CN101246561A - Semiconductor memory card - Google Patents

Abstract

A semiconductor memory card is disclosed which achieves augmentation in design property, promotion of understanding and augmentation in identification facility of the type thereof. A memory card housing is entirely or partially transparent or translucent so that a circuit board, a memory chip and so forth in the inside thereof can be visually observed from the outside therethrough. Or, the card housing is partially opaque or is colored at the transparent or translucent portion thereof. Or else, the card housings of different types of memory cards are formed as different ones of transparent, translucent and opaque housings from each other.

Description

Semiconductor memory card

The application on April 24th, 2000 to Patent Office of the People's Republic of China submit to, " semiconductor memory card " by name, application number are 00107005.3 patented claim divides an application.

Technical field

The present invention relates to semiconductor memory card, it adopts nonvolatile memory as storage medium.

Background technology

In recent years, developed the employing nonvolatile memory, for example flash memory is as the compact size memory card of memory element.

For example, use the special-purpose drive unit or the audio/video device or the massaging device of the drive unit of wherein packing into, various information can be write storage card or read from storage card.

In addition, also developed can storing static image storage card, this rest image picks up by the digital static camera that for example has built-in drive unit.In addition can the logger computer data, the storage card of motion image data, music data, voice data etc.

The drive unit that is used in particular for above-mentioned storage card does not need disk sort recording medium or the required labyrinth of tape class recording medium, such as rotation or feed mechanism, head mechanism and servo-drive system, it is also having superiority aspect access capability and the Writing/Reading speed in addition.Therefore drive unit can realize that low cost, low power consumption and miniaturization/thickness reduce, thereby its various devices of can easily packing into.Therefore semiconductor memory card can develop into storage medium of great use.

Simultaneously, in some widely used magnetic disk medias or tape-shaped medium's, be placed in the tape drum such as mini-disk (MD, trade mark), floppy disk, tape or DAT (digital audiotape) such as the medium of disk or tape.

In some tape drums, housing is a partially transparent or translucent, and Li Mian disk or tape can visually be observed like this.

For the tape drum of top type, the user can see inner structure, and the mode of visually observing tape or disk maybe can be appreciated its design.

Yet, for semiconductor memory card, because that it does not have is specific such as the disk that embeds or the dynamically recording medium of tape, so use opaque getting stuck.

Yet opaque getting stuck makes domestic consumer be difficult to be familiar with the structure of semiconductor memory card, particularly different as storage medium of indigestion semiconductor memory card and disk or tape.In addition, opaque getting stuck is difficult for attracting user's interest sometimes in design.

On the other hand,, need to realize copyright protection, such as the illegal copies that prevent data etc. because semiconductor memory card can be realized the record and the reproduction of music or video data.

Therefore, proposed a kind of storage card, wherein having packed into is used for the signal processing circuit of checking (authentication) processing or encryption, can carry out predetermined checking (authentication) like this and handle or encrypt, so that prevent illegal copies.

Yet,, in some cases, do not need copyright protection when memory card applications during in record speech or video data.For example, when memory card applications during, do not need copyright protection in the record spoken utterance of meeting or its user's memorandum record.Correspondingly, under these circumstances, the storage card of the signal processing circuit that preferably using does not pack into is used for copyright protection.

From above-mentioned situation as seen, two types semiconductor memory card can be arranged, a kind of signal processing circuit that in getting stuck, is useful on the copyright protection processing, another kind does not have above-mentioned signal processing circuit in getting stuck.Therefore, present situation is that for example, the record and the transcriber that are used for storage card can load two types semiconductor memory card.

In this case, the user must optionally use storage card according to application target.Yet two types storage card is in order to keep compatible, in shape with size on identical or basic identical, so they are not easy to distinguish, and can not optionally be used well by the user.

Summary of the invention

The purpose of this invention is to provide a kind of semiconductor memory card, the interest that has realized attracting the user and can visually be observed its inner structure to design.

Another object of the present invention provides a kind of semiconductor memory card, and it has increased the identification of user to its type, and wherein two kinds of dissimilar semiconductor memory cards are available.

In order to realize above-mentioned purpose, according to an aspect of the present invention, provide a kind of semiconductor memory card, comprise that one gets stuck; With a circuit board, be installed in described the getting stuck, a nonvolatile memory is housed on it, described getting stuck is transparent or semitransparent wholly or in part.For the consideration of design or function, getting stuck can be that part is opaque.

The transparent or semitransparent part that gets stuck is coloured.

