Multi-function SD card

Abstract

A multi-memory SD card includes a housing having the outer dimensions of a standard SD card. Two separate SiP SD packages are provided along with two separate sets of electrical contacts, each in accordance with the SD standard, to provide the functionality and performance of two SD cards in a single SD card bundle. Both of the SiP packages may be full size SD format, or one may be a micro or nano SD card. The first and second SiP SD packages have the same or different capacities and / or speeds, and the micro or nano SiP package is permanent or removable. An onboard battery and / or PCB may also be housed in the housing for configuring WiFi / RAID or backup.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to removable non-volatile memory cards, and more particularly to SD cards. Background Art

[0002] The standard SD (Secure Digital) type card is a non-volatile memory card format for use in many consumer and industrial portable devices for removable flash memory applications. The SD Association describes the latest SD standards in the industry and makes those standards publicly available. Those standards define a variety of memory card storage capacity and speed formats customized for the needs of a variety of different applications, and include SDSC, SDHC, SDXC and SDUC. The package size of the SD card has also been standardized. The outer dimensions (in mm) of a full-size SD card are 32x24x2.1. There are also micron-sized SD cards with standard dimensions (in mm) of 15x11x1.0, as well as nano-sized SD cards.

[0003] A standard SD card contains SD memory housed within a flat, thin rectangular casing (of the standard size mentioned above). Figure 1 A conventional SD card 10 is shown having an SD memory 12 disposed within a cavity 14 of a housing 16. The SD memory 12 occupies less than the entire space or cavity 14 within the standard housing 16. Figure 1 As will be seen in the drawings, the SD memory 12 occupies less than the upper half of the SD card housing cavity, with the lower half being occupied by the plastic structure of the housing. The SD memory 12 communicates externally to the housing 16 via a set of external electrical contacts 18 disposed on a plate 20 on which the SD memory 12 is mounted. The contacts 18 are operative when connected to a corresponding set of contacts of a selected electronic device for transferring data back and forth between the SD memory 12 and the device.

[0004] Current SD cards, regardless of size, platform, or capacity, have a single standardized SD memory that communicates to the outside of the device via a single set of standardized SD external contacts. A card with high capacity but slow speed may not be suitable for applications that require high speed (e.g., video). On the other hand, a card with high speed may not have the right capacity for some storage needs. Therefore, a user who needs two performance measures (speed and capacity) may have to purchase and carry two separate SD cards. There are also limitations when a user needs both a full-size SD card and a micro or nano SD card, in which case two separate cards are required. Summary of the invention

[0005] An electronic circuit card includes a generally flat card-shaped housing in which a first set of electronic SD memory circuits having a protocol that complies with the SD card standard is contained. A first set of electrical contacts is disposed outside the housing at a first position thereof, having a contact pattern that complies with the SD card standard. A second set of electronic SD memory circuits is provided that is separate from the first set of electronic SD memory circuits. There is also a second set of electrical contacts that is different from the first set of electrical contacts and disposed outside the housing at a second position thereof.

[0006] According to one embodiment, the card provides dual SD card capabilities in a single package. Such a dual card has two SD memory circuit cards housed in two different areas of the housing and each communicating with a set of associated external electrical contacts. This card effectively provides two SD cards within the confines of a single housing according to the SD standard.

[0007] According to another aspect, such a dual SD card may have SD memory cards with the same or different capacities and / or speeds, (e.g., a 256GB memory card and 128GB memory with the same speed; or a 256GB multi-level cell (MLC) memory at 12.5MB / s and a 32GB high-speed single-level cell (SLC) memory at 25GB / s).

[0008] According to another embodiment, a full size format SD card may include a first SD memory card in full size format housed in a portion of a housing and having a first set of external electrical contacts according to the full size SD format, and may further include a micro or nano format SD memory card having a second set of associated contacts of the micro or nano SD standard.

[0009] According to another aspect, the micro- or nano-memory card may be removable from the housing.

[0010] According to another aspect, there may be a switch that operates in a first position to couple the first set of electrical contacts to a first SD memory card and that operates in a second position to couple the first set of electrical contacts to a second micro- or nano-SD memory card.

