WO2008067114A1

WO2008067114A1 - Pen drive having integral data processing and battery recharge capability

Info

Publication number: WO2008067114A1
Application number: PCT/US2007/083437
Authority: WO
Inventors: David H. Hitt
Original assignee: Hitt David H
Priority date: 2006-11-30
Filing date: 2007-11-02
Publication date: 2008-06-05

Abstract

A pen drive and a method of operating the same. In one embodiment, the pen drive has a body and includes: (1) a nonvolatile main memory, (2) a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port coupled to the nonvolatile main memory and including a USB plug, (3) a USB host controller coupled to the nonvolatile main memory, (4) a USB receptacle coupled to the USB host controller, (5) a battery compartment having battery terminals, (6) a battery charger having a power input coupled to the USB plug and a power output coupled to the battery terminals and (7) a processor coupled to the battery terminals and the nonvolatile main memory and configured to employ power from the battery to manipulate data in the nonvolatile main memory.

Description

PEN DRIVE HAVING INTEGRAL DATA PROCESSING AND BATTERY RECHARGE CAPABILITY

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The invention is related to co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/553,805, filed by Hitt on October 27, 2006, entitled "Pen Drive Having Integral File Transfer Capability and Method of Operation Thereof" and incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed, in general, to computer memory peripheral devices and, more particularly, to a pen drive having integral data processing and battery recharge capability and method of operation thereof. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

"Pen drives" have become a widely used device for carrying one's computer files about. As is widely known, a pen drive, also called a "memory stick," a "jump drive," or a "USB flash drive" (or UFD), is a solid-state device containing nonvolatile computer memory, typically flash random-access memory (RAM) , and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port that allows external access to the nonvolatile memory.

To use the pen drive, a user connects the pen drive to a corresponding USB receptacle on a host device, typically a computer. In accordance with the USB standard (which is controlled by the USB Implementers Forum, Inc. (usb.org), the host device automatically detects that a USB device has been connected to it, determines what kind of USB device it is by means of the USB controller and, if the USB device is a pen drive (which it is in this case) , treats the pen drive as a logical volume of storage, like a hard disk drive. In this manner, the user can read files from, and write files to, the pen drive.

The beauty of the pen drive is that it can be connected to a host device without having to install a driver for it or reboot the host device, disconnected from the host device without having to reboot the host device and thereafter carry it around, perhaps in one's pocket or briefcase or perhaps suspended from a lanyard about one's neck. Being solid state and packaged in a relatively small, light and durable case, pen drives are reliable, tough and very easy to carry about. For this reason, pen drives have largely displaced floppy disks and even compact disks as portable storage media. Because the market is so large, quite a number of companies produce pen drives. As a result, pen drives are virtual commodities, with storage capacities increasing and prices decreasing almost daily. This indicates that the popularity of pen drives will continue to increase.

As portable, capacious, durable and easy to use as pen drives now are, they can still benefit from further improvement. What is needed in the art is a way to make pen drives even more flexible and powerful. Most advantageously, pen drives should be made more flexible and powerful without diminishing their portability, capacity, durability and ease of use. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, the invention provides, in one aspect, a pen drive. In one embodiment, the pen drive has a body and includes: (1) a nonvolatile main memory, (2) a USB port coupled to the nonvolatile main memory and including a USB plug, (3) a USB host controller coupled to the nonvolatile main memory, (4) a USB receptacle coupled to the USB host controller, (5) a battery compartment having battery terminals, (6) a battery charger having a power input coupled to the USB plug and a power output coupled to the battery terminals and (7) a processor coupled to the battery terminals and the nonvolatile main memory and configured to employ power from the battery to manipulate data in the nonvolatile main memory.