Use this semiconductor memory card, owing to get stuck is transparent or semitransparent wholly or in part, being installed in circuit board in getting stuck, memory chip etc. can visually be observed by getting stuck from the outside of getting stuck, and can advantageously provide to be full of variety in the design and interesting semiconductor memory card.In addition, because the inner structure of semiconductor memory card can visually be observed from the outside of getting stuck, the user can discern this semiconductor memory card and extremely be different from disk or tape, can increase understanding, thereby the user can deeply understand the advantage of storage card, various type of service, disposal etc. to semiconductor memory card.

When getting stuck part when opaque, diversity that can expansion design.

In addition, when the transparent or semitransparent part that gets stuck when being coloured, can further increase visual interest and design diversity, and make things convenient for the selection of placing storage card or storage card according to the order of sequence to use.

According to a further aspect in the invention, provide following semiconductor memory card, wherein a kind of is that first semiconductor memory card comprises and gets stuck and be installed in described signal processing apparatus in getting stuck, and is used to carry out the processing of copyright protection; Another kind is second semiconductor memory card; comprise that one gets stuck; the signal processing apparatus of the processing be used to carry out copyright protection wherein is installed; when described semiconductor memory card is described first and second semiconductor memory cards a kind of; described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card is translucent wholly or in part; and when described semiconductor memory card was described first and second semiconductor memory cards another kind of, described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card was opaque wholly or in part.Perhaps, when described semiconductor memory card is described first and second semiconductor memory cards a kind of, described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card is transparent wholly or in part, and described semiconductor memory card is when being described first and second semiconductor memory cards another kind of, and described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card is translucent wholly or in part.Perhaps, when described semiconductor memory card is described first and second semiconductor memory cards a kind of, described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card is transparent wholly or in part, and when described semiconductor memory card was described first and second semiconductor memory cards another kind of, described the getting stuck of described semiconductor memory card was opaque wholly or in part.

In brief, make and to get stuck differently between transparent, translucent and opaque getting stuck, like this when providing a storage card, can distinguish this storage card and be which of first and second semiconductor memory cards.

Therefore, transparent, translucent or opaque according to getting stuck of storage card when providing a storage card, it is first semiconductor memory card or second semiconductor memory card that user's a glance just can be distinguished this storage card.Therefore, the user can suitably optionally use semiconductor memory card according to the purposes of storage card or the type of record and/or transcriber.

Description of drawings

The following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the drawings, above and other purpose of the present invention, feature and advantage will become clearer, similar part and representing with similar label in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 illustrates top plan view, front elevation, side view and the bottom plan view of the applied storage card of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is the synoptic diagram of inner structure that the storage card of Fig. 1 is shown;

Fig. 3 is the skeleton view of outward appearance that the storage card of Fig. 1 is shown;

Fig. 4 is the skeleton view that the outward appearance of another storage card that the present invention uses is shown;

Fig. 5 is the skeleton view that the outward appearance of another storage card that the present invention uses is shown;

Fig. 6 is the block scheme of register that can use the storage card of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is the block scheme of storage card that possesses Fig. 1 of copyright protection;

Fig. 8 is the block scheme of storage card that does not possess Fig. 1 of copyright protection; With

Fig. 9 is the synoptic diagram of example of the setting of getting stuck that the storage card of Fig. 1 is shown.

Embodiment

To describe according to a preferred embodiment of the invention below.

At first, describe referring to figs. 1 to Fig. 5 and use semiconductor memory card of the present invention and its modification.

Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 show profile and the inner structure of using semiconductor memory card of the present invention (back abbreviates storage card as) 1.Should be noted that the storage card 1 of present embodiment has transparent wholly or in part or opaque getting stuck, for the profile that easy to understand gets stuck, the not shown inner structure that can observe from exterior visual ground in Fig. 1.

For example, as shown in Figure 1, the profile of the storage card 1 that provides is that sheet gets stuck.For example, storage card 1 comprises the semiconductor memory component that is provided at the inner predetermined volumes that gets stuck.In the present embodiment, flash memory is used as semiconductor memory component.

For example, get stuck by the formation of pressing mold plastic material, its top plan view, front view, side view and bottom plan view are as shown in Figure 1.As a specific examples of the size that gets stuck, shown in Figure 1 three limit W11, W12 and W13 are W11=60mm, W12=20mm, W13=2.8mm.

Form the end 2 for example have 10 electrodes on the part of housing, this part extends to bottom surface one side from the bottom of front surface, can carry out memory element from housing by end 2 like this and read and write memory element in the housing.

The upper left corner part of recess 3 in the plane of housing forms.It is for for example when storage card 1 is loaded in the loader mechanism of drive unit side that recess 3 is provided, and prevents that storage card 1 from inserting from the direction of mistake.

