Abstract:
The invention is directed to a memory card that includes two or more connectors that conform to different connector standards. In one embodiment, the first connector conforms to a device communication connector (DCC) standard to facilitate direct coupling of the memory card to a portable device such as a voice recorder, a digital video camcorder, a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a video game, a digital television, a photo printer, or the like. The second connector may comprise a host computer connector (HCC) for direct coupling to a computing device without an adapter or reader.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The invention relates to removable storage media devices and, in particular, removable memory cards.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     A wide variety of removable storage media exists for use with voice recorders, digital video camcorders, digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular phones, video games, digital televisions, photo printers, and the like. The removable storage media allows users to capture and store data on such devices, and easily transport the data between these various devices and a computer.  
         [0003]     One of the most popular types of removable storage media is the flash memory card, which is compact, easy to use, and has no moving parts. A flash memory card includes an internal, high-speed solid-state memory capable of persistently storing data without application of power. Numerous other memory standards can also be used in memory cards, including electrically-erasable-programmable-read-only-memory (EEPROM), non-volatile random-access-memory (NVRAM), and other non-volatile or volatile memory types, such as synchronous dynamic random-access-memory (SDRAM), with battery backup.  
         [0004]     A wide variety of memory cards have been recently introduced, each having different capacities, access speeds, formats, interfaces, and connectors. Examples of memory cards include CompactFlash™ (CF) first introduced by SanDisk™ Corporation, the Memory Stick™ (MS) and subsequent versions including Memory Stick Pro and Memory Stick Duo developed by Sony Corporation, Smart Media™ memory cards, Secure Digital (SD) memory cards, and MultiMedia Cards (MMCs) jointly developed by SanDisk Corporation and Siemens AG/Infineon Technologies AG, and xD™ digital memory cards developed by Fuji.  
         [0005]     Each of the different memory cards typically has a unique connector, which defines the electrical and mechanical interfaces of the card. Moreover, each different memory card generally requires a specialized adapter or reader for use with a computing device. The adapter or reader includes a specialized interface that conforms to that of the memory card, and an interface that can be accepted by a computer. For example, an adaptor or reader may include an interface to receive a memory card and an interface to connect to a host computer, such as a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) interface including a 16 bit standard PC Card interface and a 32 bit standard CardBus interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Universal Serial Bus 2 (USB2) interface, an IEEE 1394 FireWire interface, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface, an Advance Technology Attachment (ATA) interface, a serial ATA interface, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, a conventional serial or parallel interface, or the like.  
         [0006]     Conventional memory cards have only one connector to interface with a device. The same connector also interfaces with the adaptor or reader to allow the memory card to be read by a host computer. Most conventional adapters and readers support only a single type of memory card, causing a user to carry and interchange adapters or readers when using different types of memory cards.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     In general, the invention is directed to a memory card that includes two or more connectors that conform to different connector standards. In one embodiment, the first connector conforms to a device communication connector (DCC) standard to facilitate direct coupling of the memory card to a portable device such as a voice recorder, a digital video camcorder, a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a video game, a digital television, a photo printer, or the like. The second connector may comprise a host computer connector (HCC) for direct coupling to a computing device without an adapter or reader. In other embodiments, the first and second connectors may conform to different DCC standards or different HCC standards. In any case, the presence of two connectors that conform to different standards adds versatility to the memory card.  
         [0008]     In one embodiment, the invention is directed to a memory card comprising a memory, a first connector electrically coupled to the memory and conforming to a first connector standard, and a second connector electrically coupled to the memory and conforming to a second connector standard.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a method comprising delivering power to a memory card comprising a memory, a first connector electrically coupled to the memory and conforming to a first connector standard, and a second connector electrically coupled to the memory and conforming to a second connector standard. The method further comprises detecting whether power is delivered to the memory card via the first connector or the second connector and enabling a controller to facilitate access to the memory based on whether power is delivered via the first connector or the second connector.  
         [0010]     In another embodiment, the invention is directed to a system comprising a first device including a first electrical contact for receiving a connector that conforms to a first connector standard, a second device including a second electrical contact for receiving a connector that conforms to a second connector standard, and a memory card. The memory card includes a memory, a first connector conforming to the first connector standard such that the first connector can be received by the first electrical contact of the first device, and a second connector conforming to the second connector standard such that the second connector can be received by the second electrical contact of the second device. Each of the connectors and electrical contacts conform to DCC standards or HCC standards.  
