Patent Publication Number: US-2007108279-A1

Title: Unfold smart-card card reader

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      (a) Field of the Invention The invention relates to an unfold smart-card card reader, and more particularly, to a smart-card card reader having an appealing appearance as well as simple operations.  
      (b) Description of the Prior Art  
      Accompanied with social advancement, various smart cards have rapidly developed. These smart cards include credit cards and cash-in-advance cards that have reached maturity in practical applications; and identification cards, student cards and certification cards that have been extensively spread by government and private corporations, and successfully being used.  
      Since applications of the aforesaid smart cards are quite popular nowadays, applications of card readers have also made great progress. More especially in an Internet-dominant era as it is today, a diversity of transactions and services can be completed with a simple click through the Internet by connecting to a computer via a card reader. Not only operations are simple, but also card readers are capable of providing more ideal security compared to common online transactions using security configurations thereof.  
      However, structures of card readers relatively lack enhancement considering huge advancement of smart card technologies. For instance, current card readers are provided with slots and related electric circuits, but not satisfactory locating devices. A common smart card is generally a card placed with an integrated circuit without locating effects. Therefore, when inserting a smart card into a card reader, failure in accessing data is often resulted from inappropriate positions, and inserting the card repeatedly must be performed to activate operations. In addition, a card reader is not used on regular basis. A prior card reader with a dull appearance provides inadequate convenience in usage, and a container is often required when the card reader is not in use to frequently lead to predicaments that the card reader cannot be timely found when needed.  
      In view of the aforesaid shortcomings of the prior card reader, it is a vital task of the invention as how to provide a card reading device having an appealing appearance and simple operations for promoting applications and development of smart cards.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The primary object of the invention is to provide an unfold smart-card card reader having an appealing appearance using designs such as insects or birds with spread wings. In addition, the wings can be utilized for locating a smart card in coordination with practical operations, thereby facilitating data access while also offering esthetical as well as practical values.  
      Another object of the invention is to provide an unfold smart-card card reader having simple operations and accurate positioning effects, such that a user is allowed to access data in a smart card for further applications without having to repeatedly inserting and unplugging the smart card.  
      The other object of the invention is to provide an unfold smart-card card reader having an appealing appearance that it may serve as a household ornament when not in use without undesirably occupying space.  
      According to the invention, an unfold smart-card card reader for accomplishing the aforesaid objects comprises a main body, which has a computer connector at a front end thereof, with the computer connector being Universal Serial Bus (USB) or IEEE1394, and an insertion slot at a rear end thereof, with the insertion slot being placed with an integrated circuit connector having a sensor; and a left wing and a right wing each having a side thereof connected to the main body respectively using a rotational axis. Using the rotational axes, the left wing and the right wing are enabled to stretch or withdraw relative to the main body. To put the aforesaid structures to application, the left wing and the right wing are stretched relative to the main body, and a smart card is inserted via the insertion slot into and located in the main body. Data stored at an integrated circuit of the smart card are accessed by the sensor in the main body, and transmitted for further applications via the computer connector.  
      To enable a further understanding of said objectives and the technological methods of the invention herein, brief description of the drawings is provided below followed by detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  shows an elevational view according to the invention.  
       FIG. 2  shows an exploded elevational view according to the invention.  
       FIG. 3  shows a planar view according to the invention.  
       FIG. 4  shows a planar motional schematic according to the invention.  
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment according to the invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
      Referring to  FIG. 1  to  FIG. 5 , an unfold smart-card card reader according to the invention comprises:  
      a main body  1  consisted an upper cover  11  and a lower cover  12 ; and having a computer plug  13  at a front end thereof, wherein the computer plug  13  may be a universal serial bus (USB), IEEE1394 or other connecting plug, and an insertion slot  14  at a rear end thereof for guiding in a smart card  4 ;  
      an integrated circuit connector  2  provided in the insertion slot  14 , and having a sensor  21  for accessing data in a smart-card integrated circuit  41  inserted into the insertion slot  14 , with the data being further transmitted to a computer (not shown) through circuits of the connector  2  via the computer plug  13 ; and  
      a pair of symmetrical left wing  31  and right wing  32 , each having one side thereof connected to the main body  1  respectively using rotational axes  33  and  34 , wherein, the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  can be stretched or withdrawn relative to the main body  1  using the rotational axes  33  and  34 , respectively; and fastening devices  30  at edges of the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  for locating the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  when the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  are drawn close to each other.  
      Using the aforesaid structures, the invention provides a practical card reader having an appealing appearance. When stretched, the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  look like an insect soaring with wings thereof stretched; when withdrawn, the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  look like an insect in dormancy, thereby offering delights to card reading operations originally considered as rather monotonous. In addition, the invention also serves as an ornament in a house or office to add esthetical values when not in use.  
      Apart from the aforesaid standard-sized smart card  4 , a standard-sized conversion card  5  may be used for applications of a smaller-sized subscriber identity model (SIM) card  51 . The SIM card  51  is placed into the conversion card  5  to similarly perform data access.  
      For usage convenience, the left wing  31 , the right wing  32  and the insertion slot  14  have interiors thereof respectively disposed with limiting edges  35 ,  36  and  15  for locating positions of the smart card  4  placed therein. The smart card  4  is directly located using the limiting edges  35 ,  36  and  15  to further provide usage convenience. The rotational axes  31  and  34  of the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  are provided with locating edges  37  and  38 . The locating edges  37  and  38  may be butted against the main body  1  when the left wing  31  and the right wing  32  are stretched to restrict stretched breadths of the left wing  31  and the right wing  32 , while also locating the limiting edges  37  and  38  of the left wing  31  and the right wing  32 . Moreover, the insertion slot  14  may be provided with a limiting switch  16  therein for detecting whether the smart card  4  is placed therein to further determine whether to activate card accessing. The main body  1  has a light-emitting body  17  therein, and a light-transmissive lid  17  at a position at a housing of the main body  1  corresponding to the light-emitting body  17 . When the smart card  4  is inserted, the light-emitting body  17  is activated and illuminated using the limiting switch  16 , and is shown through the light-transmissive lid  18  to notify a user that the device is performing normal operation.  
      Furthermore, outer sections of the left wing  31  or the right wing  32  may be provided with suspension openings  391  or suspension loops  392 , which can be inserted by a thread to offer a user with portability. The computer connector  13  may have an exterior thereof provided with a protection cover  19  for protecting the computer connector  13 . However, these devices are prior inventions and shall not be unnecessarily described.  
      It is of course to be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and that a wide variety of modifications thereto may be effected by persons skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.