KR100694042B1 - Adapter for digital traiding card - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for reproducing digital trading cards, and more particularly, to reading data stored in them from one or more digital trading cards, and to a video processing device such as a PC, note-PC, dedicated device, game machine, and personal digital assistant (PDA). It is about an adapter that enables playback.

An adapter according to the present invention is a playback device suitable for a digital trading card incorporating media for storing image, sound, text information, etc. (content) in the form of a card, comprising: a card interface unit for interfacing with the digital trading card; An IC interface unit for reading stored content by interfacing with the media through a data path established through the card interface unit; And an output interface unit for outputting the content read out through the IC interface unit to an external image processing apparatus.

The adapter according to the present invention reads image, sound, and text information stored in media embedded in a digital trading card and outputs it to an image processing device such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and the like without a dedicated device. There is an effect that enables to play the content provided by the trading card.

Description

Adapter for digital trading card {Adapter for digital traiding card}

1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of an adapter according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of an adapter according to the invention.

3A is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adapter shown in FIG. 2 in connection with a PC, and FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adapter shown in FIG. 2 in connection with a TV.

4 is a block diagram showing yet another embodiment of an adapter according to the invention.

5 shows the form of an adapter according to the invention.

6A and 6B show the appearance of the card holder sheet in the multi-card adapter 500 shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway view showing an internal configuration of the card holder sheet shown in FIG. 6.

8 shows another form of an adapter according to the invention.

9 shows another form of an adapter according to the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for reproducing content stored in a digital trading card, and more particularly, an adapter, which is a reproducing device capable of reading image, sound and text data stored therein from a plurality of digital trading cards. It is about.

A digital trading card is a generic term for all cards that contain media that stores video, sound, and text information (hereinafter referred to as content) in the form of paper or other materials. These digital trading cards are similar in size and format to the paper trading cards currently in circulation, so they can be used like existing paper trading cards, and additionally, you can view and listen to the contents stored in the media through the display device. As a result, it can provide much more functions than traditional trading cards.

The content stored in the media of the digital trading card is played back by a dedicated device having a video display device.

Such digital trading cards and dedicated devices are described in detail in the application No. 2000-31837 filed by the present applicant (name of the invention: a chip embedded trading card, a recording / reproducing apparatus suitable for this, and a method of implementing a suitable communication). have.

The dedicated device not only displays the content itself but also outputs an image signal through the output unit, thereby enabling the other device to display the content.                         

However, even if the content is played back through another image processing device, a dedicated display device must be involved at first. Dedicated display devices are of course expensive because they have a liquid crystal display device capable of displaying an image.

Accordingly, there is a need for a method for easily reproducing contents stored in media of a digital trading card through an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

In addition, in terms of collectible cards, the value of a digital trading card is determined not only by the rareness of the card, but also by the degree of damage (the degree of edges on each corner of the card, the surface condition of the card, etc.). It is important. However, the dedicated device increases the possibility of damaging the digital trading card by the number of times each time the content stored in the digital trading card is played. Therefore, there is a need for equipment to exclude the possibility of damage to such cards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised to meet the above demands, and enables the contents stored in the media of a digital trading card to be easily played back through image processing devices such as PCs, note-PCs, television receivers, dedicated devices, game machines, PDAs, and the like. It is an object to provide a device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device which can preserve and increase the value of a card by preventing the card from being damaged when a digital trading card is played.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that enables a user to enjoy content provided by a digital trading card at a low price.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for increasing the convenience of use by allowing an adapter to be controlled by an application program by an interface with a PC, a note-PC, or the like.

Adapter according to the present invention to achieve the above object

A playback apparatus suitable for a digital trading card incorporating media that stores video, sound, text information, and the like (content) in a card form,

A card interface unit that interfaces with the digital trading card;

An IC interface unit for reading stored content by interfacing with the media through a data path established through the card interface unit; And

An output interface unit for outputting the content read out through the IC interface unit to an external image processing apparatus;
The output interface unit converts the read content into a signal having a format required by the external image processing apparatus and outputs the converted content.

The adapter according to the present invention differs from a dedicated device in that it does not have a display unit for displaying content. Instead, the adapter has an advantage of increasing user convenience and wider selection with a compact size and low price.

In addition, the adapter according to the present invention has the advantage of enabling the control by the computer to play and edit the content through the application program.                     

The adapter according to the present invention is called an adapter when there is only one digital trading card that can be played, and a multi-card adapter when there is more than one.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1A and 1B are respectively a block diagram and an external view showing an embodiment of an adapter according to the present invention. The adapter 100 illustrated in FIG. 1A includes a card interface unit 102, an IC interface unit 104, a main controller unit (hereinafter referred to as MCU) 106, a RAM 108, a ROM 110, An internal memory 112 and an output interface 114 are provided.