         [0011]     The invention is capable of providing many advantages. For example, if the first connector conforms to a DCC standard and the second connector conforms to an HCC standard, the memory card may directly couple to a computing device without the need for an adapter or reader. In other words, the first connector may facilitate electrical coupling to a portable device such as a voice recorder, a digital video camcorder, a digital camera, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a video game, a digital television, a photo printer, or the like. Moreover, the second connector may facilitate direct coupling to a computing device, without the need for an adaptor or card reader.  
         [0012]     Alternatively, if the first connector and the second connector conform to different DCC standards, the memory card would be compatible with a plurality of DCC standards. In that case, the memory card that conforms to the plurality of DCC standards can be interchangeably used with different portable devices that conform to the different standards. Similarly, if the first connector and second connector conform to different HCC standards, the memory card would conform to a plurality of HCC standards and thereby allow for interchangeable use with such standards.  
         [0013]     The details of one or more embodiments of the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a removable memory card according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a removable memory card.  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a removable memory card.  
         [0017]      FIGS. 4-12  are conceptual top views illustrating exemplary embodiments of removable memory cards according to embodiments of the invention.  
         [0018]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating a system according to an embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]      FIG. 14  is a flow diagram illustrating a method according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture of a removable memory card  10 . Memory card  10  includes a memory  12 , a first connector  14 , a first connector controller  15 , a memory controller  16 , a second connector controller  17 , and a second connector  18 . In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, each connector  14 ,  18  may be a device communication connector (DCC) or a host computer connector (HCC). For example, the DCC may be a Compact Flash standard, a Smart Media standard, a MultiMedia Card standard, a Secure Digital standard, a Memory Stick standard and subsequent versions including Memory Stick Pro and Memory Stick Duo, an xD standard, a yet released standard, or the like. The HCC may be a personal computer memory card international association (PCMCIA) interface including a 16 bit standard PC Card interface and a 32 bit standard CardBus interface, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Universal Serial Bus 2 (USB2) interface, a future generation USB standard interface, an IEEE 1394 FireWire interface, a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interface, an Advance Technology Attachment (ATA) interface, a serial ATA interface, a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) interface, a conventional serial or parallel interface, or the like.  
         [0021]     First connector  14  may be electrically coupled to memory  12  via first connector controller  15  and memory controller  16 . Second connector  18  may be electrically coupled to memory  12  via second connector controller  17  and memory controller  16 . By way of example, memory  12  may comprise flash memory, electrically-erasable-programmable-read-only-memory (EEPROM), non-volatile random-access-memory (NVRAM), and other nonvolatile or volatile memory types, such as synchronous dynamic random-access-memory (SDRAM), or the like.  
         [0022]     Power is applied to memory card  10  when it is connected via a DCC standard to a portable device or via an HCC standard to a computing device. The application of power allows the portable device or computing device to determine which electrical contact elements are active. Accordingly, the portable device or computing device can determine which connector  14 ,  18  is being used based on which electrical contact elements are active.  
         [0023]     First connector controller  15  or second connector controller  17  is enabled to facilitate access to memory  12 , depending on which connector  14 ,  18  is being used. Communication between the portable device or computing device and memory controller  16  may then be sent through the powered connector and the enabled controller. The portable device or computing device may read or modify data that is stored in memory  12  as well as store new data or erase existing data. Memory controller  16  manipulates the data stored in memory  16  according to operations specified by the portable device or computing device.  
         [0024]     One embodiment of the invention includes first connector  14  conforming to a DCC standard and second connector  18  conforming to an HCC standard. In that case, the need for an adapter or reader to couple memory card  10  to the computing device is eliminated. First connector  14  couples to a portable device contact conforming to the same DCC standard and operates in a similar manner to a conventional memory card. Second connector  18  couples directly to a computing device port conforming to the same HCC standard and enables communication between the computing device and memory controller  12 . In this way, an adapter&#39;s function may be included in any memory card format, eliminating the need for an adapter or reader.  
