Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6808424?ie=ISO-8859-1&dq=5,598,374
Timestamp: 2015-07-29 10:04:59
Document Index: 246706327

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 7', 'art 7', 'art 7', 'art 7', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 11', 'art 11']

Patent US6808424 - Memory card installer - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA memory card installer, comprising a main body having such a shape that can be installed on a memory card installation part provided on a device allowing a memory card to be connected thereto, an installation part allowing a plurality of memory cards to be installed thereto, device side input and output...http://www.google.com/patents/US6808424?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6808424 - Memory card installerAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6808424 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 10/257,543PCT numberPCT/JP2001/003029Publication dateOct 26, 2004Filing dateApr 9, 2001Priority dateApr 18, 2000Fee statusLapsedAlso published asCN1260677C, CN1441938A, US20030109179, WO2001080171A1Publication number10257543, 257543, PCT/2001/3029, PCT/JP/1/003029, PCT/JP/1/03029, PCT/JP/2001/003029, PCT/JP/2001/03029, PCT/JP1/003029, PCT/JP1/03029, PCT/JP1003029, PCT/JP103029, PCT/JP2001/003029, PCT/JP2001/03029, PCT/JP2001003029, PCT/JP200103029, US 6808424 B2, US 6808424B2, US-B2-6808424, US6808424 B2, US6808424B2InventorsTetsuya Kaneshiro, Takashi Hiraoka, Katsuhiko YamamotoOriginal AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (7), Referenced by (25), Classifications (13), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetMemory card installer
US 6808424 B2Abstract
What is claimed is: 1. A memory card installer, comprising:
a main body having a shape that can be installed to a memory card installation part provided to a device configured to be connected with a memory card; an installation part configured to allow a plurality of memory cards to be installed; a device side I/O terminal which is configured to be electrically connected with a device side in a state that said main body is installed to said memory card installation part; a plurality of memory card side I/O terminals which are configured to be electrically connected with memory cards, respectively, installed to said installation part; and a connection switching part for switching so as to connect said memory card side I/O terminals, respectively, to said device side I/O terminal, wherein: said device side I/O terminal is electrically connected to said device in a connecting state which is based on a device side memory card connecting standard carried out in the device, a plurality of memory cards which are based on another memory card connecting standard different from the device side memory card connecting standard are installed to said installation part, said memory card side I/O terminals are electrically connected to the memory cards, respectively, in a connecting state based on said another memory card connecting standard in the state that said memory cards are installed to said installation part, and the memory card data installer further comprising data converting sections having a function for converting data captured from said device via said device side I/O terminal into data based on said another memory card connecting standard so as to output the converted data to said memory card side I/O terminals, respectively, and/or a function for converting data captured from said memory cards via said memory card side I/O terminals, respectively, into data based on said device side memory card connecting standard so as to output the converted data to said device side I/O terminal, wherein said memory card side I/O terminals are electrically connected with a plurality of memory cards having different memory card connecting standards, respectively, and wherein said data converting sections convert data captured from one memory card via a terminal composed of said memory card side I/O terminals into data which adapt to the memory card connecting standard on which another memory card connected to another terminal of said memory card side I/O terminals is based, so as to output the converted data to said another terminal without providing the converted data to the device side I/O terminal. 2. A memory card installer, comprising:
a main body having a shape that can be installed to a memory card installation part provided to a device configured to be connected with a memory card; an installation part configured to allow a plurality of memory cards to be installed; a device side I/O terminal which is configured to be electrically connected with a device side in a state that said main body is installed to said memory card installation part; a plurality of memory card side I/O terminals which are configured to be electrically connected with memory cards, respectively, installed to said installation part; and a connection switching part for switching so as to connect said memory card side I/O terminals, respectively, to said device side I/O terminal, wherein said main body further has a protrusion which protrudes from said device in a state that said main body is installed to said device, and said installation part is provided to said protrusion, further comprising a connecting part for connecting said protrusion to said main body in a bendable state, said connecting part allowing said protrusion to be folded along a surface of the main body while the protrusion is in a state of protruding from said device. 3. A memory card installer, comprising:
