Magnetic storage device

Abstract

A magnetic storage device includes an upper cover, a bottom casing forming a surrounding side wall to connect to the upper cover, a magnet array, a circuit board, a storage module, a control unit, a port and an authentication unit. The magnet array is disposed on the upper cover to magnetically attract a portable device. The circuit board is accommodated between the upper cover and the bottom casing. The storage module and the control unit are disposed on the circuit board. The port is disposed through the surrounding side wall and disposed on the circuit board to electrically connect to the storage module and the control unit for power and data transmission between the portable device and the storage module through the control unit. The authentication unit is disposed on the circuit board and coupled to the port for performing application software authentication with the portable device through the port.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a storage device, and more particularly to a magnetic storage device. Prior Technology

[0002] With advancements in semiconductor manufacturing processes, portable electronic devices (such as smartphones and tablets) have become indispensable electronic products in daily life. In practical use, because the multimedia audio-visual functions provided by portable electronic devices (such as taking high-resolution photos and recording high-definition videos) require a large amount of data storage space, users often need to connect portable electronic devices to external storage devices for subsequent audio-visual data storage operations.

[0003] However, the aforementioned external storage devices are usually plugged into the port of portable electronic devices only by means of a data transmission line connection, and cannot be securely fixed to the portable electronic devices, which often causes a lot of inconvenience to users when operating portable electronic devices. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic storage device to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0005] According to one embodiment, the magnetic storage device of the present invention is applicable to magnetically attaching to a portable electronic device. The magnetic storage device includes a top cover, a bottom shell, a magnet array, a circuit board, a storage module, a control unit, a connector, and an authentication unit. The periphery of the bottom shell protrudes from the top cover to form a surrounding sidewall for engaging with the top cover, and a slot is formed in the surrounding sidewall. The magnet array is disposed on the top cover to magnetically attach the portable electronic device, thereby attaching and fixing the top cover to the portable electronic device. The circuit board is accommodated between the top cover and the bottom shell. The storage module is disposed on the circuit board. The control unit is disposed on the circuit board. The connector passes through the slot and is disposed on the circuit board to electrically connect the storage module and the control unit. When the portable electronic device is electrically connected via a wired connection, the connector is used to transmit power provided by the portable electronic device to the storage module, and to perform data transmission between the portable electronic device and the storage module via the control unit. The authentication unit is located on the circuit board and electrically connected to the connector, and is used to perform application software authentication with the portable electronic device via the connector.

[0006] In summary, compared to previous technologies that only used data transmission lines to connect to the port of portable electronic devices, the magnetic storage device of this invention further utilizes a magnet array on the top cover to magnetically attach to the portable electronic device and can perform application software authentication with the portable electronic device via an authentication unit. In this way, the magnetic storage device can not only be securely attached to the portable electronic device when the user performs data storage and transfer operations, but also perform related software application operations, thereby greatly improving the safety and ease of use of the magnetic storage device. Furthermore, through the aforementioned single-port design, the magnetic storage device of this invention also simplifies the configuration of circuit components and achieves energy-saving effects with low power consumption.

[0007] The advantages and spirit of this invention can be further understood from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0008] Figure 1 is an exploded schematic diagram of a magnetic storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a simplified 3D diagram of the magnetic storage device in Figure 1 being magnetically attached to a portable electronic device. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the explosion of the top cover and magnet array in Figure 1 from another perspective. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the magnetic storage device in Figure 1. Implementation

[0009] The following description, accompanied by illustrations, illustrates the technical content of this invention through specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this invention from the content disclosed in this specification. This invention can also be implemented or applied through other different embodiments. Various details in this specification can also be modified and changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this invention. In particular, the structural design and positional relationships of the various components in the drawings (such as the structural proportions of the top cover / bottom shell / circuit board / magnet array / insulating sheet, the configuration of electronic components on the circuit board, the design of the fastening structure of the snap hooks and protruding ribs, etc.) are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the actual implementation of this invention.