         [0025]     Another embodiment of the invention includes first connector  14  and second connector  18  conforming to different DCC standards. In that case, each connector  14 ,  18  couples to a portable device contact conforming to the respective DCC standard associated with the connector  14  or  18 . Accordingly, the invention may replace the need for two or more separate conventional memory cards by integrating two or more DCC standards into one memory card. Thus, in that case memory  12  may store information from different portable devices that conform to different DCC standards. For example, memory  12  may store pictures from a digital camera along with appointments from a PDA, even if the two portable device contacts do not conform to the same DCC standard. In this way, memory card  10  may eliminate the need for separate memory cards to couple to portable device contacts conforming to different DCC standards.  
         [0026]     Another embodiment of the invention includes first connector  14  and second connector  18  conforming to different HCC standards. In that case, each connector  14 ,  18  directly couples to a computing device conforming to the HCC standard associated with the respective connector  14  or  18 . Accordingly, in that case, memory card  10  may operate as a removable storage device that can couple to the computing device through more than one port. For example, if first connector  14  conforms to a USB standard and second connector  18  conforms to a FireWire standard, memory card  10  may couple to the computing device via a USB port or a FireWire port depending on which port the computing device is equipped with or which port is more accessible.  
         [0027]     Another embodiment of the invention includes additional connectors that each conform to either a DCC standard or an HCC standard. Memory card  10  may couple to several portable device contacts conforming to different DCC standards and several computing device ports conforming to different HCC standards. In that case, memory card  10  may operate as a memory card, an external storage device, and an adapter or reader all integrated into one card.  
         [0028]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary architecture of a removable memory card  20 . Memory card  20  includes a memory  22 , a first connector  24 , a first controller  26 , a second controller  27 , and a second connector  28 . By way of example, memory  22  may comprise flash memory, electrically-erasable-programmable-read-only-memory (EEPROM), non-volatile random-access-memory (NVRAM), and other nonvolatile or volatile memory types, such as synchronous dynamic random-access-memory (SDRAM), or the like.  
         [0029]     Whereas, the architecture shown in  FIG. 1  utilizes three separate controllers, i.e., one for each connector  14 ,  18  and one for the memory  12 , the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , integrates the memory controller with the controller for first connector  24  as a common first controller  26 . Such an integrated first controller  26  may consume less space and power than separate controllers. Moreover, controllers that integrate the memory and connector controls are commercially available for use in conventional memory cards that include a memory and a single connector.  
         [0030]     First controller  26  controls memory  22  and output via first connector  24 . The second controller  27  controls output via second connector  28 . First connector  24  may be electrically coupled directly to first controller  26  and then to memory  22 , while second connector  28  may be electrically coupled to memory  22  via second controller  27  and first controller  26 .  
         [0031]     In one embodiment of the invention, memory card  20  includes first connector  24  conforming to a DCC Compact Flash standard and second connector  28  conforming to an HCC USB standard. Memory card  20  also includes first controller  26  conforming to a flash memory controller, memory  22  conforming to a flash memory, and second controller  27  conforming to a USB controller. These components are readily available due to their wide usage in traditional removable memory cards and adapters or readers. Flash memory controllers are manufactured by SanDisk™ Corporation and Lexar Media Inc., among others. Flash memory is produced by many companies including Intel, Samsung, and Toshiba. USB controllers are typically found in flash memory card adaptors or readers and other devices utilizing USB connectivity. Such controllers are available from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation, Philips Semiconductors, and many other semiconductor companies. In this embodiment, substantially all the elements included in memory card  20  are already being produced for other purposes and may be purchased directly from the manufacturer.  
         [0032]     Another embodiment of the invention includes first connector  24  and second connector  28  conforming to different DCC standards. In that case, connectors  24 ,  28  of memory card  20  allow memory card  20  to couple to portable device contacts conforming to different DCC standards. For example, memory card  20  may integrate the functionality of several conventional memory cards, each conforming to a single DCC standard, into one memory card.  
         [0033]     In another embodiment, memory card  20  includes first connector  24  conforming to an HCC standard and second connector  28  conforming to a different HCC standard. In that case, memory card  20  functions as an external storage device that is able to couple to a computing device via several ports conforming to different DCC standards.  
