Electronic flash memory external storage method and device

Abstract

An electronic flash memory external storage method and device for data processing system, includes firmware which directly controls the access of electronic storage media and implements standard interface functions, adopts particular reading and writing formats of the external storage media, receives power via USB, externally stores date by flash memory and access control circuit 2 with the cooperation of the firmware, driver and operating system, and has write-protection so that the data can be safely transferred. The method according to present invention is highly efficient and all parts involved are assembled as a monolithic piece so that it has large-capacity with small size and high speed. The device operates in statistic state and is driven by software. It is plug-and-play and adapted to data processing system.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 897,519 filed on Jul. 24, 2004.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention is related to storage device for data processing system, especially related to external storage method and its device for micro, handheld and portable data processing systems. BACKGROUD OF THE INVENTION [0003] Since the invention of computer, people have been paying close attention to the improvement of computer external storage device, from magnetic drum, magnetic tape to floppy disk and hard disk to exchange, save and backup data and file. For more than a decade, personal computer technology has been improved quickly, but the technology of floppy disk as a removable external storage has no substantial improvement. The only improvement of floppy disk is that the size was reduced from 8 inches, to 5.25 inches, and to 3.5 inches, and the capacity was increased to 1.44 MB. Other than the above improvements...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The present invention provides an electronic flash memory external storage method to overcome the shortages of current storage technology. The method uses electronic flash memory, standard universal bus and plug-and-play technology to provide a new external storage device to computer users. All parts and PCB of the external storage device are assembled as a monolithic piece. The high-capacity and high-speed device is simple, light, convenient, portable, easy to use and highly reliable. The invention only uses software to implement external storage functions and can be implemented on different operating system. It is applicable to various data processing systems supporting standard universal bus.

Problems solved by technology

For more than a decade, personal computer technology has been improved quickly, but the technology of floppy disk as a removable external storage has no substantial improvement.

Other than the above improvements, the floppy disk technology stays as what it was ten years ago and there is no further improvement.

As we all know, floppy disk has the following disadvantages: small capacity, low speed, easy to be damaged, low reliability.

Especially, floppy disk drive is big and heavy.

All these disadvantages have caused great inconvenience to users.

But they still have such disadvantages: big, heavy, requiring physical drive, difficult to carry, complicated to use, requiring external power supply, hard to popularize, high price and so on.

Obviously, ordinary computer users, even computer specialists may find such storage devices too troublesome to use, not to mention those users who are not familiar with computers.

Floppy disk drive and other physical drives, due to their big size and heavy weight, are not suitable for notebooks and handheld devices which must be light, convenient, small and portable.

In fact, more and more notebooks don't have build-in floppy disk drive or CDROM drive for the purposes of compactness and convenience.

At the time when USB is widely available today, users can no longer tolerate the situation that micro or portable data processing devices can not install built-in floppy disk or other similar storage devices.

Users also can hardly tolerate low-capacity, low-speed and vulnerable storage devices like floppy disk, especially can not tolerate the defects that drives for such devices are big and hard to install.

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