[0011] According to another aspect, an SD card having a full size SD memory card and a micro or nano memory card may further include a battery housed within the housing in an area not occupied by the two memory cards.

[0012] According to another aspect, an SD card having a full size SD memory card, a micro or nano memory card and an optional battery may further include a printed circuit board (PCB) housed within the housing in an area not occupied by the two memory cards and the optional battery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] These and other aspects and features of the present invention will be better understood when considered in conjunction with the detailed drawings and description, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 is a plan view of a prior art full-size SD card with some of its parts separated;

[0015] Figure 2 is a plan view of a dual SD card according to an embodiment;

[0016] Figure 3 is a plan view of a dual SD card according to another embodiment;

[0017] Figure 4A Is a micro or nano card installed Figure 3 A plan view of the card; and

[0018] Figure 4B yes Figure 4A Bottom view of the dual cards. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The electronic circuit card according to the first embodiment of the present invention is generally Figure 2 30 in the figure, and includes a card housing, shell or cover 32 having external dimensions that conform to the standards of the SD Association. The standard dimensions (in mm) for a full-size SD card are 32x24x2.1. The standard for a micron SD card is 15x11x1.0. In the embodiment shown, the cover 32 complies with the full-size SD card standard, and therefore complies with its external dimensions and overall functionality with respect to pairing with portable consumer and commercial devices that receive SD cards.

[0020] The card 30 includes a first set of electronic SD memory circuits 34. This may also be referred to as a first SiP package, a first SiP SD card, or simply Card 1, and it will be understood that these terms represent and encompass the structural and functional components required to enable an SD card to store and retrieve data according to the SD format between the card and an external device in which the card will be installed.

[0021] The SD card 30 further includes a first set of electrical contacts 36. These electrical contacts are in accordance with the SD standard and therefore have a predetermined pattern and placement relative to the housing 32, so that the first SiP SD card 34 can communicate with a selected device (e.g., a computer or digital camera, etc.) outside the housing and exchange data therebetween. The contacts 36 are included on a board 38 on which the SiP SD memory card 34 is mounted. The SiP SD card 34 and a portion of the board 38 are housed within the housing 32 and generally occupy a space such as 400 m. Figure 2 It should be understood that the contacts 36 are exposed outside the housing 32 to engage with corresponding contacts (not shown) of the device in which the SD card 30 will be installed.

[0022] The housing 32 has an interior space or cavity 40 in which the first SiP package 34 is disposed. The cavity 40 of the housing 32 has dimensions (in mm) of 30 x 21.75. The dimensions of the first SiP package 34 (including the plate 38) have dimensions that are smaller than the dimensions of the cavity 40. More specifically, the dimensions (in mm) of the first SiP package 34 are 10.1 x 21.35. The first SiP package 34 thus occupies less than all of the cavity 40, and may be arranged so as to occupy 50% or less of the available space in the cavity 40. Figure 2 As shown in , the first SiP package may occupy an upper half 40 a or less of the cavity 40 , with the remaining lower half 40 b not occupied by the first SiP package 34 .

[0023] The card 30 includes a second set of electronic SD memory circuits 44 separate from the first set of electronic SD memory circuits 34, and a second set of electrical contacts 46 different from the first set of electrical contacts 36. This nomenclature should be understood to apply as used in conjunction with the first SiP package 36. Figure 2 In an embodiment, the second set of electronic memory SD circuits is another SiP package according to the SD standard. It may be identical to the first SiP package or may be a SiP package different from the SD standard SiP package family. A second board 38 is included on which the second contact 36 and the second memory 34 are mounted. The second SiP package (like the first SiP package) may be housed in the housing 32, but in the available remaining space not occupied by the first SiP package 34. Figure 2 , the second SiP package 44 preferably occupies the lower half 40b or less of the cavity 40 and is therefore positioned opposite the first SiP package 34. A second set of contacts 46 is external to the housing 32 and disposed at the end of the housing 32 opposite the first set of contacts 36. The contacts 46 have rotational symmetry with the contacts 36. The card 30 will be used by connecting the first or second set of contacts to a selected device to access either the first or second SiP package. The card can be turned around and reinstalled to access the other SiP package.