Label attachment surface 4 is formed on the housing, and it extends to the bottom surface from end face like this, can be bonded on the label attachment surface 4 thereby writing the label that is stored in the content in the storage card 1 on it.

In addition, a slide switch 5 is arranged on the bottom surface of housing, be used to prevent that the mistake of the recorded content of storage card 1 from wiping.

In above-mentioned storage card 1, the capacity of flash memory is defined as one of 4MB (megabyte), 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB.

In addition, FAT (file allocation table) system is used as the file system of data recording/reproducing.

Writing rate is defined as per second 1500K byte to per second 330K byte, and read rate is defined as per second 2.45M byte.In addition, r/w cell is 512 bytes.Erase block sizes is 8KB or 16KB.

In addition, power source voltage Vcc is defined as 2.7 to 3.6V, and serial clock SCLK is defined as maximum 20MHz.

Fig. 2 shows the electrode structure of end 2 and the internal circuit configuration of storage card 1.With reference to figure 2, the structure of end 2 is, it comprises that 10 plane electrode T1 to T10, are arranged in a row, and this also can be as can be seen from Figure 1.Electrode T1 is as follows to T10.

Terminal T1 and T10 detect voltage Vss terminal (ground wire GND).

Terminal T2 is the input end of serial protocol bus state signal BS.

Terminal T3 and T9 are the power Vcc terminals.

Terminal T4 is a data terminal, i.e. the I/O end of serial protocol data-signal.

Terminal T5 and T7 are retained.

Terminal T6 is the test side, is used for the detection of the loading of storage card by drive unit.

Terminal T8 is the input end of serial clock SCLK.

Control IC (integrated circuit) 10, flash memory 11, quartz (controlled) oscillator 12 and switch 5a are contained in the storage card 1.

Control IC10 carries out the operation that writes flash memory 11 and read from flash memory 11.

As can be seen from Figure 2, be provided for control IC10 from the serial protocol bus state signal BS of terminal T2 with from the serial clock SCLK of terminal T8.When write operation, IC10 is according to serial protocol bus state signal BS and serial clock SCLK in control, and execution will write flash memory 11 from the data that terminal T4 offers it.When read operation, control IC10 from flash memory 11 sense datas, and outputs the data to unshowned drive unit side by terminal T4 according to serial protocol bus state signal BS and serial clock SCLK.

Detect voltage Vss and be provided for detection terminal T6, the drive unit side is by visible resistance R detection is in the terminal voltage of detection terminal T6 among Fig. 2, and whether storage card 1 is connected to loading station (description of connector back) to detect.

Switch 5a is operated to open or close by slide switch 5.Control IC10 sets and writes enable/disable in response to the opening or closing state of switch 5a.

Control IC10 obtains required internal clocking from the output of quartz (controlled) oscillator 12.

Here the exact shape of the storage card 1 of the present embodiment of describing with reference to Fig. 1 and 2 illustrates with skeleton view in Fig. 3.

From Fig. 2 as seen, getting stuck of storage card 1 formed by transparent resin fully.For example, get stuck and form transparent by ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer resin), styrene or polycarbonate.

Therefore, can see through the visually observation of getting stuck from the outside such as above-mentioned inner structure.

Particularly, circuit board 13 can see through the visually observation of getting stuck from the top surface side of storage card 1 with the control IC10, flash memory 11 and the quartz (controlled) oscillator 12 that are placed on the circuit board 13.In addition, although not shown, the position of the printed circuit pattern on circuit board 13 (pattern), slide switch 5 etc. can see through from the bottom surface side of storage card 1 to get stuck and visually observe.

Owing to get stuck is transparent, and the user can visually observe the inner structure of storage card 1 in this mode, so storage card 1 is interesting in design, makes the user feel interesting.

In addition, the user can know that semiconductor memory (flash memory 11) etc. is loaded in the storage card 1, can know at a glance that semiconductor memory is the medium that is different from fully such as disk or tape.In addition, owing to expanded user's understanding, the advantage of storage card, various forms of uses etc. can extensively be seen clearly.

Should be noted that and can make various modification to above-mentioned storage card, such modification is described below.

At first, getting stuck of the storage card 1 of Fig. 3 is fully transparent, and it is transparent also can making a part that gets stuck, and remainder is opaque.

For example, in another storage card 1 shown in Figure 4, the label attachment surface 4 that only gets stuck is transparent, and the remainder that gets stuck is opaque.

When using described getting stuck, can obtain the user increases such as the effect of the interest of design etc. and the user understanding to inner structure.For example, the user that can visually observe the design of disliking getting stuck because of inner structure can add a label on getting stuck, and this is got stuck be more suitable for this user.