The card interface unit 102 is provided for interfacing with a digital trading card (not shown). Digital trading cards are divided into two types: contact and contactless, depending on the interface method. A contact digital trading card refers to an electrical interface through pins installed on its surface, and a contactless digital trading card refers to an interface by an RF signal rather than through a pin.

Accordingly, the card interface unit 102 may be a slot or an RF signal transceiver. The appearance of the card interface unit 102 is shaped to accommodate a digital trading card. For example, a groove is formed on the plane to match the size of the digital trading card, and a slot or an RF transceiver is built in the groove.

The IC interface unit 104 exchanges content by a predetermined protocol with the media of the digital trading card through a data path established through the card interface unit 102. The IC interface unit 104 is controlled by the MCU 106.

The MCU 106 performs a control operation by operating programs and data stored in the ROM 110 and stores necessary data in the RAM 108. Internal memory 112 is provided for operation of MCU 106.

The output interface unit 114 converts the reproduced content into a signal of a format required by an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and outputs a variety of conversion modules (TV format, PDA). Format, and other format conversion modules). For example, when outputting to a television receiver, the TV format conversion module 114a outputs a composite video signal representing content.

On the other hand, the PC format conversion module 114b interfaces with a PC, a note-PC, or the like, receives control commands from the PC, a note-PC, or outputs content to a PC, a note-PC, or the like. Examples of the interface with a PC, note-PC, and the like include a parallel interface connected to a printer port, a serial interface connected to a serial port, and a universal serial bus (USB) interface.

On the other hand, the other format conversion module 114c interfaces with a PDA or a game machine to receive a control command or converts the content into a PDA or a game machine format and outputs it.

The adapter 100 shown in FIG. 1 reads content from the media embedded in the digital trading card via the IC interface 104 and the card interface 102 under the control of the MCU 106 and stores it in the RAM 108. do.

The content stored in the RAM 108 is read by the MCU 106 and transmitted to the output interface unit 114, and the output interface unit 114 transmits the transmitted content to a PC, note-PC, dedicated device, game machine, PDA, etc. The signal is converted into a signal suitable for the image processing apparatus of the output.

The RAM 108 preferably has a capacity for storing a plurality of contents. The MCU 106 selectively reads a plurality of pieces of content stored in the RAM 108 and provides them to the output interface unit 114.

By storing the content in the RAM 108, the time point at which the content is read from the digital trading card and the time point at which the content is displayed through an image processing device such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and the like may be different.

The MCU 106 operates in response to an operation command input through the button operation unit 118 or a control command input through the output interface unit 114.

The adapter 100 shown in FIG. 1 is used in connection with a PC and a note-PC. PC, note-PC controls the device shown in FIG. 1 through an application program. That is, the contents stored in the RAM 108 are searched or necessary contents are read into the PC and the note-PC.

1b shows the appearance of an adapter according to the invention.

The adapter 100 according to the present invention shown in FIG. 1B may be manufactured to display photo and text information (key, weight, position, career, etc.) of the content main character, similar to a digital trading card.

The adapter 100 has a box shape having a slot 122 for accommodating the digital trading card 120, and an LED 124 indicating whether the digital trading card is stored is installed at the front of the box. On the upper side of the adapter 100, an image information display unit 126 to which a picture of the content hero is attached and a text information display unit 128 to display text information of the content hero are installed.

The adapter 100 is connected to an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, and a PDA through the connector 130.

2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of an adapter according to the invention. Unlike the adapter shown in FIG. 1, the multi-card adapter 200 shown in FIG. 2 has a feature of loading a plurality of digital trading cards at once.

To this end, a plurality of card interface units 202-1 to 202-m, a plurality of IC interface units 204-1 to 204-m, and a multiplexer 216 are provided.

Each card interface unit 202-1 to 202-m and the IC interface unit 204-1 to 204-m form a pair. For example, the card interface unit 202-1 and the IC interface unit 204-1 form a pair, and the card interface unit 202-2 and the IC interface unit 204-2 are the other pair. To achieve. The m card interface-IC interface portion pairs are selected by the multiplexer 216.

The MCU 206 controls the multiplexer 216 and the IC interface unit 204 to read contents from the plurality of digital trading cards.

Contents read from the digital trading card are stored in the RAM 208. The plurality of contents stored in the RAM 208 are selectively read by the MCU 206 and output to an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and the like through the output interface unit 214.