an installation part to which a plurality of memory cards are installed; and data converting sections for capturing data of a transmission memory card installed to said installation part and converting the captured data into data which adapt to a memory card connecting standard on which a destination memory card is based so as to output the converted data, wherein said installation part has an input terminal which is electrically connected to said transmission memory card and an output terminal which is electrically connected to said destination memory card, wherein: said transmission memory card and said destination memory card are based on different memory card connecting standards, and said data converting sections convert the data of said transmission memory card captured from said input terminal into the data which adapt to the memory card connecting standard on which said destination memory card is based so as to transmit the converted data to said destination memory card via said output terminal, and wherein: a plurality of output terminals which adapt to plurality of destination memory cards based on different memory card connecting standards are provided as said output terminal, said section data converting sections convert the data of said transmission memory card captured from said input terminal into data which adapt to the memory card connecting standards on which a plurality destination memory cards are based, respectively, so as to simultaneously transmit the converted data to said destination memory cards, respectively, via said plurality of output terminals. Description
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of a memory card adapter according to the best embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the memory card adapter in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the memory card adapter of FIG. 1 according to a first modified example.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the memory card adapter of FIG. 1 according to a second modified example.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of the memory card adapter of FIG. 1 according to a third modified example.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of a data transmitter according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the data transmitter in FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of the data transmitter according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the data transmitter in FIG. 8.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of the data transmitter according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the data transmitter in FIG. 10.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of the data transmitter according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the data transmitter in FIG. MA.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an appearance shape of the data transmitter according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration of the data transmitter in FIG. 14.
FIG. 1 is an appearance perspective view of a memory card adapter as a memory card installer according to the best embodiment (first embodiment) of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing its circuit configuration.
The main body 1 has an outer shape which is equivalent to a shape of a memory card (concretely, PCMCIA card) which can be inserted into the memory card installation part B of the personal computer A.
An insertion end part of the main body 1 is provided with a device side I/O terminal 3. The device side I/O terminal 3 has a terminal array (the terminal array based on the general-purpose connecting standard [PCMCIA]) which is electrically contacted and connected with the connecting terminal B2 of the memory card installation part B, in a state that the main body 1 is installed to the memory card installation part B.
The installation part 2 has plural i.e., two concave portions 5 a and 5 b in this example, and two memory card side I/O terminals 6 a and 6 b which adapt to the concave portions 5 a and 5 b. The concave portions 5 a and 5 b have shapes such that the corresponding memory cards MC1 and MC2 can be housed. More concretely, the concave portions 5 a and 5 b have the planar shape which is similar to the memory cards MC1 and MC2 and a depth which is equivalent to or not less than a thickness of the memory cards MC1 and MC2.
One terminal 6 a of the memory card side I/O terminals 6 a and 6 b is exposed into the concave portion 5 a, and has a terminal array which comes in contact with and is electrically connected with the connecting terminal T1 of the first memory card MC1 in the state that the first memory card MC1 is installed into the concave portion 5 a. Similarly, the other terminal 6 b of the memory card side I/O input terminals 6 a and 6 b is exposed into the concave portion 5 b, and has a terminal array which comes in contact with and is electrically connected with the connecting terminal T2 of the second memory card MC2 in the state that the second memory card MC2 is installed into the concave portion 5 b. The memory card side I/O terminals 6 a and 6 b compose a memory card side I/O terminal group 6.
The first data converting section 8 a intervenes between the connection switching part 7 and the memory card side I/O terminal 6 a. The second data converting section 8 b intervenes between the connection switching part 7 and the memory card side I/O terminal 6 b. The third data converting section 8 c intervenes between the both memory card side I/O terminals 6 a and 6 b. The first data converting section 8 a demonstrates functions that convert data, which are captured from the device side I/O terminal 3 into the memory card adapter MA (general-purpose connecting standard data), into data of the memory card connecting standard on which the first memory card MC1 is based so as to output the converted data to the memory card side I/O terminal 6 a, and convert data, which are captured from the memory card side I/O terminal 6 a into the memory card adapter MA (data of the memory card connecting standard on which the first memory card MC1 is based), into general-purpose connecting standard data so as to output the converted data to the device side I/O terminal 3.