         [0034]     Another embodiment includes additional connectors (not shown) disposed on memory card  20 . The connectors each conform to either a DCC standard or an HCC standard. Extra connectors allow memory card  20  to couple to several portable device contacts and several computing device ports. In any case, additional connectors, each conforming to a different standard, add versatility to memory card  20  and may eliminate the need for individual memory cards, external storage devices, and adaptors or readers.  
         [0035]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram illustrating another exemplary architecture of a removable memory card  30 . In this embodiment, memory card  30  includes a memory  32 , a first connector  34 , a controller  36 , and a second connector  38 . Controller  36  comprises a memory controller integrated with a first connector controller and a second connector controller. Whereas the architecture shown in  FIG. 1  utilizes a separate controller for each connector  14 ,  18  and the memory  12 , controller  36  integrates such functionality of three different controllers into a common unit. By integrating the functionality of each separate controller into controller  36 , less space and power may be consumed on memory card  30 .  
         [0036]     Controller  36  controls the memory  32  and output via first connector  34  and second connector  38 . First connector  34  may be electrically coupled directly to controller  36  and then to memory  32 . Second connector  38  may also be electrically coupled to memory  32  via controller  36 .  
         [0037]     In one embodiment, memory card  30  includes first connector  34  conforming to a DCC Compact Flash standard and second connector  38  conforming to an HCC USB standard. Memory card  30  also includes controller  36  conforming to a flash memory controller with USB control and memory  32  conforming to a flash memory. First connector  34  may couple to a portable device contact conforming to the Compact Flash standard. Second connector  38  may couple directly to a computing device&#39;s USB port allowing communication between the computing device and controller  36  without an adaptor or reader. The flash memory controller with USB control may be developed as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) integrating the functionality of a conventional flash memory controller and a USB controller.  
         [0038]     Other embodiments of the invention include first connector  34  and second connector  38  conforming to different DCC standards or different HCC standards. Compatibility with multiple DCC standards allows memory card  30  to be used with multiple portable device contacts. In this way, memory card  30  integrates the functionality of several conventional memory cards together into a signal card. Similarly, compatibility with multiple HCC standards allows memory card  30  to act as an external storage device that is able to couple to one or more computing devices via different connector standards. Memory card  30  may also include additional connectors, each conforming to either a DCC standard or an HCC standard. Additional connectors may allow memory card  30  to couple to multiple portable device contacts and computing device ports. Memory card  30  can eliminate the need for adapters or readers to transfer data from memory  32  to the computing device.  
         [0039]      FIGS. 4-12  are conceptual top views illustrating exemplary embodiments of removable memory cards according to an embodiment of the invention. The memory card in each figure may include a memory, a first connector, a first connector controller, a memory controller, a second connector controller, and a second connector. All three controllers may be separate, as seen in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , or the memory controller may be integrated with either one or both connector controllers as seen in the embodiments of  FIGS. 2 and 3 . An integrated controller may be desirable if a limited amount of space or power is available on the memory card.  
         [0040]      FIG. 4  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  40 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  40  includes a DCC  41  and an HCC  42  disposed on opposite sides of memory card  40 . Memory card  40  may also include a memory, a memory controller, a DCC controller, and an HCC controller. A removable memory card with one DCC and one HCC may function as a conventional removable memory card without the need for an adapter to transmit the stored information to a computing device. DCC  41  couples memory card  40  to a portable device contact conforming to the same standard, allowing data to be stored in the memory. In order to view the stored data using the computing device, memory card  40  is removed from the portable device contact and turned around. HCC  42 , located on the opposite side of memory card  40  from DCC  41 , then couples to a port on the computing device that conforms to the same standard. The memory controller may then perform read and write operations on the memory as specified by the computing device.  
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is a conceptual top view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  44 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  44  includes a DCC  45  and an HCC  46  disposed on adjacent sides of memory card  44 . Memory card  44  functions similarly to memory card  40  ( FIG. 4 ). In order to view the data stored in the memory of memory card  44 , memory card  44  is removed from the portable device contact and turned to the side on which HCC  46  is disposed. HCC  46  then couples to a computing device port conforming to the HCC standard supported by HCC  46 . The stored data may be read and modified by the memory controller according to directions from the computing device.  
         [0042]      FIG. 6  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  48 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  48  includes a DCC  49  and a DCC  50  disposed on opposite sides of memory card  48 . Alternatively, DCC  49  and DCC  50  may be disposed on adjacent sides of memory card  48 . Memory card  48  may also include a memory, a memory controller, a first DCC controller, and a second DCC controller.  
