IC memory card

Details IC memory card IC memory card

1998-11-30

2001-08-07

Shin, Christopher B. (Department: 2782)

Electrical computers and digital data processing systems: input/

Input/output data processing

Peripheral adapting

C710S002000, C711S002000, C361S737000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06272570

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to an IC memory card for transmitting and receiving data to and from an external system via an interface conformable to PCMCIA memory card specification, and more particularly to an IC memory card having an expanded function in addition to a data storage function.
BACKGROUND ART
In conventional IC memory cards operating in conformity with the PCMCIA memory card specification, as shown in
FIG. 7
, only accesses to a common memory circuit
76
and a card attribute memory circuit
74
located at even-numbered addresses of an attribute memory region
73
which stores an attribute of the IC memory card are made effective, and the IC memory card operates by exchanging effective data. An external system
78
is allowed to access the common memory circuit
76
and the card attribute memory circuit
74
via a connector
71
, an interface circuit
72
and an even attribute control circuit
77
, but an access to an odd attribute region
75
is made disable and there is provided no function accessible to this region.
However, with the above arrangement, when a function other than the data storage function is to be performed by sending data other than preservative data such as special data or commands to the IC memory card, no distinction can be made between the preservative data and the special data because of an obstacle that only transmission and reception of the data conformable to the specification are effective, and therefore there arises a problem that it is difficult to transmit and receive the special data without affecting the inherent functions.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an IC memory card capable of transmitting and receiving special data other than preservative data, to thereby realize functions other than the data storage function.
An IC memory card of the present invention comprises: a connector for connecting with an external system; an interface circuit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the external system through the connector using a card address signal, a card data signal and a card control signal; a common memory circuit for transmitting and receiving signals through the interface circuit to store therein preservative data from the external system; an attribute memory region to be accessed by the external system so as to identify a type of the IC memory card; a card attribute memory circuit located at even-numbered addresses of the attribute memory region and storing card attribute information; an even attribute control circuit for generating an even control signal for transmitting and receiving signals to and from the card attribute memory circuit; a special operation circuit for performing an operation different from the operation performed by the common memory circuit; a data storage circuit located at odd-numbered addresses in the attribute memory region and storing data to be transferred to the special operation circuit or data transferred from the special operation circuit; an odd attribute control circuit for generating an odd control signal for controlling the data storage circuit based on the card control signal; and a signal selection circuit for selecting the card control signal outputted from the external system, a common address signal and a common data signal inputted and outputted through the interface circuit to access the data storage circuit in response to the odd control signal, and for selecting a special operation control signal outputted from the special operation circuit, a special operation address signal and a special operation data signal to access the data storage circuit in response to a special operation select signal outputted from the special operation circuit.
With the data storage circuit provided in the IC memory card, the external system is enabled to send commands not conformable to the PCMCIA standard so that the IC memory card can perform expanded functions other than the data storage function in accordance with the commands.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4829169 (1989-05-01), Watanabe
patent: 5131091 (1992-07-01), Mizuta
patent: 5303198 (1994-04-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 5388248 (1995-02-01), Robinson et al.
patent: 5436621 (1995-07-01), Macko et al.
patent: 5594680 (1997-01-01), Ohtake et al.
patent: 5751886 (1998-05-01), Komine
patent: 5761732 (1998-06-01), Shaberman et al.
patent: 5818029 (1998-10-01), Thomson
patent: 4-262433 (1992-09-01), None
patent: 5-134820 (1993-06-01), None
patent: 7-296132 (1995-11-01), None
patent: 8-147438 (1996-06-01), None
patent: WO 95/16238 (1995-06-01), None
“General Purpose Personal Computer Memory Card International Association Interface ASIC for PC-Cards”; IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin; vol. 37 No. 9, Sep. 1994, pp. 515-517.
“IC Memory Card Guideline Ver. 4.1 (in Japanese);” Japan Electronic Industry Development Association (Tokyo) Sep. 1991, p. 46-87.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

IC memory card does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with IC memory card, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and IC memory card will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2538241