The third data converting section 8 c demonstrates functions that convert data, which are captured from the device side I/O terminal 6 a into the memory card adapter MA (data of the memory card connecting standard on which the first memory card MC1 is based), into data of the memory card connecting standard on which the second memory card MC2 is based so as to output the converted data to the memory card side I/O terminal 6 b, and convert data, which are captured from the memory card side I/O terminal 6 b into the memory card adapter (data of the memory card connecting standard on which the second memory card MC2 is based), into data of the memory card connecting standard on which the first memory card MC1 is based so as to output the converted data to the device side I/O output terminal 6 a. Then, an operation of the memory card adapter MA will be explained below.
In this state, data based on the general-purpose connecting standard (PCMCIA standard) are output from the personal computer A to the memory card adapter 21. At this time, selection information of the memory card is attached to the data to be output.
As a result, the data capturing request is output to the memory card MC1, MC2 which is specified as the data capturing destination via the connection switching part 7 and the memory card side I/O terminal 6 a, 6 b. The memory card MC1 or MC2 or both the memory cards MC1 and MC2 which receive(s) the data capturing request output(s) the requested data to the first or second data converting section 8 a, 8 b via the memory card side input terminal 6 a, 6 b. In the first or second data converting section 8 a, 8 b, the input data are converted into data which adapt to the general-purpose connecting standard (PCMCIA standard) so as to be output to the personal computer A via the connection switching part 7 and the device side I/O terminal 3.
The data transmitting request between the memory cards is supplied to the third data converting section 8 c as well as each memory card MC1, MC2. The first memory card MC1 to which the data transmitting request is supplied outputs the requested data to the third data converting section 8 c via the device side I/O terminal 6 a. The third data converting section 8 c converts the supplied data into data which adapt to the memory card connecting standard on which the second memory card MC2 is based, then outputs the converted data from the memory card side I/O terminal 6 b to the second memory card MC2 and stored therein.
(3) In the case of the memory card adapter of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, data can be mutually transmitted between the third memory cards MC3, MC3 based on the same memory card connecting standard and a memory card connecting equipment A based on the general-purpose connecting standard. In this case, memory card side I/O terminals 6 a′ and 6 b′ have the same structure. Similarly, first and second data converting sections 8 a′ and 8 b′ have the same structure. Moreover, the third data converting section 8 c is not necessary.
(5) In the case of the memory card adapter of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 5, a protrusion 10 is provided, and an installation part 2′ may be provided on the protrusion 10. Namely, the protrusion 10 protrudes from the memory card connected device A in the state that the main body 1 is installed into the memory card connected device A, and the installation part 2′ is provided on the protrusion 10. Since the protrusion 10 provided in such a manner protrudes from the memory card connected device A, the protrusion 10 can be formed so as to have an arbitrary size. For this reason, the installation part 2′ is provided on the protrusion 10 so that the installation part 2′ into which an arbitrary number of memory cards (in the drawing, three memory cards MC5 through MC7) can be installed can be formed.
Here, it is considered that the protrusion 10 which is enlarged in order to form the large installation part 2 is intrusive during use, but in this case, a connecting part 11, which connects the protrusion 10 and the main body 1 in a bendable state, may be provided therebetween. Since the protrusion 10 may be folded along a surface of the memory card connected device A by the connecting part 11, even in the case of the enlarged protrusion 10, it is seldom intrusive during use.
(6) In the case of the memory card adapter of the present invention, the adapter may be constituted so that data are transmitted between the device side I/O terminal 3 and the memory card side I/O terminal group 6 only in arbitrary direction (the device side I/O terminal 3→ memory card side I/O terminal group 6, or the memory card side I/O terminal group 6→ device side I/O terminal 3).
FIGS. 6 and 7 show the data transmitter DT.
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