[0010] Please refer to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4. Figure 1 is an exploded view of a magnetic storage device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a three-dimensional simplified view of the magnetic storage device 10 in Figure 1 magnetically attached to a portable electronic device 11. Figure 3 is an exploded view of a top cover 12 and a magnet array 16 in Figure 1 from another perspective. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of the magnetic storage device 10 in Figure 1. In Figure 2, the portable electronic device 11 is only shown as a simplified elongated block structure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The magnetic storage device 10 is suitable for magnetically attaching to a portable electronic device 11 (preferably a smartphone, but not limited thereto; it can also be other common portable electronic devices, such as tablets) to provide external data storage space for the portable electronic device 11. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the magnetic storage device 10 includes a top cover 12, a bottom shell 14, a magnet array 16, a circuit board 18, a storage module 20, a control unit 22, a connection port 24, and an authentication unit 26. The periphery of the bottom shell 14 protrudes towards the top cover 12 to form a surrounding side wall 28, and a slot 30 is formed in the surrounding side wall 28. In this way, the bottom shell 14 can be joined to the top cover 12 via the surrounding side wall 28 to form the outer shell of the magnetic storage device 10 to accommodate and protect the internal components of the device. More specifically, in this embodiment, the top cover 12 and the bottom shell 14 can preferably adopt a snap-fit ​​design (but are not limited to this, other detachable joining designs can also be adopted, such as screw locking design, etc.). For example, as shown in Figure 1, the periphery of the top cover 12 can preferably be formed with a plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks 13, and a plurality of protruding ribs 15 can be formed on one of the inner surfaces S1 of the surrounding side wall 28 corresponding to the positions of the plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks 13. In this way, the plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks 13 can engage with the plurality of protruding ribs 15, so that the top cover 12 can be detachably joined to the bottom shell 14 for subsequent disassembly and maintenance. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the outer surface S2 of one of the surrounding sidewalls 28 of the bottom shell 14 can preferably be rounded, so that the user can grip and operate it and it is beneficial to the thin and light design of the magnetic storage device 10.

[0011] The magnet array 16 is preferably composed of a plurality of magnets 17 arranged in a ring (but not limited thereto) and disposed on the upper cover 12 for magnetic attraction of the portable electronic device 11, so that the upper cover 12 is attached and fixed to the portable electronic device 11. In practical applications, as shown in Figure 3, the upper cover 12 can form a ring-shaped limiting structure 32 (it can adopt a discontinuous interval limiting design as shown in Figure 3, but is not limited thereto, and can also adopt a continuous extension limiting design). The ring-shaped magnet array 16 can be accommodated in the ring-shaped limiting structure 32, so that the magnet array 16 can be more firmly embedded in the upper cover 12, thereby providing a stable magnetic attraction force to the portable electronic device 11 and improving the reliability of the magnetic storage device 10. In addition, in this embodiment, the magnetic storage device 10 may further include an insulating sheet 19, which is preferably made of an insulating material (such as a polyester film (Mylar), but not limited thereto) and disposed between the magnet array 16 and the circuit board 18 to provide insulation and antistatic effects.

[0012] Circuit board 18 may be a common circuit board used to mount storage devices (such as a PCIe M.2 circuit board, but not limited thereto) and is housed between the top cover 12 and the bottom case 14 to serve as the data / power transmission circuit board for the magnetic storage device 10. Storage module 20 may be an external storage device commonly used in portable electronic devices (preferably a solid state drive (SSD), but not limited thereto) and is disposed on circuit board 18 together with control unit 22, connection port 24, and authentication unit 26. The component configuration and electrical connection relationship are shown in Figures 1 and 4. More specifically, in this embodiment, the portable electronic device 11 is preferably an iPhone, the connector 24 is preferably a Universal Series Bus (USB) connector with a Type-C interface, which passes through the slot 30 and electrically connects the storage module 20 and the control unit 22, and the authentication unit 26 is preferably an MFi (Made for iPhone) authentication chip and electrically connected to the connector 24. In this way, the connector 24 can transmit the power provided by the portable electronic device 11 to the storage module 20, and transmit data between the portable electronic device 11 and the storage module 20 via the control unit 22. The authentication unit 26 can perform application software authentication with the portable electronic device 11 via the connector 24 in order to perform subsequent software application operations for the magnetic storage device 10.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, when a user wants to perform data transfer between the magnetic storage device 10 and the portable electronic device 11, the user only needs to plug a data / power transfer cable 1 (such as a cable with a Type-C interface, but not limited to) that conforms to the data / power transfer specifications of the magnetic storage device 10 and the portable electronic device 11 into the connection port 24 and the portable electronic device 11 respectively. Then, the magnetic storage device 10 is magnetically attached to the portable electronic device 11 via the magnet array 16 inside the top cover 12 (as shown in Figure 2), thereby establishing an electrical connection between the magnetic storage device 10 and the portable electronic device 11, and simultaneously completing the magnetic fixation operation of firmly attaching the magnetic storage device 10 to the portable electronic device 11. In this way, the port 24 can transmit the power provided by the portable electronic device 11 to the storage module 20 to power the storage module 20, so that the control unit 22 can smoothly perform data transmission between the portable electronic device 11 and the storage module 20 to complete the corresponding data transmission / storage operation (such as storing the data in the portable electronic device 11 (such as photos, videos and other multimedia audio and video data) to the storage module 20).