The button operation unit 218 is provided for inflow of operation commands from the user, and is particularly useful when displaying on a TV.

The button operation unit 218 has buttons corresponding to the number of digital trading cards that can be accommodated. Each button is installed around the slot, holder, or socket into which the digital trading card is inserted. Each button has an LED. The LEDs are intended to indicate that a digital trading card is inserted into a slot, holder, or socket, or that content is playing from the digital trading card. For example, each LED lights up when a digital trading card is inserted and blinks when content is playing from the digital trading card.

The MCU 206 operates in response to an operation command input through the button operation unit 218 or a control command input through the output interface unit 214.

The content stored in the RAM 206 is transmitted through the TV format conversion module 214a or the PC format conversion module 214b and the other format conversion module 214c of the output interface unit 214, respectively. Output to PDAs, game consoles, etc.

Unlike the adapter 100 illustrated in FIG. 1, the multi-card adapter 200 illustrated in FIG. 2 may load a plurality of digital trading cards at a time, thereby further increasing convenience of use.

FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adapter shown in FIG. 2 in connection with a PC, and FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating the operation of the adapter shown in FIG. 2 in connection with a TV.

In FIG. 3A, a signal line indicated by a bus line shows a path through which content moves, and a signal line indicated by a solid line shows a path through which a control command moves. Content is passed to the PC 300 via the card interface unit 202, the IC interface unit 204, the multiplexer 216, the MCU 206, the RAM 208, the MCU 206, and the PC format conversion module 214a. Is output. The control command is provided to the card interface unit 202 and the IC interface unit 204 through the PC 300, the PC format conversion module 214a, the MCU 206, and the multiplexer 216. The control command includes a play command PLAY and a select command SELECT. The select command SELECT is for selecting a digital trading card to play back, and the play command PLAY is for reading content from the selected digital trading card.

The MCU 206 inputs control commands (selection command and playback command) provided from the PC 300. The MCU 206 applies a selection signal to the multiplexer 216 in response to the playback command.

The multiplexer 216 decodes the selection signal provided from the MCU 206 and outputs a start signal START to one pair selected from a plurality of pairs each consisting of an IC interface unit and a card interface unit.

The IC interface unit and the card interface unit receiving the start signal START reproduce the content from the digital trading card. The reproduced content is stored in RAM 208 through multiplexer 216 and MCU 206.                     

In FIG. 3B, a signal line indicated by a bus line shows a path through which content moves.

The IC interface portion and the card interface portion corresponding to the digital trading card to be selected are selected by the button operation portion 218. When the button corresponding to the digital trading card selected by the button operation unit 218 is pressed, the IC interface unit and the card interface unit corresponding to the selected digital trading card are operated to read content from the selected digital trading card. The read content is converted into a composite video signal through the TV format conversion module 214b and output to the TV 310.

4 is a block diagram showing yet another embodiment of an adapter according to the invention. The multi-card adapter 400 shown in FIG. 4 is characterized in that it has only one IC interface unit, unlike the multi-card adapter 200 shown in FIG.

In order to enable this, the multiplexer 416 is provided between the IC interface unit 404 and the card interface unit 402.

The MCU 406 controls the multiplexer 416, the IC interface unit 404, and the card interface unit 402 to read contents from the plurality of digital trading cards.

The plurality of card interface portions 402-1 to 4002m are selected by the multiplexer 416. The content read through the card interface unit 402 selected by the multiplexer 416 is stored in the RAM 408 via the MCU 406.

The plurality of contents stored in the RAM 408 are selectively read by the MCU 406 and output to an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and the like through the output interface unit 414.

The button operation unit 418 is provided for introducing an operation command from the user. The user's operation command may be a read start command, a selection command for selecting a digital trading card, or the like.

The MCU 406 operates in response to an operation command input through the button operation unit 418 or a control command input through the output interface unit 414.

The content stored in the RAM 406 is output to a television set, a PC, a note-PC or the like through the TV format conversion module 414a or the PC format conversion module 414b of the output interface unit 414.

5 shows the form of an adapter according to the invention. The multi-card adapter 500 shown in FIG. 5 has a form of a binder book and has a plurality of card holder sheets. The card holder sheet can accommodate a plurality of digital trading cards.

The card holder sheets are dismantled by the binder ring 506. On one side of the multi-card adapter 500, a contactor 502 for connecting to a PC, note-PC, dedicated device, PDA, game machine, etc. is installed. do. The connector 502 is connected to an output interface unit (not shown) installed inside the multi-card adapter 500.

