Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K19/00—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings
  • G06K19/04—Record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings characterised by the shape
  • G06K19/041—Constructional details
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06K—GRAPHICAL DATA READING; PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS
  • G06K7/00—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns
  • G06K7/0013—Methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns by galvanic contacts, e.g. card connectors for ISO-7816 compliant smart cards or memory cards, e.g. SD card readers

Definitions

• Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to removable electronic devices, and more particularly to electronic devices that can be connected and secured to a host device by permanent magnets embedded in at least one of the electronic device and the host device.
• Removable electronic devices such as for example smart cards, flash memory devices, USB sticks and various types of transceivers, can typically be connected to host devices over physical interfaces in the form of contacts. Examples include smart card contact pads, Universal Serial Bus (USB) standard, mini and micro connectors, Compact Flash (CF) connectors, slot based connectors for cards such as Secure Digital (SD) and others.
• Other alternatives include contactless (wireless) connections over infrared (IR), for example as specified by the Infrared Data Association (IRdA), radio based connection such as
• NFC Network Communication
• RFID Radio-frequency identification
• a fourth purpose is to serve as a physical device for identification or authorization of a user.
• the first group includes flash memory cards and flash drives that can easily be inserted and removed from the host device.
• Such devices are often sturdy and suffers no damage when carried e.g. in a user's pocket, but since they will typically be removed from a host device as soon as data has been transferred they often protrude from the host device and are subject to breaking if left in place when the host device is transported. Since the data they carry is typically deleted from the device or replaced with new data after having been transferred to the new host device, the shape of these devices does not provide for markings or designs representative of the data they contain.
• the second purpose is often covered by a group of devices that provide functionality like infrared or radio interfaces for data transfer or for connecting the host device to a peripheral device such as a mouse, a keyboard or a printer.
• a peripheral device such as a mouse, a keyboard or a printer.
• the removable device may e.g. have the same form factor as a USB Flash Drive, while if the device is smaller, such as a smart phone or a PDA, the device may have the same form factor as for example an SD card or one of the a Memory Stick formats.
• These devices are therefore either easily inserted and removed but unfit for transportation in the host device, or they are relatively difficult to insert and remove but can be left mounted in the host device when the latter is transported. In either case the devices are typically not designed for carrying markings or other visual representations of what they contain or what their functionality is.
• a third group of removable devices provide host devices with additional memory during operation. They are not primarily intended to be removed from the host device in order to transport data to another device, and are therefore not designed to be carried e.g. in a user's pocket. Instead they can be left mounted in the host device when the latter is moved. They are typically small and are not designed to carry visual information regarding their contents. Typical examples include SD cards, Memory Stick, Compact Flash, and varieties of these.
• Removable devices used to identify or authorize a user often include a processor, or chip, and memory, and an interface either in the form of contacts or wireless, for example NFC.
• Typical examples include Smart Cards used as credit cards, ATM cards, identity cards providing access to buildings or other secured premises etc.
• These devices often provide visual information regarding their purpose, for example the name of the owner, a credit card number, the logo of a bank or credit card company etc. They are designed to be carried, but not to be attached to a host device for any period of time. Exceptions exist, for example Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards used in mobile telephones.
• SIM Subscriber Identity Module
• a removable electronic device with a first electronic circuit, a communication interface connected to the first electronic circuit and configured to communicate with a host device, at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element configured to be magnetically coupled to at least one corresponding magnetic, ferromagnetic or electromagnetic element in said host device, and a casing substantially enclosing said first electronic circuit, said communication interface and said at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element.
• the first electronic circuit is a memory chip.
• the memory chip may be a flash drive.
• the electronic circuit is a smart card chip.
• the communication interface includes contact pads at least partly not covered by said casing. The parts of the contact pads not covered by the casing may then be brought into physical contact with corresponding connectors on a host device.
• the communication interface is a wireless or contactless interface chosen from the group consisting of RF induction, infrared, and radio.
• the casing of the removable electronic device is, in some embodiments of the invention, manufactured from at least three layers of plastic, at least the middle layer including a hole or recess for accommodating said magnetic or ferromagnetic element and said electronic circuit.
• the circuit can then be sandwiched between the upper and lower layer and held in place inside the hole or recess of the middle layer.