         [0043]     DCC  49  and DCC  50  may conform to different DCC standards. DCC  49  couples memory card  48  to a first portable device contact conforming to the first standard, so that data can be stored in the memory of card  48 . In order to store data from a second portable device in the memory, memory card  40  is removed from the first portable device contact and turned to the side on which DCC  50  is disposed. DCC  50  then couples to the second portable device contact that conforms to the second standard. In this way, memory card  48  can eliminate the need for separate memory cards to couple to different portable device contacts.  
         [0044]      FIG. 7  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  52 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  52  includes an HCC  53  and an HCC  54  disposed on opposite sides of memory card  52 . Alternatively, HCC  53  and HCC  54  may be disposed on adjacent sides of memory card  52 . Memory card  52  may also include a memory, a memory controller, a first HCC controller, and a second HCC controller.  
         [0045]     HCC  53  and HCC  54  may conform to different HCC standards. HCC  53  couples to a first computing device port conforming to the first standard, so the internal memory of the computing device can be expanded or supplemented. In particular, memory card  52  can supplement the memory and possibly increase memory access speed of a host device to which it is electrically coupled via one of HCC  53  and HCC  54 . Moreover, memory card  52  can be removed from a first computing device port and turned to the side on which HCC  54  is disposed. HCC  54  can then be coupled to a second computing device port that conforms to the second standard. In that case, memory card  52  may be used as a removable storage device that is able to couple to different computing devices through different connector interfaces.  
         [0046]      FIG. 8  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  56 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  56  includes a DCC  57 , a retractable HCC (RHCC)  58 , a slot  59  for RHCC  58  to retract into, and a housing  60 . Memory card  56  may also include a memory, a memory controller, a DCC controller, and an RHCC controller. RHCC  58  functions similar to an HCC, as described herein, and conforms to an HCC standard. In addition, RHCC  58  has the ability to retract into slot  59  of housing  60  of memory card  56 . Slot  59  may be designed to allow RHCC  58  to be flush with the edge of memory card  56  when retracted. RHCC  58  may be held in place by a type of locking mechanism (not shown) when retracted into slot  59 . Similarly, another locking mechanism (not shown) may lock RHCC  58  in place when extended from housing  60  for use, or in both instances. The locking mechanism may be released by pushing a button (not shown) on memory card  56 , depressing the end of RHCC  58 , squeezing housing  60  of memory card  56 , or the like. The locking mechanism may be spring loaded or may make use of other means by which RHCC  58  can be locked in place within slot  59 .  
         [0047]     As shown in  FIG. 8 , DCC  57  is disposed on a side of memory card  56  adjacent to the side associated with RHCC  58 . DCC  57  and RHCC  58  may also be disposed on opposite sides of memory card  56 . A removable memory card with one DCC and one RHCC may function as a conventional memory card without the need for an adapter or reader to transmit the information stored in the memory to a computing device. Memory card  56  may also assume a form factor similar to a conventional removable memory card when RHCC  58  is retracted into slot  59 . Moreover, retracting RHCC  58  into slot  59  may protect the electrical contacts of the connector when it is not in use, ensuring that the connector remains in good condition. Thus, RHCC  58  may prolong the useful life of memory card  56  relative to other memory cards that include non-retractable HCC&#39;s.  
         [0048]      FIG. 9  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  62 , which may correspond to any of memory cards  10 ,  20  or  30 . Memory card  62  includes a retractable HCC (RHCC)  63 , a slot  64  for RHCC  63  to retract, a DCC  65 , a housing  66 , a stationary set of contact elements  67 , and a movable subset of contact elements  68 . Memory card  62  may include a memory, a memory controller, a DCC controller, and a RHCC controller.  
         [0049]     RHCC  63  functions similar to an HCC and conforms to an HCC standard. RHCC  63  has the additional ability to retract into slot  64  in housing  66  of memory card  62 . RHCC  63  differs from RHCC  58 , described in reference to  FIG. 8 , because RHCC  63  is disposed on the same side of memory card  62  as DCC  65 . In that case, RHCC  63  may share the movable subset of electrical contact elements  68  with DCC  65 . When RHCC  63  is extended, it may couple to a port of a computing device conforming to the HCC standard of RHCC  63 . The movable subset of contact elements  68  may then be active, and the HCC controller can be enabled to facilitate access to the memory from the computing device.  