[0024] The second SiP package 46 can be the same or different from the first SiP package, meaning that the first and second SD memory cards 36, 46 can have the same or different storage capacity and / or speed. For example, the first SiP package 36 can be a 256GB SDSC with a standard speed of 12.5GB / s, and the second SiP package 46 can also be a 256GB SDSC memory with the same speed. Thus, this SD card will have double the capacity in a single package size.

[0025] Another embodiment of a dual memory SD card 30 includes a first SiP package 36 as a higher capacity / slower speed memory card, combined with a second SiP package 46 in the form of a higher speed / lower capacity memory card. For example, Card 1 could be the 256GB card described above, combined with a 32GB HS SLC card with a speed of 25GB / s. This combination would enable consumers to store data such as documents on Card 1 while using the higher speed Card 2 for photos or videos - all within a single card package format. This card would not only be dual storage, but also dual purpose in a single SD card bundle.

[0026] Those skilled in the art will recognize that other combinations are possible, the goal is to effectively provide two SD cards in a single SD card package, while the size, shape, functionality and operation still conform to the SD standard, but provide two functional cards in the package size of a single SD card, and the SD memory can have the same or different capacity and speed to meet the needs of the user. SDSC, SDHC, SDXC and SDUC platforms are expected in all combinations as formats for Card 1 and / or Card 2. Other options for Card 1 and / or Card 2 include SLC, MLC, TLC and QLC SD cards.

[0027] Figure 3 4A and 4B show another embodiment of a multi-function SD card, where similar terms and understandings are used as used in the previous embodiments. The card 50 has a housing 52 sized according to the full size SD standard, and contains a first set of electronic memory circuits according to the SD standard that may be the same as the electronic memory circuits of the first SiP package 36 used in the previous embodiment, and may further contain the same first electrical contacts 56 included on the board 58 with the memory card 54. The first SiP package may also occupy half of the cavity 60 of the housing 52 or less, and may occupy the upper half as shown, with the contacts 56 disposed on the outside.

[0028] The second SiP package 64 in this embodiment differs from the second SiP package 44 of the previous embodiment in that it can have a micro or nano SD card format. The micro SD SiP card has dimensions (in mm) of 15 x 11 x 1.0. The available space in the cavity not occupied by the first SiP package 54 is 21.35 x 13.98, which is more than enough to accommodate the second SiP package micro or nano SD card 64.

[0029] The card 50 has a second set of electrical contacts 66 that are connected to the second SiP package and are sized and patterned according to SD standards (i.e., micron or nano SD format). The second SiP package 64 can be permanently attached and housed within the housing 52 in a non-removable manner, or the second SiP package can be selectively removable, such as Figure 3Based on its size, the second SiP occupies less than all of the lower half of cavity 60.

[0030] The card 50 includes a switch 68 whose wires electrically and selectively couple the second electrical contact 66 with the first electrical contact 56. In a first position, the switch operates to couple the first electrical contact 56 with the first SiP package 54 to transfer data back and forth between the first SiP package 54 and a selected device external to the card 50. In a second position, the first and second electrical contacts are coupled and data is transferred back and forth between the second SiP and the external device via the first set of electrical contacts.

[0031] The cavity space 60 not occupied by the first and second SiP packages 54, 64 may house additional features, such as a battery 70 and or a PCB 72 having a configuration for wirelessly transmitting, for example, via or A wireless module for communicating with an external device via a protocol, and / or the cavity space may include a backup memory module.

[0032] Obviously, in light of the above teachings, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible.Therefore, it should be understood that the present invention can be practiced in other ways than those specifically described, while still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit card comprising: a generally flat card-shaped housing; a first set of electronic secure digital (SD) memory circuits housed within the housing having a protocol compliant with the SD card standard and including a first set of electrical contacts disposed at a first position thereof outside the housing having a contact pattern compliant with the SD card standard; as well as a second set of electronic SD memory circuits separate from the first set of electronic SD memory circuits and comprising a second set of electrical contacts different from the first set of electrical contacts and disposed outside the housing at a second position thereof, and wherein the first set of electrical contacts is located at a first end of the housing and the second set of electrical contacts is located at an opposite end of the housing; and wherein the housing is in accordance with the full size SD card standard, the first set of electronic SD memory circuits is in accordance with the full size SD card standard, and the second set of electronic SD memory circuits is in accordance with the micro or nano SD card standard; Wherein the second set of electrical contacts is according to the micron or nano SD standard and includes a switch, which operates in a first position to couple the first set of electrical contacts to the first set of electronic SD memory circuits and operates in a second position to couple the first set of electrical contacts to the second set of SD memory circuits, and wherein, when the switch is operated in the second position, the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are coupled.