• the plastic is PVC.
• the casing of the removable electronic device is manufactured from at least two layers of injection molded plastic, at least one of which includes one or more recessed areas for accommodating said magnetic and said electronic circuit.
• the plastic is ABS.
• the at least one magnetic or ferromagnetic element is manufactured from a material chosen from the group consisting of: iron, tin plated iron, steel, tin plated steel, and a rare-earth magnetic alloy.
• an electronic host device configured to accommodate and communicate with a removable electronic device.
• the host device can include a communication interface configured to communicate with an electronic circuit in a removable electronic device, at least one magnetic, electromagnetic or ferromagnetic element configured to be magnetically coupled to at least one corresponding magnetic or ferromagnetic element in said removable electronic device, and an outer surface area configured to accommodate the removable electronic device when said removable electronic device is magnetically coupled to said host device.
• the communication interface is a contact area including contact pins configured to be brought in contact with corresponding contact pads on said removable electronic device.
• the communication interface is a wireless or contactless interface chosen from the group consisting of RF induction, infrared, and radio.
• the at least one magnetic, electromagnetic or ferromagnetic element is enclosed by or embedded in the casing of said electronic host device, or constitutes a structural part of said casing, and is manufactured from a material chosen from the group consisting of: iron, tin plated iron, steel, tin plated steel, an iron or ferrite core wound with a copper conductor, and a rare-earth magnetic alloy.
• the material and configuration of the at least one magnetic element should be chosen to correspond with the material and configuration chosen for the removable device such that the necessary magnetic coupling can be achieved.
• an electronic host device can be configured with a recessed area (a cavity, groove, indentation, depression or the like) with substantially the same shape as at least a part of said removable device and configured to enclose said removable device sufficiently to protect it from accidentally being dislocated while it is magnetically coupled to said electronic host device.
• this recessed area may include a part which constitutes an additionally recessed area with an edge configured to allow the removable electronic device to turn such that when pressed down in one corner an opposite corner is raised out of said enclosure to facilitate removal of said removable electronic device.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a removable device and a host device in accordance with the invention
• FIG. 2 illustrates a removable device and a host device in further detail
• FIG. 3 illustrates a first embodiment of a removable device according to the invention
• FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating a method of manufacturing a removable device according to the invention
• FIG. 5 illustrates a second embodiment of a removable device according to the invention.
• FIG. 1 illustrates a removable electronic device 101 and a host device 102 in the form of a media player.
• the electronic device is generally shaped like a credit card, but with one corner 103 cut.
• the host device 102 has a recessed area 104 with a similar shape, i.e. with a corresponding corner 105 having the same shape as the cut 103.
• the resulting asymmetrical shape of the removable device 101 and the corresponding recessed area 104 ensures that the removable device 101 can only be positioned one way.
• the same result can, of course, be obtained in several ways, for example through other asymmetrical shapes, or by making holes, grooves or slots in the removable device 102 and corresponding pegs or ridges protruding from the recessed area 104.
• the removable device 101 and the recessed area can also be made symmetrical, allowing the removable device 101 to be entered in several directions. This may necessitate greater care from the user, but makes it possible to manufacture removable devices 101 including several memory or data chips, as will be described in further detail below.
• the removable device 101 typically includes a data or memory chip 106.
• the chip 106 may communicate with the host device 102 over a physical interface 107 with a number of connectors that make contact with pads that are part of the chip 106 in the removable device 101. Examples of standards compatible with embodiments of the invention include those described in ISO/IEC 7816, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. In other embodiments the interface is wireless or contactless, for example RFID or NFC.
• the host device may include internal circuitry not illustrated in FIG. 1, but which typically may include one or more processors, volatile as well as persistent memory, signal processing components and display units and some form of power supply, for example rechargeable batteries. User interface controls 108 may also be included. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG.
• buttons for controlling playback of media files such as 'play', 'rewind', 'pause', 'fast forward' and 'volume'.
• connectors 109 for connecting the host device to a computer or to playback devices such as a display, loudspeakers, headphones etc.
• Possible connectors include USB, mini and micro USB, or a variety of TS/TRS/TRRS connector (tip, ring, sleeve) commonly known as jack plug, audio jack, or headphone jack.