         [0050]     When RHCC  63  is retracted into slot  64 , the movable subset of electrical contact elements  68  may be integrated into DCC  65 . DCC  65  conforms to a DCC standard. The movable subset of contact elements  68  recombines with the stationary set of contact elements  67  to create a complete DCC  65 . Contact elements  67 ,  68  may be plugged into an electrical contact of a portable device conforming to the corresponding DCC standard. The contact elements  67 ,  68  may then be detected as active, and the DCC controller within memory card  62  can be enabled to facilitate access to the memory from the portable device.  
         [0051]     Slot  64  may be designed to ensure a proper alignment between the movable subset of contact elements  68  shared between RHCC  63  and DCC  65 , and the remaining set of stationary contact elements  67  of DCC  65 . RHCC  63  may lock into place when retracted into slot  64 , when extracted for use, or in both instances. A locking mechanism (not shown) may hold RHCC  63  in slot  64  at the correct depth to allow the contact elements  67 ,  68  to operate as DCC  65  when RHCC  63  is retracted. The locking mechanism may be released by pushing a button (not shown), e.g., located on memory card  62 , depressing the end of RHCC  63 , squeezing housing  66  of memory card  62 , or the like. For example, the locking mechanism may be spring loaded or may make use of other means to properly hold and align RHCC  63  within slot  64 . In any case, utilizing the same contact elements for two or more connectors may reduce the number of elements in memory card  62  and allow memory card  62  to have several connectors on each side.  
         [0052]      FIG. 10  is a conceptual top view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a removable memory card  70 . Memory card  70  includes an HCC  71 , an RHCC  72 , a slot  73 , a DCC  74 , a DCC  75 , a DCC  76 , a housing  77 , a stationary set of contact elements  78 , and a movable subset of contact elements  79 . Memory card  70  may also include a memory, a memory controller, a first DCC controller, a second DCC controller, a third DCC controller, an HCC controller, and an RHCC controller. All of the connectors may be electrically coupled to the memory via corresponding connector controllers and a memory controller.  
         [0053]     DCC  74 , DCC  75  and DCC  76  may each conform to different DCC standards and couple memory card  70  to multiple portable devices with contacts that conform to the different DCC standards. HCC  71  and RHCC  72  may conform to different HCC standards, and couple memory card  70  to multiple computing devices with ports that conform to the different HCC standards. Memory card  70  may have a different number of connectors than shown in  FIG. 10 . The connectors may also conform to different standards and be disposed in different location on memory card  70 .  
         [0054]     When one of the connectors is coupled to a contact or port conforming to the respective standard of the connector, the contact elements of that connector are active. The active connector can be detected by the device to which memory card  70  is coupled, and the respective controller can be enabled to facilitate access to the memory from the portable device or computing device. Memory card  70  integrates the functionality of several conventional memory cards, several external storage devices, and several memory card adaptors or readers into one card.  
         [0055]      FIG. 11  is a conceptual top view illustrating another exemplary embodiment of a portion of removable memory card  80  with a retracted RHCC  82 . Memory card  80  includes an RHCC  82 , a slot  83 , a first electrical contact  84 , a second electrical contact  86 , a DCC  88 , a movable subset of contact elements  90 , and a stationary set of contact elements  92 . RHCC  82  and DCC  88  are disposed on the same side of memory card  80 . RHCC  82  includes first electrical contact  84  disposed on RHCC  82 . Slot  83  includes second electrical contact  86 , which may couple with first electrical contact  84  disposed on RHCC  82 . When RHCC  82  is retracted into slot  83 , as shown in  FIG. 11 , first electrical contact  84  and second electrical contact  86  are uncoupled. In that case, the connector is used as DCC  88 , and the entire set of contact elements  90 ,  92  may become active when coupled to a portable device contact.  
         [0056]     RHCC  82  may be locked into slot  83  by a locking mechanism (not shown) when retracted. The locking mechanism may allow the movable subset of contact elements  90  to align properly with the stationary set of contact elements  92 . When the contact elements  90 ,  92  are properly aligned, power applied to memory card  80  through DCC  88  may activate all contact elements  90 ,  92  and enable the DCC controller to allow access to the memory.  