The title portion 504 attached to the surface of the multi-card adapter 500 may describe a title defined by the user. Two LEDs 512 located on the upper surface of the heading 504 are turned on when the power is turned on, so that the title of the adapter 500 can be easily seen and decorated.

The multi-card adapter 500 shown in FIG. 5 has a form of a binder book, which can accommodate a relatively large number of digital trading cards and has an advantage of easy storage.

6A and 6B show the appearance of the card holder sheet in the multi-card adapter 500 shown in FIG.

Each card holder sheet 600 is provided with a plurality of card holders 602-1 to 602-m, each containing a digital trading card.

Digital trading cards are inserted into the card holder 602. The card holder 602 has a card holder cover button 602a for preventing the detachment of the digital trading card inserted therein. Although not shown in FIG. 6, the card holder 602 is provided with a card interface unit for interfacing with a digital trading card. The card interface unit is a slot or a wireless transceiver. One side of the card holder sheet 600 is provided with binder ring holes 608 for binding by a binder ring.

In addition, under each card holder 600, buttons 604-1 to 604-m having LEDs for indicating whether the digital trading card is loaded or played are installed.

The LEDs embedded in the buttons 604-1 to 604-m incorporating LEDs emit light when the digital trading card is inserted into the corresponding card holders 602-1 to 602-m. The buttons 604-1 to 604-m incorporating LEDs collectively constitute the button control unit 218 of FIG. 2 and the button control unit 414 of FIG. 4. In addition, the LEDs embedded in the buttons 604-1 to 604-m incorporating the LED blink while the button is pressed and content is read from the corresponding digital trading card, and returns to a lit state when the reading is finished. Whether or not the reading of the content is finished is determined by the MCUs 206 and 406 shown in Figs. The MCUs 206 and 406 determine whether reading is completed by the data end signal DATA END.

FIG. 7 is a partial cutaway view showing an internal configuration of the card holder sheet shown in FIG. 6. Card holders 602 are installed on the surface of the card holder sheet 600. The card holders 602 have a card holder cover 700 and a socket 702. The socket 702 is applied to a contact digital trading card. The contact digital trading card can be inserted into the socket 702 to be electrically interfaced. In the case of a contactless digital trading card, the card holders 602 will have a wireless transceiver.

A card unit board 704 is provided inside the card holder sheet 600 shown in FIG. The card unit board 700 is electrically connected to the socket 702 of the card holders 602. The card unit board 704 is provided with an IC interface unit, a multiplexer, an MCU, a RAM, a ROM, an internal memory, an output interface unit, and the like. do.

8 shows another form of an adapter according to the invention. The multi-card adapter 800 shown in FIG. 8 is tower type and is provided with slots 802-1 through 802-m capable of accommodating a digital trading card. Although not shown in the lower portion of the slots (802-1 ~ 802-m), there is a socket for allowing electrical connection with the contact digital trading card or a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF signals with the contactless digital trading card.                     

The digital trading card is inserted into the slot 802 from the top of the multicard adapter 800.

On the front of the multi-card adapter 800, the LED (804-1) indicating the on / off state of the multi-card adapter 800 and whether or not the digital trading card is inserted into each of the slots 802 are renewed. Buttons 804-2 to 804-m + 1 incorporating an LED indicating whether or not there are any are provided.

The buttons 804-2 to 804-m + 1 with LEDs are lit when the digital trading card is inserted into the corresponding slots 802-1 to 802-m.

The buttons 804-2 to 804-m + 1 with LEDs collectively constitute the button control unit 218 of FIG. 2 and the button control unit 414 of FIG. In addition, the LEDs embedded in the buttons 804-2 to 804-m + 1 with built-in LEDs blink while the button is pressed and content is read from the corresponding digital trading card, and returns to a lit state when the reading is finished. Goes.

The multi-card adapter 800 is provided with a connector 806 for interfacing with an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, and a PDA.

The device shown in FIG. 8 has a port 808 for a mouse and keypad, and a power input terminal 810.

The multi-card adapter 800 shown in FIG. 8 receives power through a power input terminal 806 provided on the contactor 806 side.

9 shows another form of an adapter according to the invention. The adapter 900 shown in FIG. 8 is a tower type and is provided with slots 902-1 through 902-m for accommodating a digital trading card. Although not shown, the rear of the slots 902-1 to 902-m are provided with sockets for allowing electrical connection with the contact digital trading card or a wireless transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF signals with the contactless digital trading card.

The digital trading card is inserted into the slot 902 from the front of the multi-card adapter 900.