In another aspect, the invention provides a method of operating a pen drive having a nonvolatile main memory, a USB port, a USB host controller, a USB receptacle and a processor. In one embodiment, the method includes: (1) employing a battery charger having a power input coupled to the USB plug to charge a battery contained in a battery compartment of the pen drive when the pen drive is coupled to a host device and (2) employing a processor in the pen drive and power from the battery to manipulate data in the nonvolatile main memory.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides a pen drive that includes: (1) an elongated body having opposing first and second ends, (2) a nonvolatile main memory located in the body, (3) a USB mass storage controller located in the body and coupled to the nonvolatile main memory, (4) a USB plug projecting from the first end and coupled to the USB mass storage controller, (5) a battery compartment located in the body and having battery terminals, (6) a battery charger located in the body and having a power input coupled to the USB plug and a power output coupled to the battery terminals, (7) a USB host controller located in the body, coupled to the nonvolatile main memory and powered by the battery, (8) a USB receptacle recessed into the second end and coupled to the USB host controller and (9) a processor coupled to the battery terminals and the nonvolatile main memory and configured to employ power from the battery to manipulate data in the nonvolatile main memory.

The foregoing has outlined preferred and alternative features of the invention so that those skilled in the pertinent art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the pertinent art should appreciate that they can readily use the disclosed conception and specific embodiment as a basis for designing or modifying other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the invention. Those skilled in the pertinent art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a high-level block diagram of one embodiment of a pen drive constructed according to the principles of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an isometric view of the pen drive of FIGURE 1 showing, in particular, an access door for the battery compartment and a battery therein; and FIGURE 3 illustrates a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of operating a pen drive carried out according to the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before describing technical aspects of various embodiments of a novel pen drive in detail, its use and possible advantages should be understood in nontechnical, colloquial terms. With a pen drive as described herein, a user can, for example, cause data processing and/or manipulation to occur with respect to the nonvolatile main memory of the pen drive without requiring the pen drive to be coupled to a host device, such as a computer. Such processing and data manipulation may include copying or moving data from the nonvolatile main memory to another device, copying or moving data to the nonvolatile main memory from another device or scrambling, encrypting, compressing, erasing or moving data in the nonvolatile main memory. The invention encompasses all conventional and later-developed data processing and manipulation operations.

Because this processing and data manipulation may occur independent of a host device and therefore without an external power source (via the USB plug) , an internal power source, namely a battery, is provided in the pen drive itself. As will be seen, the battery may be sealed within the pen drive (perhaps at the factory) . Alternatively, the battery may be readily user- replaceable. In such case, an access door may be provided to give access to a battery compartment in the pen drive. The battery may be rechargeable or nonrechargeable . In the latter case, the pen drive may recharge the battery with a battery charger that is internal to the pen drive. The battery charger charges the battery by drawing power from the USB plug which, in turn, draws its power from the host device. Thus, the battery in the pen drive may be conveniently recharged simply by plugging the pen drive into a host device. An indicator lamp, if provided on the pen drive, may be employed to indicate the operation of the battery charger (e.g., whether or not the battery is still charging or perhaps how soon the charging operation will be complete) .

As stated above, the data processing or manipulation may involve a transfer of data from or to a location outside of the pen drive. That data may include one or more user files. The transfer of user files may occur automatically to or from another pen drive (of any type, including conventional pen drives) without having to do anything more than plug the two pen drives together. In such case, no computer is required to effect the transfer. No buttons need to be pushed; no computer screens need to be read; nothing needs to be plugged into a wall outlet; no email or text messages need to be sent.

This peer-to-peer file transfer capability is highly advantageous in several real-world contexts. In a work environment, a user can transfer the file(s) containing his business presentation directly to those in the audience who want an electronic copy of it. Business- related files can be directly swapped at trade shows, airports, seminar ballrooms, golf courses without having to rely on computers or other devices. In an educational environment, a teacher may pass an assignment out by transferring it directly to the students' pen drives, and students may in turn transfer their homework or projects from their pen drives directly to the teacher's. At a party, people may trade files (such as pictures or homemade audio recordings or videos) with each other as a natural part of their mingling. Those skilled in the pertinent art will understand how advantageous it is to have a pen drive that automatically transfers files without the need for further hardware or software and without compromising the portability, light weight, durability and flexibility pen drives currently afford.