         [0057]      FIG. 12  is a conceptual top view illustrating an exemplary embodiment of a portion of removable memory card  80  with an extracted RHCC  82 . When RHCC  82  is extended from slot  83 , as shown in  FIG. 12 , the movable subset of contact elements  90  is extended from the stationary set of contact elements  92 . First electrical contact  84  and second electrical contact  86  couple to one another as labeled at item  94 , when RHCC  82  is extended from slot  83 . When the two electrical contacts  84 ,  86  are coupled, the connector is used as RHCC  82  allowing only the movable subset of contact elements  90 , and no stationary contact elements  92 , to become active when coupled to a computing device port.  
         [0058]     RHCC  82  may be locked into the edge of slot  83  by coupled electrical contact  94  or by an additional locking mechanism (not shown). When the electrical contacts  84 ,  86  are coupled together to lock RHCC  82  in the extended position, any power applied to memory card  80  through RHCC  82  may activate only the movable set of contact elements  90 . The active subset of movable contact elements  90  may allow a memory controller to enable the RHCC controller to facilitate access to the memory on memory card  80 .  
         [0059]      FIG. 11  and  FIG. 12  illustrate one possible configuration in which RHCC  82  is disposed on the same side of memory card  80  as DCC  88 , sharing a subset of movable contact elements  90 . A DCC controller of memory card  80  may only be enabled when first electrical contact  84  and second electrical contact  86  are uncoupled. Therefore, the RHCC controller and the DCC controller are generally not enabled at the same time, which can reduce power consumption relative to a scenario where multiple controllers are enabled.  
         [0060]      FIG. 13  is a block diagram illustrating a system according to an embodiment of the invention. The system includes a memory card  100 , a first device  10 , and a second device  114 . Memory card  100  may correspond to any of the memory cards described herein. Memory card  100  includes a memory  102 , a first connector  104 , and a second connector  106 . Connectors  104 ,  106  each conform to either a DCC standard or an HCC standard. First connector  104  and second connector  106  may be electrically coupled to memory  102  via a controller or a plurality of controllers (not shown).  
         [0061]     First device  110  includes a first contact  112 , and second device  114  includes a second contact  116 . First contact  112  conforms to the DCC or HCC standard supported by first connector  104  on memory card  100 . First connector  104  can couple to first contact  112  and allow communication between first device  110  and memory  102  on memory card  100 . Second contact  116  conforms to the DCC or HCC standard supported by second connector  106  on memory card  100 . Second connector  106  can couple to second contact  116  and allow communication between second device  114  and memory  102  on memory card  100 .  
         [0062]      FIG. 14  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using a removable memory card  100 , which may correspond to any of the memory cards described herein. Memory card  100  includes a memory  102 , a first connector  104 , and a second connector  106 . Power is delivered to memory card  100  ( 120 ) when it is coupled to a first device  110  or a second device  114 . In particular, power can be delivered from the first device  110  or the second device  114  to memory card  100 . The first device  110  or second device  114  may then detect which connector  104  or  106  is being used to deliver the power to memory card  100  ( 122 ) by determining which connector  104  or  106  has active electrical contact elements. A connector controller corresponding to the connector  104  or  106  with the active contact elements may then be enabled ( 124 ). When enabled, the enabled controller allows the first device  110  or the second device  114  access to memory  102  via a memory controller. The memory controller may allow the first device  110  or second device  114  to read the data that is stored in memory  102 . The devices  110 ,  114  may also be able to write new data to memory  102 . In some embodiments the memory controller may allow existing data stored in memory  102  to be modified or deleted.  
         [0063]     Various embodiments of the invention have been described. For example, several memory card architectures have been described that use different sets of controllers to control the memory and output via the connectors. Several memory card layouts have also been described with regard to connector type and placement. One memory card has been described that includes a device communication connector such as a Compact Flash connector and a host communication connector such as a USB connector. The memory card of that embodiment can eliminate the need for a memory card adapter or reader to couple to a computing device. Another memory card has been described that includes multiple connectors conforming to multiple formats. The memory card of that embodiment may be used in place of several conventional, single connector memory cards and their corresponding adapters or readers. These and other embodiments are within the scope of the following claims.