• the removable device 101 is provided with a metal layer 111 sandwiched between an upper plastic layer 112 and a lower plastic layer 113.
• the host device 102 is provided with one or more magnets 110. In the example illustrated in FIG. 2, four magnets 110 are provided and arranged in a rectangle surrounding the physical interface 107.
• the electronic chip 106 can be provided in a hole in the metal layer 111, and a corresponding hole in the lower plastic layer 113 allows the connector pads of the circuit chip 106 to make contact with the connectors of the physical interface 107.
• the permanent magnets 110 mounted in the host device 102 can vary in size, type, number and positioning depending on design criteria in particular applications.
• the four magnets may for example be of neodyum (NdFeB, or NIB), a rare-earth magnet made from an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron.
• NIB neodyum
• Such magnets are provided by Magtech Magnetic Products Corp. of Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
• four magnets of a type with product code ND-40 have been found suitable.
• the magnets can be disc shaped with a diameter of 10 mm and a thickness of l mm.
• the discs can be glued to the casing of the host device 102. Alternatively they can be embedded in plastic parts of the casing, inserted in slots or recesses, mounted using screws or fasteners, etc.
• the magnets 110 may instead be electromagnets made from copper wire wound around cores of iron or ferrite and powered when the device is turned on or connected to a suitable power source.
• the host device only includes magnets that are attached to, embedded in or an integral part of the casing, made from magnetic material such as an iron alloy, and instead the removable device can be fitted with permanent magnets.
• the invention is not limited to any particular configuration in this respect as long as at least one of the host device 102 and the removable device 101 includes at least one permanent magnet or electromagnet.
• the casing of the host device 102 can be manufactured in any manner and using any material known in the art and suitable for a particular application according to design criteria.
• the casing is made from Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) using mold injection.
• ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
• casings made from other plastics as well as metal casings are consistent with the principles of the invention.
• the removable device 101 Since, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the removable device 101 is not physically restrained in the recessed area 104, it can in principle be removed from the host device 102 by pulling it directly away from the host device 102. This can be facilitated by making a notch (not shown) in either the removable device 101 or in the edge of the host device 102 along the edge of the recessed area 104, thus allowing a user to insert for example a nail under the removable device 101 and pulling it out from the host device 102. However, it may be desirable to make the edges of the devices as smooth as possible. In some embodiments, the recessed area 104 may therefore be provided with an additional, deeper, recess 114.
• a user may then simply press on the removable device 101 over the additional recess 114 and the removable device 101 will pivot along the edge of the additional recess 114 such that the opposite corner or edge of the removable device 101 will be raised away from the host device 102.
• a top layer of transparent plastic 120 covers and serves to protect a second layer which may also be made of PVC.
• This second layer may have artwork or other information printed thereon using a standard four color printing process, or some other convenient method of printing or coloring known in the art, based on design choices.
• the artwork or information may be representative of the data content or functionality of the chip 106 embedded in the removable device 101, it may represent the producer or publisher of the removable device 101, or it may simply be part of the overall design of the removable device 101 not specifically representative of anything in particular.
• a third layer 122 made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) includes a hole with the same shape as the chip 106.
• a third layer includes a center PVC sheet 123 which constitutes a frame inside which there is room for a metal plate 124.
• the metal plate is made from a ferromagnetic material such as for example iron, tin plated iron, steel, tin plated steel, or a rare-earth magnetic alloy (and not, for example, aluminum) and includes a hole which aligns with the hole in the upper PVC sheet 122.
• the circuit chip 106 is inserted in this hole and fills the cavity created by the metal plate 124 and the upper PVC sheet 122.
• the center PVC sheet 123 may itself be manufactured by the PVC frame and an additional PVC sheet such that the frame constitutes a tray into which the metal plate 124 and the circuit chip 106 can be placed.
• a third PVC sheet 125 below the layer constituted by the PVC frame (or tray) 123 and the metal plate 124 is a third PVC sheet 125.
• This sheet includes a hole which is just large enough to lay bare the connector pads of the circuit chip 106.
• the lower information sheet 126 and the transparent sheet 127 include a hole or opening in order not to cover the connector pads of the circuit chip 101.
• the transparent layers 120, 127 may be considered unnecessary if the other layers are sufficiently sturdy.