Those skilled in the pertinent art will also see many applications for the pen drive of the invention that may not be described herein. All such applications fall within the scope of the invention.

Having described in layman's terms some of possible uses and advantages of the invention, some embodiments will now be described. FIGURE 1 illustrates a high-level block diagram of one embodiment of a pen drive, generally designated 100 and constructed according to the principles of the invention. The pen drive 100 contains some components that are found in conventional pen drives. The pen drive 100 has a tough, rigid, elongated body 105, typically formed of plastic, that serves to support the various components contained within it. The body 100 has a first end 110 and a second end 115 opposite the first end, as shown. A USB plug 120 extends from the first end. The USB plug may be a Type A USB plug, but can be of any other type.

A nonvolatile main memory 125, which in the illustrated embodiment is a flash memory, is contained within the body 105. The nonvolatile main memory 125 is configured to provide storage for data, often organized into user files, which may take the form of files, folders (also called "subdirectories") or other data of interest to a user. (The nonvolatile main memory 125 may also provide storage for non-user files, such as system files and directory and formatting data.) The nonvolatile main memory 125 is advantageously of large capacity, typically greater than 100 megabytes (MB) , but may be one gigabyte (GB) or larger.

A USB mass storage controller 130 is coupled to the nonvolatile main memory 125 and the USB plug 120. Together, the USB mass storage controller 130 and the USB plug 120 are regarded as a USB port. As those skilled in the pertinent art understand, the USB mass storage controller 130 is configured to communicate through the USB plug 120 to establish a logical connection with a hosting device (not shown in FIGURE 1), such as a computer. During the establishment of that logical connection, the USB mass storage controller 130 communicates information regarding the pen drive 100 such that the hosting device may understand its storage and file transfer capabilities.

The pen drive 100 of FIGURE 1 also contains two components that are found on some conventional pen drives, but not on all. An indicator lamp 135 is coupled to the body 105 such that it can be viewed from outside of the body 105. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicator lamp 135 is a light-emitting diode (LED) . However, this need not be the case.

A write-enable switch 140 is coupled to the body 105 such that it can be moved from outside of the body 105. In one position, the write-enable switch 140 allows user files to be written to the nonvolatile main memory 125. In another position, the write-enable switch 140 disallows such writing, protecting the contents of the nonvolatile main memory 125 from accidental erasure. In the illustrated embodiment, the write-enable switch 140 is a slide switch. However, this need not be the case.

The pen drive 100 of FIGURE 1 also contains components that are not found in conventional pen drives. A processor 145 is coupled to the nonvolatile main memory 125 and is configured to function in a variety of ways, some of which will be described below. The processor 145 may be a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP) or any other kind of processor having sufficient capability to provide the functions desired of the processor 145. Further, the processor 145 may be separate from other components of the pen drive 100 or integral with one or more of those components. For example, the processor 145 may be integral with a USB controller (e.g., the USB mass storage controller 130), if that controller has sufficient capability to provide the functions desired of the processor 145.

A USB receptacle 150 recesses into the second end 115 of the body 105. The USB receptacle may be a Type A USB receptacle. The USB receptacle 150 may be of the same USB Type (Type A, Type B, etc.) as the USB plug 120. Further, the USB receptacle 150 need not be located proximate the second end 115. Instead, the USB receptacle 150 (and, for that matter, the USB plug 120) may recess into or project from any part of the body 105.