Fig. 5 illustrates another storage card 1, and wherein only label attachment surface 4 is opaque, and the remainder that gets stuck is transparent, and is opposite with the storage card of describing with reference to figure 41.

In storage card shown in Figure 51, no matter whether a label is added to label attachment surface 4, the transparent part that gets stuck remains unchanged.Therefore, the design effect that is provided by transparent shell can remain unchanged.

Certainly, when storage card 1 has transparent part and opaque section, also can select the position of transparent part with other variety of way.

For example, also can only make top surface side transparent, only make bottom surface side transparent, or only make a side transparent.

In addition, although in the description of the storage card of superincumbent embodiment and its modification, it is fully transparent or partially transparent getting stuck, and above-described transparent part also can be translucent.

In addition, it is colourless and transparent or colourless and translucent that these parts need not to be, and also can be coloured and transparent or coloured and translucent.

For example, when above-described part is to be made into transparently and have shades of colour, during such as red or blue (being commonly referred to the skeleton look), Transparent color or edematus, the interest of design can significantly increase.

In addition, when the storage card 1 of various skeleton looks was provided, the user can buy a kind of storage card 1 according to its preference, perhaps bought another kind of not homochromy storage card 1 in addition, be used for different application targets respectively or, optionally use storage card 1 with different styles.In this case, the user can easily place storage card in order.

Especially, in recent years, storage card 1 is suitable for being applied to multimedia system, may be used to store various types of information, such as music, video and data file etc.Correspondingly, concerning the user, according to different colors, optionally using or place storage card in order is very easily.

Naturally, manufacturer can provide the storage card of different color for different application targets.

It also is possible that a storage card is used several colors.For example, storage card 1 can be that getting stuck is iris, but allows the visible observation of the inside of storage card 1.

In addition, although as mentioned above, can provide transparent part, translucent portion, coloured and transparent part and coloured and translucent portion, also can form a storage card 1, these parts are admixtures.

For example, also can form one and get stuck, the title of IC chip wherein can indicate thereon, so that improve the understanding of user to inner structure.For example, flash memory 11 just above the part of roof of housing on the indication of " 8M byte flash memory " is provided, storage chip can be in sight below this indication like this, and this has helped the understanding of user to the performance of inner structure or storage card 1.

In addition, semiconductor memory card of the present invention not only can be employed the storage card that work has the shape of above-mentioned storage card 1, also can be as the semiconductor memory card of Any shape, for example storage card of business card size.

Naturally, the inner structure of semiconductor memory card, storage capacity, application target, the data content that will store etc. not only can be applied to above-mentioned particular memory card, also can be applied to any other storage card.

Below, another semiconductor memory card that the present invention uses is described and to its modification with reference to figure 6 to Fig. 9.

The storage card of present embodiment has the inner structure that is similar to referring to figs. 1 to 5 storage cards of describing 1 basically.Yet; because two types storage card is arranged; comprising packs into is used for the storage card of signal processing circuit of copyright protection and the storage card of this signal processing circuit of not packing into; in order to make the user easily distinguish two types storage card, form the housing of the storage card of present embodiment according to the type of storage card.Specifically, card type memory is by whether this housing is transparent, translucent or opaque indicating.

Here, the structure of the record of the storage card that is used for present embodiment and the structure of transcriber, two types of storage cards and the record and the reproduction operation of storage card are described successively.

Fig. 6 shows the structure (hereinafter referred to as register 101) of record and transcriber, and wherein the storage card of present embodiment is used as the storage card 40 of recording medium and present embodiment.

With reference to figure 6, the operation that register 101 carries out in storage card 40 recording digital audio signal etc. and therefrom reproduces.This storage card 40 has built-in flash memory.But should point out, also can carry out moving-picture data, the recoding/reproduction of nonnumeric voice datas such as still image data based on the record and the playback system of register 101 and storage card 40.

In Fig. 6, the structure of register 101 and storage card 40 is illustrated by the square frame of dotted line indication respectively.Storage card 40 is removably packed in the register 101.Should notice that storage card 40 is the storage cards of the signal processing circuit (safe block 52) that is used for copyright protection of wherein having packed into, the storage card back of other the signal processing circuit that is used for copyright protection of wherein not packing into is called as storage card 40 '.

Register 101 comprises CPU102 and safe block 103, operation part 104 and display device 105, is connected to CPU102 by bus.

Safe block 103 comprises the encrypted circuit of DES (data encryption standards) system and is used to verify the circuit of processing.

Operation part 104 comprises about the various keys of record and reproduction, button, dial (jog dial) etc., so that allow the user to carry out various operations.

Be provided for CPU102 in response to user's the operation information that operation produced through bus by operation part 104 such as recording instruction and reproduction instruction.