[0014] In summary, compared to previous technologies that only used data transmission lines to connect to the port of portable electronic devices, the magnetic storage device of this invention further utilizes a magnet array on the top cover to magnetically attach to the portable electronic device and can perform application software authentication with the portable electronic device via an authentication unit. In this way, the magnetic storage device can not only be securely attached to the portable electronic device when the user performs data storage and transfer operations, but also perform related software application operations, thereby greatly improving the safety and ease of use of the magnetic storage device. Furthermore, through the aforementioned single-port design, the magnetic storage device of this invention also simplifies the configuration of circuit components and achieves energy-saving effects with low power consumption.

[0015] It is worth mentioning that, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, the magnetic storage device 10 may further include a wireless charging module 34. The wireless charging module 34 is mounted on the circuit board 18 and can be a common wireless charging device used in portable electronic devices. For example, the wireless charging module 34 can be a wireless charging receiver that matches a wireless charging power source (such as a wireless charging transmitter connected to an external power source) to transmit charging power from the wireless charging power source to the portable electronic device 11. This achieves the multitasking effect of simultaneously wirelessly charging the portable electronic device 11 while the magnetic storage device 10 and the portable electronic device 11 are transmitting stored data. The description of the wireless charging principle and module design of the wireless charging module 34 is common in prior art and will not be repeated here. Through the above design, the present invention can effectively solve the problem mentioned in the prior art where the port of the portable electronic device is occupied by the data transmission line, preventing charging, thereby improving the usability of the magnetic storage device. The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. All equivalent changes and modifications made in accordance with the claims of the present invention shall be covered by the present invention.

[0016] 1: Transmission line 10: Magnetic storage device 11: Portable electronic devices 12: Top Cover 13: Snap-on hook 14: Bottom shell 15: Protruding ribs 16: Magnet Array 17: Magnet 18: Circuit Board 19: Insulating sheet 20: Storage Module 22: Control Unit 24: Connection Port 26: Authentication Unit 28: Surrounding side walls 30: Groove 32: Annular limiting structure 34: Wireless charging module S1: Inner surface S2: Outer surface

Claims

1. A magnetic storage device suitable for magnetically attaching to a portable electronic device, the magnetic storage device comprising: a top cover having a plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks formed around its periphery; a bottom shell having a periphery protruding from the top cover to form a surrounding sidewall for engaging with the top cover, a slot formed in the surrounding sidewall, a plurality of protruding ribs formed on an inner surface of the surrounding sidewall corresponding to the positions of the plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks, the plurality of snap-fit ​​hooks engaging with the plurality of protruding ribs, such that the top cover is detachably attached to the bottom shell; a magnet array disposed on the top cover for magnetically attaching the portable electronic device, such that the top cover is attached and fixed to the portable electronic device; a circuit board disposed between the top cover and the bottom shell; a storage module disposed on the circuit board; and a control unit disposed on the circuit board. A connector, which passes through the slot and is disposed on the circuit board to electrically connect the storage module and the control unit, is used to transmit power provided by the portable electronic device to the storage module when the portable electronic device is electrically connected via a wired connection, and to perform data transmission between the portable electronic device and the storage module via the control unit; and an authentication unit, which is disposed on the circuit board and electrically connected to the connector, is used to perform application software authentication with the portable electronic device via the connector.

2. The magnetic storage device as described in claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device is an iPhone and the authentication unit is an MFi (Made For iPhone) certified chip.

3. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnet array is composed of a plurality of magnets arranged in a ring.

4. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the top cover is formed with an annular limiting structure and the magnet array is housed within the annular limiting structure.

5. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic storage device further comprises: a wireless charging module disposed on the circuit board for transmitting charging power from a wireless charging power source to the portable electronic device.

6. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic storage device further comprises: an insulating sheet disposed between the magnet array and the circuit board.

7. The magnetic storage device as described in claim 1, wherein the storage module is a solid state drive (SSD).

8. The magnetic storage device as described in claim 1, wherein the port is a Universal Series Bus (USB) port with a Type-C interface.

9. The magnetic storage device as claimed in claim 1, wherein one of the outer surfaces of the surrounding sidewall is rounded.

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