On the front of the multi-card adapter 900, an LED (904-1) indicating an on / off state of the multi-card adapter 900 and a digital trading card are inserted into or are being played in the respective slots 902. Buttons 904-2 to 904-m + 1 incorporating LEDs indicating whether or not the doors are installed are provided.

The buttons 904-2 to 904-m + 1 with LEDs are lit when the digital trading card is inserted into the corresponding slots 902-1 to 902-m.

The buttons 904-2 to 904-m incorporating the LED collectively constitute the button control unit 218 of FIG. 2 and the button control unit 414 of FIG. 4. In addition, the LEDs embedded in the buttons 904-2 to 904-m + 1 with built-in LEDs flash while the button is pressed and content is read from the corresponding digital trading card, and returns to a lit state when the reading is finished. Goes.

The multi-card adapter 900 is provided with a contactor 906 and a power input terminal 908 for interfacing with an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, and a PDA. The voltage generating unit for generating the operating powers required for the operation of the multi-card adapter 900 from the power inputted through the power input terminal 908 is not particularly shown as a conventional one.

As described above, the adapter according to the present invention reads image, sound, and text information stored in media embedded in a digital trading card, and outputs it to an image processing apparatus such as a PC, a note-PC, a dedicated device, a game machine, a PDA, and the like. There is an effect that can play the content provided by the digital trading card without the device.

The adapter according to the present invention has the effect of preserving and increasing the value of the card by preventing damage to the card that may occur when playing the digital trading card.

The adapter according to the present invention has no display device for displaying an image as compared to a dedicated device for exclusively reproducing a digital trading card, so that the content provided by the digital trading card can be enjoyed at a low price.

In addition, the adapter according to the present invention has the advantage of increasing the convenience of use by allowing the application program to control the adapter by the interface with a PC, note-PC and the like.

Claims (16)

A playback apparatus suitable for a digital trading card incorporating a medium for storing video, sound, text information, and the like (content) in a card form, A card interface unit that interfaces with the digital trading card; An IC interface unit for reading stored content by interfacing with the media through a data path established through the card interface unit; And An output interface unit for outputting the content read out through the IC interface unit to an external image processing apparatus; And the output interface unit converts the read content into a signal of a format required by the external image processing apparatus and outputs the converted signal. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the card interface unit is a socket to allow electrical contact with the trading card. The adapter of claim 1, wherein the card interface unit is a wireless transceiver that transmits and receives a wireless signal to and from the digital trading card. The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a button for instructing the card interface unit and the IC interface unit to start playback of a digital trading card. The method of claim 1, The output interface unit includes a plurality of conversion modules, At least one of the conversion modules converts the content read from the memory into a composite video signal and outputs the composite video signal. The method of claim 5, And the other one of the conversion modules converts the content read from the memory into a data form processed by a computer such as a PC or a note-PC. The method of claim 5, Another one of the conversion modules is a digital trading card adapter, characterized in that for converting the content read from the memory in the form of data processed by a PDA or a game machine. The method of claim 6, A memory for storing the content read through the IC interface unit or outputting the stored content to the output interface unit; And And a control unit for controlling the memory, card interface unit, and IC interface unit. Here, the conversion module interfaces with the computer to provide a control command from the computer to the control unit, and the control unit responds to the control command input from the conversion module, and the memory, card interface unit, and IC interface unit. Adapter for digital trading card, characterized in that for controlling the controlling unit to control The method of claim 8, The card interface unit is provided with a plurality, And a multiplexer for selecting one of the card interface units and electrically coupling the IC interface unit. Wherein the control unit controls the multiplexer and the plurality of card interface units in response to a control command input from the conversion module. The method of claim 8, A plurality of pairs of card interface unit-IC interface units constituted by a combination of a card interface unit and an IC interface unit, Further comprising a multiplexer for selecting one of the plurality of pairs, Wherein the control unit controls the multiplexer and the plurality of card interface unit-IC interface unit pairs in response to a control command input from the conversion module. The method of claim 1, A card holder provided with the card interface unit to receive a digital trading card; And a card holder sheet having a plurality of card holders installed therein. The method of claim 11, And a display device for displaying whether or not the digital trading card is accommodated in the card holder. The method of claim 11, A plurality of card holder sheets; And a coupling means for binding the plurality of card holder sheets to a portion of the card holder sheet. The method of claim 1, The card interface unit is installed, the digital trading card adapter, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of slots for storing the digital trading card. The method of claim 14, And a display device for displaying whether or not the digital trading card is stored in the slot. The method of claim 6, An adapter for a digital trading card further comprising a power input terminal for introducing power supplied from an image processing apparatus such as a computer into operating power.

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