Display device 105 is for example formed by LCD panel, under the control of CPU102, shows the mode of operation of various information, register 101 etc. on it.

Register 101 also comprises audio interface 106, encoder/decoder 107, A/D converter 109 and D/A converter 112.

Audio interface 106 is carried out the interface of the voice data between the encoder/decoder 107 of externally I/O and register 101 inside and is handled.

The decoding of encoder/decoder 107 combine digital sound signal high efficient codings and high efficient coding signal.

For high efficient coding, can adopt improving one's methods of ATRAC (adaptive transformation sound sign indicating number, the Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding) that adopt in the mini-disk system.This is improved one's methods and hereinafter is called ATRAC3.In ATRAC3, processed with the voice data of each 16 bit of sampling of 44.1kHz sampling.Minimum data unit when voice data is handled by ATRAC3 be unit (SU, soundunit).SU is the data by the hundreds of that data an obtained byte of 1024 samplings of compression (1024 * 16 bits * 2 channels), in time corresponding to about 2.3 milliseconds.By ATRAC3, voice data is compressed to 1/10 on data volume.Yet this compression/decompression processes is little to the sound quality influence.

If offered A/D converter 109 from terminal 108 as simulated audio signal such as the reproduction output of the output of the output of the external audio output unit of the reproduction of CD player or MD (mini-disk) player output, tuner or tape player, by A/D converter 109, it is converted into digital audio and video signals, and this digital audio and video signals is provided for audio interface 106.

On the other hand, if for example the digital audio and video signals as the reproduction data of the reproduction output of external audio output unit, digital broadcasting, the voice data issued on network is offered register 101 similarly, then this digital audio and video signals is offered audio interface 106 from terminal 110.This digital audio and video signals is sent to register 101 from external device (ED) on optical cable for example.

The sound signal of 106 pairs of inputs of audio interface is carried out in above-mentioned mode and is selected to handle, and selected sound signal is offered encoder/decoder 107.

107 pairs of encoder/decoders offer its digital audio and video signals and carry out aforesaid high efficient coding processing, and the coded data that gained is provided is to safe block 103.

103 pairs of safe block offer its coded data and encrypt.

It is copyright (being digital audio and video signals here) in order to protect content that safe block 103 and the safe block in storage card 40 52 (back description) are provided, just the storage key that the safe block 103 of register 101 has a plurality of master keys and each device to have.Therefore safe block 103 can use these keys to carry out encryption and decryption.

In addition, safe block 103 has a random number generation circuit, is used to produce session key (sessionkey).If wherein there is the storage card 40 of safe block 52 to be loaded into register 101, then safe block 103 is carried out checking, confirms that the storage card 40 of whether being packed into is genuine.If safe block 103 successes in checking, then it can share session key with safe block 52.

Safe block 103 and 52 all has the independent function that predetermined authentication is handled of carrying out.

Storage card 40 comprises flash memory 42 (nonvolatile memory) and safe block 52, and safe block 52 comprises des encryption circuit, communication interface, register etc., forms an IC on a chip, and the details of above content is described in the back.

Storage card 40 is by the register 101 of detachably packing into.Should notice that the register 101 in native system allows to use the storage card that does not have encryption function, promptly not have the storage card 40 ' of safe block, its back is described.

The high efficient coding that has been transfused to and has passed through encoder/decoder 107 is handled and the voice data of the encryption of safe block 103 is provided for CPU102.

CPU102 communicates by letter by memory interface 111 with the storage card 40 of the loader mechanism (not shown) of packing into.Should note between CPU102 and storage card 40, carrying out serial communication by memory interface 111.

For the voice data that has been performed encryption processing by safe block 103, CPU102 offers storage card 40 with it by memory interface 111, and this voice data just is written into flash memory 42 like this.

The sound signal of being imported is recorded into storage card 40 according to above-mentioned path.

In order to be reproduced in the voice data of record in the storage card 40, CPU102 control flash memory 42 transmits this voice data to read voice data, and takes out the data of being transmitted by memory interface 111.Then, CPU102 is with the voice data of reading, and promptly the voice data of Jia Miing offers safe block 103, and safe block 103 is just carried out the decoding as deciphering like this.In addition, CPU102 controlled encoder/demoder 107 is to carry out the decoding processing of handling corresponding to the compression of institute's decrypted audio data.

By the decoding processing of encoder/decoder 107, obtained sound signal with the form of each 16 Bit data of sampling of 44.1kHz sampling.This sound signal is provided for D/A converter 112 by audio interface 106, and by D/A converter 112, it is converted into simulated audio signal.This simulated audio signal is output to external device (ED) from terminal 113.