• the PVC layers may be made from two or only one layer with recesses or holes that will accommodate the metal plate 124 and the circuit chip 101.
• the PVC frame 123 and the metal plate 124 may change place so that a PVC sheet is included inside a metal frame.
• some embodiments may include one or more pieces of metal, for example in the form of discs, embedded in a PVC sheet and aligned with the magnets 110 in the host device 102.
• FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating a process for producing a removable device 101 substantially consistent with the example illustrated in FIG. 3, i.e. removable devices 101 in the shape of cards.
• a plastic sheet for example made from PVC and large enough for a number of cards is printed with any combination of pattern, information and coloring.
• a PVC sheet at least approximately 350 mm on each side can yield 24 cards of standardized credit card size, known as ID-1 and defined in the ISO/IEC 7810 standard which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
• a protective transparent plastic sheet is heat pressed on top of the PVC sheet.
• the sheet is cut into individual cards roughly the size and shape of the finished cards. These individual cards correspond to layer 120 and layer 121 of FIG. 3.
• the preceding three steps are repeated, producing the layers
• a next step 205 the PVC frame 123 is cut from a PVC sheet. This PVC frame 123 is then heat pressed to a correspondingly shaped PVC card in step 206.
• the PVC card corresponds to PVC layer 125 in FIG. 3.
• the PVC card heat pressed to the PVC frame is a separate sheet which primarily serves to support the metal plate during the production process and does not correspond to any of the layers illustrated in FIG. 3.
• the PVC frame and PVC card together constitute the center layer 123. Which alternative is chosen can be determined by a designer according to preferences and design criteria relating to the production process, use of materials and desired properties of the completed card in a given situation.
• the metal plate 124 should have a hole large enough to accommodate the circuit chip 106, and the PVC card 125 should have a hole large enough to lay bare the connector pad of the circuit chip 106.
• the metal plate should be made from a magnetic material, for example tin plated iron. In one embodiment where the removable device 101 is credit card shaped, the metal plate can be approximately 0.5 mm thick and approximately 40 mm wide and 70 mm long.
• step 208 an upper PVC card 122 with a hole corresponding to the hole in the metal plate, is heat pressed on top of the PVC frame.
• the PVC card mentioned as part of step 206 only constitutes a bottom layer of the center layer 123 and not the structural layer 125 of FIG. 3, the lower structural layer 125 is also included in the heat pressing step 208.
• step 209 the circuit chip 209 is inserted in the cavity resulting from the holes in the metal plate 124 and the PVC card 122.
• the card can now be completed in step 210 by gluing the upper and lower cards consisting of the artwork and information layers 121, 126 and the transparent layers 120, 127. Finally the card can be cut to its desired shape in step 211.
• FIG. 5 An alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5, wherein the removable device 101 is made from only one lower part 150 and one upper part 151, enclosing the metal plate 124 and the circuit chip 106 (not shown in FIG. 5).
• the upper and lower parts may for example be manufactured by injection molding using ABS, and the metal plate can have substantially the same features as described above.
• the lower part 150 can be molded with a first recessed area 152 shaped to accommodate the metal plate 124. Inside the recessed area 152 there may be a second recessed area 153 shaped to receive the circuit chip 106. Between the two areas 152 and 153 there may be an area 154 with the same thickness as the rest of the lower part 150. This area may fit inside a corresponding hole 155 in the metal plate 124.
• the upper part 151 is provided with a hole that is smaller than the circuit chip 106, but large enough not to cover the connector pads of the circuit chip 106.
• the upper part 151 may be without any hole, and a hole corresponding to hole 153 may be provided in the lower part 150. In either case the circuit chip must be inserted such that the connector pads face the hole.
• both of the illustrated embodiments show a removable electronic device 101 with connector pads on one side
• connector plates can be provided on both sides, and indeed on several places on a side.
• connectors can be provided on sides that are not facing in opposite directions and even on more than two sides.
• Such arrangements may be provided in order to provide contact with several corresponding connector interfaces on the host device 102 at the same time, or in order to provide a device that can be attached to the host device in several orientations in order to connect the host device 102 with alternative circuits in the removable device 101.
• a host device can provide two different memory chips with different content, or one smart card chip and one memory chip, or any other combination of circuits that can conveniently be provided inside the chosen form factor of the removable device.
