Memory Card Carrier with Removable Contact Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing technologies face challenges in handling and personalizing small format memory cards, such as microSD cards, due to their miniaturized size, which makes them difficult to manipulate and increases the risk of loss or damage during handling and distribution, and existing solutions do not adequately address the need for secure data loading and processing.
Innovation Solution
A memory card carrier of flat card shape with a removable part that has its own contact interface matching the ICC card standard, connected to the card body via a conductive strip crossing the snap-out line, allowing the card to be treated as a standard ICC card for personalization and processing, with a foil for protection and easy snap-out mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the memory card is miniaturized to reduce size, then the card becomes more compact and suitable for mobile devices, but the card becomes difficult to manipulate and increases the risk of loss or damage during handling and distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds the small memory card (microSD or miniSD format) inside a carrier that has the dimensions of a standard ICC payment card. The memory card is nested within the carrier body, which protects it during handling and distribution while allowing it to be processed by existing payment card personalization equipment. The memory card can be removed from the carrier by the end user after personalization.
2Volume of moving object
If the memory card is miniaturized to reduce size, then the card becomes more compact and suitable for mobile devices, but existing personalization equipment cannot process the small card format directly
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier acts as an intermediary between the small memory card and the existing payment card personalization equipment. The carrier has the standard ICC card dimensions and contact field layout that the equipment expects, while containing the actual memory card inside. This allows the personalization equipment to process the memory card through the carrier without requiring any modification to the equipment itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The carrier serves multiple functions: it provides mechanical protection for the small memory card during handling and distribution, enables processing by existing payment card personalization equipment, and maintains the standard ICC card form factor. This multi-functionality allows a single solution to address both the need for miniaturization and compatibility with existing infrastructure.
3Reliability
If a standard contact field layout is used on the memory card, then data transmission and powering work correctly after insertion, but highly productive writing and processing require a new one purpose device
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier's contact field serves as an intermediary that interfaces with the personalization equipment during the data loading phase. The contact field on the carrier is electrically connected to the memory card's contact interface through conductive connections in the carrier body. This allows existing payment card personalization equipment to efficiently write data to the memory card through the carrier without requiring a new dedicated device.
Data Source
AI summary
The carrier of a memory card (2) is in the shape of a flat card (1) with a contact field (6), which is connected to inner circuits of the memory card (2) over a conductive connection (8). Mechanical connection of the memory card (2) with the remaining body of the flat card (1) can be in the form of connection strips (5) that interrupt the snap-out line (3). A conductive connection (8) can run through a connection strip (5). The flat card (1) can be equipped with a foil (9). The flat card (1) can be inserted into an automated device, which operates with it as if it was a standard card with a contact field (6). The user snaps out the memory card (2) from the carrier's body by which the conductive connection (8) is mechanically interrupted. The conductive connection (8) can be deactivated electrically using disconnecter (10).