Perhaps, from the voice data of encoder/decoder 107 be used as numerical data from the data of the decoding of safe block 103 and output to external device (ED) from terminal 114 and 115 by audio interface 106 respectively.

Should note, among the embodiment in front, in the encryption in storage card 40 time and be to be carried out by the safe block 103 of register 101 sides in the deciphering when storage card 40 reproduces with audio data recording, but they also can be carried out by the safe block in the storage card 1 52.

Additionally, the encryption during record can be carried out by safe block 103, and the deciphering when reproducing is carried out by safe block 52, and perhaps, on the contrary, the encryption during record can be carried out by safe block 52, and the deciphering when reproducing is carried out by safe block 103.

In addition, the encryption during record can be by safe block 103 and safe block 52 dual execution, and the deciphering when reproducing is carried out by safe block 103 and safe block 52.

Safe block 103 and 52 has similar encryption function each other, and setting, the communication shared of the key that the method for encryption and decryption so arbitrarily can be by encryption and decryption wait and realizes.

In addition, safe block 103 and 52 also has authentication function except the function of encryption and decryption.Therefore, when storage card 40 is loaded into register 101, carry out the communication of verification msg between safe block 103 and safe block 52, safe block 103 and safe block 52 all distinguish whether verify and pass through based on the result of data communication.In this example, the disposal route that can realize such as, if the then register 101 recoding/reproduction operation that is under an embargo and carries out storage card 40 is not passed through in checking.

In a kind of detailed method that checking is handled, some first verification data that register 101 sides will remain in the safe block 103 sends to storage card 40 sides.The safe block 52 of storage card 40 produces the second corresponding verification msg according to being the predetermined a kind of method of receiving from register 101 side joints of first verification data, second verification msg is added on the first verification data, and sends the gained data to register 101 sides.

In register 101 sides, receive rightly second verification msg by whether checking corresponding to first verification data from storage card 40, CPU102 can distinguish whether verify and pass through.

It is for copyright protection that above-mentioned authentication function and encryption and decryption function is provided.

Fig. 7 shows the mechanism of storage card 40.

With reference to figure 7, shown storage card 40 comprises controll block 41 and flash memory 42, forms single-chip IC.

Specifically, storage card 40 is substantially similar to the storage card of describing with reference to figure 21, and Fig. 7 shows the mechanism of the storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection.

Being connected to terminal T1 at the CPU102 of register 101 and the bi-directional serial interface between the storage card 40 (memory interface 111) by 10 forms to the signal wire of T10.

These signal wires are exactly those that describe with reference to figure 2.

In addition, controll block 41 and flash memory 42 in storage card 40, are provided.Controll block 41 and flash memory 42 correspond respectively to control IC10 and the flash memory 11 of Fig. 2.

The conversion of the serial of controll block 41, parallel/serial conversion and interface block (below abbreviate S/P, P/S and IF piece as) the 43rd, the memory interface 111 of register 101 and the interface between the controll block 41.

S/P, P/S and IF piece 43 are carried out and are handled, to be converted to parallel data from the serial data that register 101 receives, and this parallel data taken out enter into controll block 41, will be converted to serial data from the parallel data of controll block 41, this serial data is delivered to register 101.

In addition, receive through data line DIO when S/P, P/S and IF piece 43 and to send to its order and during data, S/P, P/S and IF piece 43 will be ordered and data qualification is to the order and the data of the generic access of flash memory 42, perhaps need the order or the data of encrypting.

Specifically, in the signal format that sends through data line DIO, at first send an order, send data then.Therefore, S/P, P/S and IF piece 43 are checked the code of order, distinguish that this order and data are necessary order of generic access and data, the still order that need encrypt or data.

According to the result who distinguishes, necessary order is stored in the command register 44 to generic access, and data are stored in page buffer 45 and write in the register 46.

With write register 46 and interrelate error correcting code circuitry 47 is provided.Error correcting code circuitry 47 is for temporarily being stored in the redundant code of the data generation error correcting code in the page buffer 45.

Command register 44, page buffer 45, the output of writing register 46 and error correcting code circuitry 47 are provided for flash memory interface and sequencer (hereinafter referred is memory I and sequencer) 51.

Memory I and sequencer 51 are the interfaces between controll block 41 and the flash memory 42, control the communication of the data between them.Be written into flash memory 42 by memory I and sequencer 51 data.

When sense data, the data from flash memory 42 is read by memory I and sequencer 51, are provided for page buffer 45, read register 48 and error correction circuit 49.

