM card to be read and edited. SIM card readers come in a variety of configurations such as a full length cover with a hinge or a reader with a bridge and stopper. The full length cover is the full length of the SIM card which results in the restriction area on a printed circuit board to be slightly larger than the SIM card. Since the SIM card reader has a footprint slightly larger than the SIM card, it is impossible to place any small components or test points on the printed circuit board under the SIM card. The SIM card reader with a bridge and stopper has many benefits such as a small footprint itself, but it requires additional operational space. 
         [0004]    SIM card readers are a critical component in mobile phone design. The restriction area and operation space are key features that have important influence on the design of the mobile phone. Previous SIM card readers do not meet the target of saving restriction area and operational space. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    The present invention is a half length SIM card reader with a cover and a hinge. By using the half length SIM card reader, the restriction area on the printed circuit board is very small. The restriction area is about half the size of a SIM card, unlike other SIM card readers which require space longer than the SIM card. By having a small footprint, additional components are able to be included on the printed circuit board. Furthermore, the assembled cover with the hinge provides vertical operation of the SIM card. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with an open cover. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with a closed cover. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  illustrates a back isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with an open cover. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side isometric view of a comparison of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with prior SIM card readers. 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side isometric view of a mobile phone implementing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart of a process of manufacturing a half length SIM card reader with a cover and a hinge on a printed circuit board. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0012]    A Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card reader with a half length cover and a hinge allows an area on a printed circuit board below a received SIM card to be used for additional components or test points. By having a small footprint, roughly half the size of a full length SIM card reader, the present invention enables the production of smaller mobile phones. In addition to having a small footprint, the present invention also requires a small operational space. 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a side isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with an open cover. A SIM card reader includes a cover  100  with a first side  102  and a second side  104  in addition to a hinge  106 . The width of the cover  100  is sized for receiving a SIM card  108 . The length of the cover  100  is sized so that only roughly half of the SIM card  108  is covered by the cover  100 . Therefore, when the cover  100  is coupled to a printed circuit board  502  ( FIG. 5 ), there is an open area on the printed circuit board  502  ( FIG. 5 ) for small components to be placed where the cover  100  is not located. The hinge  106  allows the cover  100  to open and close for receiving the SIM card  108 . The SIM card reader also contains the necessary components to enable reading information stored on the SIM card  108 . 
         [0014]    Preferably, one side of the SIM card reader is mechanically and electrically coupled to a printed circuit board. One side of the SIM card reader includes interior electrical contacts for operatively coupling to a SIM card in the usual manner. By inserting the SIM card  108  into the SIM card reader, the SIM card  108  becomes operatively coupled to the printed circuit board. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates a side isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with a closed cover. As described, the SIM card reader includes a first side  102  and a second side  104  ( FIG. 1 ) which are coupled together by a hinge  106  which allows the cover  100  to open and close. After the SIM card  108  is inserted within the cover  100 , the cover  100  is closed to retain the SIM card  108 . When closed, the cover  100  holds the SIM card  108  in an operative relationship to the printed circuit board. 
         [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates a back isometric view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with an open cover. 
         [0017]      FIG. 4  illustrates a side isometric view of a comparison of the preferred embodiment of the present invention with prior SIM card readers. A full length SIM card reader with a full length cover  450  has a first side  452  and a second side  454 , where both sides are a full length of a SIM card. The first side  452  and the second side  454  of the full length SIM card reader are coupled together by a hinge for opening and closing the cover  450 . A bridged half length SIM card reader includes a bridge  470  and a half length backing  472 . As described above, the present invention includes a cover  100  which has two half length sides: a first side  102  and a second side  104 , which are coupled together by a hinge  106 . 
         [0018]    As is shown, the overall size of the present invention is much smaller than that of a conventional length SIM card reader. The footprint of a full length SIM card reader is 27 mm×17.5 mm whereas the footprint of the present invention is roughly 13.5 mm×17.5 mm. The cover  100  of the present invention itself is clearly smaller, but even with the inserted SIM card  108 , the overall length of the present invention is 25 mm versus 27 mm for the full length SIM card reader. The area of a printed circuit board  502  ( FIG. 5 ) underneath where the SIM card extends beyond the cover  100  of the present invention is able to support additional components  430  for other purposes. 
         [0019]    The bridged half length SIM card reader itself is relatively small, but when the SIM card  108  is inserted, the combined size (e.g. the operational space) is significantly larger than the present invention with an inserted SIM card. The operation space length of the present invention is only 25 mm, roughly the length of a SIM card, whereas the operation space length of the bridged half length SIM card reader is 35 mm. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates a side isometric view of a mobile phone implementing the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Preferably, a half length SIM card reader with a cover  100  with a first side  102  and a second side  104  coupled together by a hinge  106  are contained within a mobile phone  500 . The cover  100  is coupled to a printed circuit board  502  within the mobile phone  500 . Since the cover  100  of the half length SIM card reader has a footprint of roughly half of the length of a SIM card  108 , the printed circuit board  502  is able to utilize the space underneath the SIM card  108  for additional components  430 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 6  illustrates a flowchart of a process of manufacturing a half length SIM card reader with a cover and a hinge on a printed circuit board. In the step  600 , the half length SIM card reader is coupled to the printed circuit board of a computing device such as a mobile phone. Only one side of the cover of the half length SIM card reader is coupled to the printed circuit board so that the other side is able to open to receive the SIM card. In the step  602 , components are embedded on the printed circuit board in the area beneath where a received SIM card would extend beyond the half length SIM card reader. The components are sized small enough so that a SIM card is able to still be received in the SIM card reader. The order of placing the SIM card reader and the additional components is able to be reversed such that the components are placed first and then the SIM card reader. 
         [0022]    To utilize the present invention, a side of the cover is coupled to a mobile phone or other computing device. The side not coupled to the computing device is opened to receive a SIM card. Once the SIM card is inserted into the SIM card reader, the SIM card is secured in place by closing the opened side. With a secured SIM card, the SIM card reader is able to read tile information stored on the SIM card and transfer the information to the computing device. The computing device then uses the information as desired. 
         [0023]    Furthermore, when manufacturing a computing device such as a mobile phone with the present invention, an area on a printed circuit board is designated to receive the half length cover of the SIM card reader which is roughly half the length of a SIM card. Additional components that are small enough to fit beneath a received SIM card are installed on the printed circuit board in the area that will be covered by the received SIM card. 
         [0024]    In operation, the present invention is implemented within or on a computing device such as a mobile phone. Users are able to easily insert and remove a SIM card into the cover of the SIM card reader by opening the side of the cover so that the SIM card fits within the cover. While inserted into the SIM card reader, the SIM card is able to be read from or written to. Since the SIM card reader is roughly half the length of the SIM card, a significant amount of space on the printed circuit board is still available, unlike with a full length SIM card reader. With the available space on the printed circuit board, additional components are able to be embedded in the phone, thus enabling a smaller phone. 
         [0025]    The present invention has been described in terms of specific embodiments incorporating details to facilitate the understanding of principles of construction and operation of the invention. Such reference herein to specific embodiments and details thereof is not intended to limit the scope of the claims appended hereto. It will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that other various modifications may be made in the embodiment chosen for illustration without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.