A USB host controller 155 is coupled to the USB receptacle 150 and the nonvolatile main memory 125. Together, the USB host controller 155 and the USB receptacle 150 may be regarded as a USB port. As those skilled in the pertinent art understand, the USB host controller is configured to communicate through the USB plug 120 to establish a logical connection with a hosted device (not shown in FIGURE 1) , such as another pen drive. During the establishment of that logical connection, the USB host controller 155 provides power to the hosted device, requests information regarding the hosted device such that the pen drive 100 may understand its storage and/or data transfer capabilities and communicates with the hosted device in accordance with that information.

As previously stated, the USB host controller 155 provides power to the hosted device. Accordingly, the pen drive 100 includes a battery compartment 160, advantageously located within the body 105. The battery compartment 160 is configured to contain a battery. The battery may be of any conventional or later-developed type and may be rechargeable or nonrechargeable . If the battery is nonrechargeable, the battery compartment 160 may be provided with an access door (not shown in FIGURE 1), which allows external access to the battery compartment 160 so a user may change the battery as desired. If the battery is rechargeable, the access door may be omitted (in which case the battery is sealed within the body 110) or included.

FIGURE 1 does not illustrate the access door or the battery, but FIGURE 2 does. FIGURE 2 illustrates an isometric view of the pen drive 100 of FIGURE 1 showing, in particular, an access door 205 for the battery compartment 160 and a battery 210 in the battery compartment 160. The access door 205, if provided, may slide or pivot relative to the body 110 to reveal the battery compartment. The access door 205 may be captured such that access door 205 remains coupled to the body 110 as the access door 205 is opened or uncaptured such that the access door 205 physically decouples from the body 110 when the access door 205 is opened.

Returning now to FIGURE 1, and assuming that the battery compartment 160 is capable of containing a rechargeable battery, the battery may be recharged with a battery charger 175 that is internal to the pen drive 100. The battery charger 175 charges the battery by drawing power from the USB plug 120 which, in turn, draws its power from the host device. Thus, the battery in the pen drive 100 may be conveniently recharged simply, and perhaps automatically, by plugging the pen drive 100 into a host device. The indicator lamp 135, if provided on the pen drive 100, may be employed to indicate the operation of the battery charger 175. For example, the indicator lamp 135 may be employed to indicate whether or not the battery is still charging, perhaps by blinking. Alternately, the indicator lamp 135 may be employed to indicate whether or not the battery is fully charged, perhaps by staying on constantly. Still alternatively, the indicator lamp 135 may be employed to indicate how soon the charging operation will be complete, perhaps by changing the rate at which the indicator lamp 135 is blinking or the duty cycle of the blinking . Two components that may assist the processor 145 in providing its desired data processing and/or manipulation functions will now be described. A program memory 165 is coupled to the processor 145 and contains a control program that controls operation of the processor 145, to cause, for example, the transfer of at least one file to or from the pen drive 100. Certain functions that the processor 145 may perform will be described herein, with the understanding that many possible functions are possible without departing from the invention.

The program memory 165 may be quite small in terms of its storage capacity (perhaps on the order of kilobytes, or KB) . In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the program memory 165 is read-only memory (ROM) . In one embodiment, the program memory 165 is externally addressable and contains a configuration program in addition to the control program that controls operation of the processor 145. An exemplary configuration program is illustrated and described in co-pending U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 11/553,805. However, many possible configurations are possible without departing from the invention. A configuration memory 170 is likewise coupled to the processor 145. The configuration memory 170 contains configuration data that, in conjunction with the control program, controls the operation of the processor 145. The configuration memory of FIGURE 1 is extremely small, perhaps on the order of a single 16-bit register, since the functions that the processor 145 is to perform in the illustrated embodiments are limited and of limited variation. The configuration data may be factory-preset or user-configurable via, e.g., the configuration program.