Be stored in the error correction of the data process error correction circuit 49 in the page buffer 45.The output of the page buffer 45 after this error correction and the output of read register 48 are provided for S/P, P/S and IF piece 43, are provided for the CPU102 of register 101 then by above-mentioned serial line interface.

Should be noted that configuration ROM 50 is parts, has wherein stored the version information of storage card 40, various attribute informations etc.

In addition, storage card 40 comprises a switch 60, is used to prevent wrong wiping, and it can be operated by the user where necessary.When switch 60 is in connection status, when being used to forbid wiping,, also forbid wiping of flash memory 42 even received the instruction of wiping the data flash memory 42 from register 101 side joints.

Oscillator 61 is parts, is used to produce a clock, is used as the moment benchmark of the processing of storage card 40.

As mentioned above; purpose for copyright protection; carry out the encryption of the content (voice data according to the ATRAC3 compression is called the ATRAC3 data below) that will write flash memory 42 and verify processing by the safe block 103 of register 101 and the safe block 52 of storage card 40.

Safe block 52 comprises buffer memory 53, des encryption circuit 54, nonvolatile memory 55 etc.

Safe block 52 has a plurality of authentication secrets and an exclusive storage key of each storage card.

The key that nonvolatile memory 55 storage encryptions are necessary, and can not be from external reference (reading).For example, a storage key is stored in the nonvolatile memory 55.

In addition, storage card 40 comprises a random number generation circuit, can correctly verify special-purpose register 101 (this has indicated register 101 and has belonged to the system that wherein uses tentation data form or similar form usually), can share a session key.

Be used to encrypt the content key session key of ATRAC3 data, communication between register 101 and storage card 40.

Be similar to the safe block 52 of storage card 40, the safe block 103 of register 101 also has the storage key of a pair of this machine-specific.For example, when encrypted content will be mobile, use storage key, add content key once more.

The storage card 40 ' that Fig. 8 shows does not have encryption function (that is, being not used in the safety of copyright).Should be noted that, be similar to those parts with reference to figure 7 previously described storage cards 40, represent with identical label, its detailed description is omitted.

Shown storage card 40 ' also is substantially similar to the storage card of describing with reference to figure 21.Fig. 8 shows the structure of the storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection especially.

If storage card 40 ' shown in Figure 8 is compared with the storage card of describing with reference to figure 7 40, except it did not comprise the safe block 52 that is connected to S/P, P/S and IF piece 43, it was identical with storage card 40.

In addition, although not shown, storage card 40 and storage card 40 ' are on shape and size also identical (that is, having shape shown in Figure 1 and size).

Therefore register 101 shown in Figure 7 is used for copyright protection, carries out communicating by letter of the key of verifying, be used for encryption with storage card mutually etc.

Be loaded into register 101 if be not used in the storage card 40 ' of copyright protection, then register 101 distinguishes that storage card 40 ' can not be with (storage card 40 ' need can not to be used to the record of the data of copyright protection at least).

There is several method to be used to distinguish the type of storage card.

In one of available several method, check responsive state to checking.

When storage card was loaded into, register 101 (CPU102) sent first verification data and verifies so that carry out to storage card.If storage card 40 ' is loaded into, then because it does not comprise safe block 52, register 101 can not receive normal response (the second above-mentioned verification msg) from storage card 40 '.

Correspondingly, if also do not receive normal response even crossed certain hour after the transmission of first verification data, CPU102 can distinguish that this storage card of packing into is not used in copyright protection.

In another approach, represent that identifying information that storage card whether is used for safeguard protection is recorded in a zone (root zone) of storage card.

Specifically; when packing storage card into; CPU102 will at first read in the identifying information that whether this storage card in the data in root zone of register 101 is used for safeguard protection and read, and based on this identifying information, register 101 can be distinguished the storage card type of (40 or 40 ').

In addition, except register shown in Figure 6 101, other device (register) that also has use to be not used in the storage card 40 ' of safeguard protection also is available.

For example, can use storage card 40 ' such as the device of digital handheld film machine (digital handy movie), this device has the image recording that will be picked up by ccd video camera reproduces this image that picks up from storage card to the storage card neutralization function.This digital handheld film machine etc. can not use the storage card 40 that is used for safeguard protection usually.

In addition, designed the IC register that replaces magnetic tape recorder, it is carried out SoundRec in above-mentioned storage card, thereby uses storage card 40 ', because for the conference content by the IC recorder trace, needn't consider copyright usually.

In brief, constructed a kind of device, its recorded content is and the irrelevant voice data of copyright, thereby uses storage card 40 '.

Thereby the register of the device of type has the structure of Fig. 1 as described, from wherein having removed safe block 103.

Should be noted that register when described type is used to recording audio data when waiting until storage card 40 ', although do not perform encryption processing, carries out compression and handles.