• the interface between the circuit chip 106 in the removable device 101 and the circuits of the host device 102 is wireless, or contactless.
• Contactless communication with card shaped devices can be provided using radio-frequency (RF) induction, for example based on a standard such as ISO/IEC 14443 or ISO/IEC 15693, both of which is hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
• RF radio-frequency
• the wires servicing as antenna can be provided for example between two of the PVC layers illustrated in FIG. 3, and in an injection molded card such as illustrated in FIG. 5 the wires can be provided in the mold, for example in the thicker areas of the lower part 150, or glued between the upper or lower parts. Care must be taken to make sure that the metal plate or any magnets provided do not shield the wires from the transceiver in the host device.
• the removable device is large enough to include its own power source, or if other power sources can be provided, other types of wireless communication is within the scope of the invention, for example radio or infrared. Examples include standards known under names such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (WLAN, or IEEE 802.11), IrDA, IEEE 802.15, ZigBee (based on IEEE 802.15) etc.
• the removable device is provided with a contactless or wireless interface
• the position of the transceiver in the host device 102 can be determined based on the ranged of the chosen contactless or wireless interface and other design criteria particular to given system specifications in each case.
• the circuit chip 106 does not have to be a smart card type chip, neither does it have to be positioned in a similar position on the card as that typical in smart cards.
• the removable device does not have to be shaped like a card at all.
• the card may be substantially shaped like a cube (die shaped) or and with connectors exposed on at least one side, or with a wireless or contactless interface. This cube may be held in a correspondingly shaped slot in the host device by magnetic force.
• the device may have substantially rectangular faces, it may be cylindrical, or have any other shape that can conveniently be positioned in a matching groove, hole or recess in a host device.
• the circuit chip is only a memory chip, for example a flash card.
• a flash card for example a flash card.
• An example of a flash card standard which can be used in embodiments of the invention is micro SD.
• a flash card memory typically includes a file system such as for example File
• FAT Allocation Table
• MRR Master Boot Record
• DRM digital rights management
• the combination of flash card memory with DRM and a credit card like form factor may facilitate use of a removable device 101 as a permanent storage device for multimedia content such as ebooks, audio books, music and movies.
• the form factor allows the device to be provided with information and artwork representative of the contents, and the card is thin enough to be easily carried, it can easily be stacked with similar cards or kept in a wallet.
• the card shaped device can equally well be transported while it is inserted in the host device, or separately for example in a pocket or a wallet.
• the card is not provided with a metal plate, but with one or more magnets similarly embedded.
• the magnets may be disc shaped or have any other shape considered convenient based on design criteria in a particular application.
• magnets may be embedded in a removable device in a manner similar to that used in so called refrigerator magnets, i.e. in the form of composite materials with alternating north and south poles on the same surface of the plane, in an arrangement known in the art as a Halbach array.
• the casing of the host device 102 must be made from or include ferromagnetic material or magnets aligned with the magnets in the removable device but with their polarity reversed.
• the circuit chip 106 can be powered in one or more of several ways. In embodiments where the interface between the removable device 101 and the host device 102 is physical, the circuit chip 106 can be powered from the host device using this interface, a method that is well known for example from USB devices and flash drives. If the interface is contactless, for example RF induction, the circuit chip 106 can still be powered from the host device using this interface. In other embodiments the removable device 101 can be provided with its own power source, for example one or more batteries, rechargeable batteries, solar panels, or a combination of these.
• the invention is intended to be adaptable to many uses in accordance with design choices and specifications in a given situation.
• the removable device can for example store an audio book or music (audio data), electronic books or e-books (text and images data), movies (audio and video data), and software or configuration data for software with or without the processing power to run the software on the device itself. Examples of the latter can include smart card authorization banking and ATM functionality, programming data for embedded electronics in computerized equipment such as automobiles, printers, washing machines, vending machines etc.
• the host device can for example be an audio player, a video player, an e-book reader, a PDA, a smart phone, a computer, or any type of computerized device or device with embedded electronics.

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Cited By (5)

Citations (6)

• 2010
  • 2010-08-31 NO NO20101208A patent/NO20101208A1/no not_active Application Discontinuation
• 2011
  • 2011-08-31 WO PCT/NO2011/000237 patent/WO2012030228A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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