The program memory 165 and configuration memory 170 may be embedded with the processor 145 on a single integrated circuit (IC) chip or may be separate ICs. In fact, many of the components of the pen drive 100 may be integrated into a single, application-specific IC (ASIC) for compactness and ease of assembly. Though the embodiment of FIGURE 1 is relatively simple, more complex embodiments fall within the scope of the invention. For example, the pen drive 100 may be provided with one or more user-operable buttons to allow, for example, the user manually to initiate or terminate a file transfer or to control the direction of the file transfer. The pen drive 100 may be provided with a display, perhaps a rudimentary liquid crystal display (LCD) , allowing more status data to be displayed and perhaps allowing user decisions to be based thereon. With a display, the indicator lamp 135 would probably no longer be necessary. The pen drive 100 may be provided with a vibrator or a speaker, which would provide other means of informing a user about a file transfer. Turning now to FIGURE 3, illustrated is a flow diagram of one embodiment of a method of operating a pen drive carried out according to the principles of the invention. The method begins in a start step 310.

In a step 320, the pen drive is coupled to a host device, such as a laptop or desktop personal computer, by plugging the USB plug of the pen drive into a USB receptacle on the host device. At this point, the host device automatically recognizes the pen drive as a mass storage device according to the USB standard. Power is also available to the pen drive via the host device's USB receptacle. Thus, in a step 330, the battery charger in the pen drive may be employed to charge the battery (assuming of course that the battery is rechargeable) . In a step 340, the indicator lamp in the pen drive is driven based on the operation of the battery charger. Perhaps the indicator lamp is caused to blink. In a step 350, the pen drive is decoupled from the host device. Perhaps the battery was completely charged before the pen drive was decoupled from the host device (perhaps indicated by the indicator lamp being constantly on), but this need not be the case. Assuming that the battery is at least partially charged, the processor in the pen drive and power from the battery are employed to manipulate data in the nonvolatile main memory in the pen drive in a step 360. The method ends in an end step 370. Although the invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the pertinent art should understand that they can make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the scope of the invention in its broadest form.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A pen drive, comprising: an elongated body having opposing first and second ends; a nonvolatile main memory located in said body; a Universal Serial Bus (USB) mass storage controller located in said body and coupled to said nonvolatile main memory; a USB plug projecting from said first end and coupled to said USB mass storage controller; a battery compartment located in said body and having battery terminals; a battery charger located in said body and having a power input coupled to said USB plug and a power output coupled to said battery terminals; a USB host controller located in said body, coupled to said nonvolatile main memory and powered by said battery; a USB receptacle recessed into said second end and coupled to said USB host controller; and a processor coupled to said battery terminals and said nonvolatile main memory and configured to employ power from said battery to manipulate data in said nonvolatile main memory.

2. The pen drive as recited in Claim 1 further comprising an access door coupled to said body and configured to allow external access to said battery compartment .

3. The pen drive as recited in Claim 1 further comprising an indicator lamp coupled to said body and said processor, said processor configured to drive said indicator lamp based on an operation of said battery charger .

4. The pen drive as recited in Claim 1 wherein said nonvolatile main memory is a flash memory of at least 100 megabytes.

5. The pen drive as recited in Claim 1 further comprising a program memory coupled to said processor, said processor configured to initiate a transfer of at least one user file from or to said nonvolatile main memory in accordance with a control program stored in said program memory.

6. The pen drive as recited in Claim 5 wherein said program memory is read-only memory.

7. The pen drive as recited in Claim 1 further comprising a configuration memory coupled to said processor, said processor configured to initiate a transfer of at least one user file from or to said nonvolatile main memory based on configuration data stored in said configuration memory.

8. The pen drive as recited in Claim 7 wherein said configuration data is user-configurable.

9. The pen drive as recited in Claim 7 further comprising a configuration program executable on a host device configured to host said pen drive to allow a user to configure said configuration data.

10. A method of operating a pen drive having a nonvolatile main memory, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a USB host controller, a USB receptacle and a processor, comprising: employing a battery charger having a power input coupled to said USB plug to charge a battery contained in a battery compartment of said pen drive when said pen drive is coupled to a host device; and employing a processor in said pen drive and power from said battery to manipulate data in said nonvolatile main memory.