Compression method in this example can be the ATRAC3 that is similar to the situation of above-mentioned register 101, or such as some other compression methods of ATRAC or ADPCM.

In brief, carried out that ATRAC3 compression is handled and the data of encryption are recorded to storage card 40, and carried out the compression processing but the data that do not perform encryption processing are recorded to storage card 40 ' according to ATRAC3 or other method.

On the other hand; even register is configured to recording audio data similarly; when it is the register (portable terminal) that is used for music; the digital audio and video signals of its compression from exporting such as the digital audio device of CD player; with institute's compression digital audio frequency signal record to storage card; because it realizes copyright protection, it is configured to use storage card 40, carries out checking and encryption.

In this mode, by about whether being necessary the situation of copyright protection, the register 101 in native system is configured to use storage card 40.Yet, because storage card 40 and storage card 40 ' be identical profile and size as mentioned above and can not be easily distinguished each other, the situation that storage card 40 ' is inserted into register 101 may often take place.

Therefore, in native system, storage card 40 and storage card 40 ' are configured to a glance and just can be distinguished each other.

Specifically, in storage card 40 and storage card 40 ', it gets stuck and is formed one of transparent, translucent and opaque housing that differs from one another, thereby makes the user can distinguish them each other.

Being used for the storage card 40 of copyright protection and the various examples of the setting of getting stuck of the storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection illustrates together at Fig. 9.

In example shown in Figure 91, the getting stuck of storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection is formed partially or completely transparent getting stuck, shown in Fig. 1 to 3.On the other hand, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely opaque getting stuck.

Therefore, if it is transparent wholly or in part to get stuck, then the user can distinguish that this storage card is a storage card 40, if but get stuck opaquely, then the user can distinguish that this storage card is a storage card 40 '.

Same other example 2 to 6 makes user's a glance just can distinguish the type of card similarly.

In example 2, the getting stuck of storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection is formed partially or completely opaque getting stuck.Simultaneously, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely transparent getting stuck.

In example 3, be used for copyright protection storage card 40 get stuck that to be formed partially or completely be translucent getting stuck.Simultaneously, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely transparent getting stuck.

In example 4, the getting stuck of storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection is formed partially or completely transparent getting stuck.Simultaneously, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely translucent getting stuck.

In example 5, the getting stuck of storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection is formed partially or completely translucent getting stuck.Simultaneously, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely opaque getting stuck.

In example 6, the getting stuck of storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection is formed partially or completely opaque getting stuck.Simultaneously, the getting stuck of storage card 40 ' that is not used in copyright protection is formed partially or completely translucent getting stuck.

Adopting any one of example 1 to 6, user can have a look at storage card, just to discern this storage card be the storage card 40 that is used for copyright protection, still is not used in the storage card 40 ' of copyright protection.Correspondingly, the user can select storage card suitably according to the type of application scenario or register.

Although should be noted that in above-mentioned system, getting stuck is formed differ from one another one of transparent, translucent and opaque, thereby can distinguish storage card 40 and storage card 40 ', and various modification also are fine.

For example, different colors is used for different getting stuck, and in conjunction with transparent, opaque and translucent setting, can more easily discern them.

In addition, two types the semiconductor memory card of describing in conjunction with the embodiments also not necessarily has described given shape above, and semiconductor memory card of the present invention can be applied to any semiconductor memory card such as the storage card of business card size.

Certainly, content of inner structure, memory capacity, application target, the data that will store etc. be not limited to described these, can be applied to any storage card.

In addition, described the identification between two types storage card above, the present invention can certainly be applied to three kinds or more eurypalynous with the situation of shape with the storage card of size.

Should be noted that the present invention's can be applied to naturally wherein having packed into various storage cards of flash memory, such as SD card (SD card, trade mark), multimedia card (multi-media card, trade mark) or how clever media card (smart media, trade mark).

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention of having used concrete term description, this description is exemplary, should be appreciated that can to change and change under the situation of the spirit and scope of claim below not breaking away from.

Claims (1)

1. semiconductor memory card, as the kind that gets stuck, stipulated to comprise following in a plurality of kinds of at least two kinds:

At least a portion of shell is translucent translucent shell;

At least a portion of shell is transparent hyaline test; And

The all opaque opaque shell of shell,

And; described semiconductor memory card comprises Signal Processing Element; be used for described a plurality of kinds at least a in regulation and be defined as under the situation that other at least a in corresponding copyright and the described a plurality of kind be defined as corresponding copyright not, in a kind of getting stuck, be used to protect the processing of copyright as the described corresponding literary property of main body.

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