2. The card of claim 1 wherein the first and second sets of electronic SD memory circuits are disposed in physically separate areas of the housing.

3. The card of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of electronic SD memory circuits have the same capacity and / or speed.

4. A card according to claim 3, wherein the first and second sets of electronic SD memory circuits have different capacities and / or speeds.

5. The card of claim 1, wherein the first and second sets of electrical contacts comply with the SD card standard.

6. The card of claim 1 comprising a battery housed within the housing.

7. The card of claim 6, comprising a PCB housed within the housing.

8. A secure digital (SD) card, comprising: A housing, which is based on the standard SD card package size; a first SiP package disposed in the housing; a second SiP package carried by the cover at a position separated from the first SiP package; an electrical contact on an outer surface of the housing operable to communicate data between the SiP package and an exterior of the SD card via the electrical contact; and wherein the electrical contacts include a first set of electrical contacts at a first end of the housing in communication with the first SiP package, and a second set of electrical contacts at an opposite end of the housing in communication with the second SiP package; and wherein the first SiP package has a full size SD protocol, and the second SiP package has a micro SD or nano SD protocol; wherein the electrical contacts include a first set of electrical contacts having a pattern according to a full size SD protocol, and said second set of electrical contacts having a pattern according to said micro- or nano-SD protocol; wherein the micro- or nano-SD SiP package is electrically coupled to the second set of electrical contacts, and comprises a switch, the switch being operated in a first position to selectively couple the first set of electrical contacts to the first SiP package for transferring data between the first SiP package and the outside of the SD card via the first set of electrical contacts, and being operated in a second position to selectively couple the first set of electrical contacts with the second set of electrical contacts for transferring data between the second SiP package and the outside of the SD card via the first set of electrical contacts, and comprising at least one of a battery and a PCB within the housing, and wherein the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are coupled when the switch is operated in the second position.

9. The SD card according to claim 8, wherein both of the SiP packages adopt the SD protocol.

10. The SD card of claim 9, wherein the first SiP package has a first memory capacity and a speed, and the second SiP package has a second memory capacity that is the same as or different from the first memory capacity and a second speed that is the same as or different from the speed. 11 . The SD card of claim 10 , wherein the first SiP package has a predetermined storage capacity and speed, and the second SiP package has a relatively lower storage capacity but a relatively higher speed than the first SiP package.

12. The SD card of claim 8, wherein the first set of electrical contacts has rotational symmetry with the second set of electrical contacts.

13. The SD card of claim 8, wherein at least one of the SiP packages has an SLC cache protocol.

14. The SD card of claim 8, wherein the micro- or nano-SD SiP package is selectively removable from the housing.

15. A multi-memory secure digital (SD) card, comprising: SD card housing, which is based on the full size SD standard; a first SD SiP memory in accordance with the full size SD standard and occupying a first portion of the housing and communicating with a first set of external electrical contacts in accordance with the SD standard; as well as a second SD SiP memory occupying a second portion of the housing and communicating with a second set of electrical contacts in accordance with the SD standard; and wherein the first set of external electrical contacts is located at a first end of the SD card housing and the second set of electrical contacts is located at an opposite end of the SD card housing; and Wherein the second set of electronic SD memory circuits is according to a micron or nano SD card standard; the second set of electrical contacts is according to the micron or nano SD standard and comprises a switch, the switch being operated in a first position to couple the first set of external electrical contacts to the first SD SiP memory and in a second position to couple the first set of external electrical contacts to the second SD SiP memory, and wherein when the switch is operated in the second position, the first set of external electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts are coupled.

Images