Abstract: A low-profile Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) assembly includes a modular USB core component that is mounted into a swivel casing. The modular USB core component includes a PCBA in which all passive components and unpackaged IC chips are attached to a single side of a PCB opposite to the metal contacts. The IC chips (e.g., USB controller, flash memory) are attached to the PCB by wire bonding or other chip-on-board (COB) technique. The passive components are attached by conventional surface mount technology (SMT) techniques. The swivel casing includes a holder that is pivotably mounted into an external housing by way of a pivot pin. The pivot pin is either a separate structure that is inserted into holes formed in the holder and housing, or is integrally formed on the holder.

Abstract: A flash microcontroller has a Static Random-Access-Memory (SRAM) buffer that stores several blocks of boot code read from a flash memory. The SRAM buffer also operates as a cache of flash data after booting is complete. Cache read and write hits use the SRAM cache rather than flash memory, while old cache lines and read misses access the flash memory. Both the external host and the microcontroller are booted from boot code buffered in the SRAM buffer. A boot-loader state machine reads the flash ID and programs flash parameter registers with timing parameters for the flash memory. The flash microcontroller uses a differential interface to the external host, with a differential transceiver and a differential serial interface. Frame, packet, and encoded clock processing is also performed by the serial interface.

Abstract: A solid state drive (SSD) device includes a printed-circuit board assembly (PCBA), a connector mounted on the circuit board, an open-frame support-type housing including first and second parallel elongated brackets extending along opposing peripheral edges of said circuit board, each bracket including a first connecting structure for securing the circuit board to the housing, and a second connecting structure for connecting the housing to an internal rack frame of a host system. The open-frame support type housing does not include a top cover and a bottom cover, whereby both of said opposing first and second surfaces are exposed by first and second openings. The housing includes optional end rails that form a box-like frame. The elongated brackets are formed using die-cast metal, stamped metal, or molded plastic with copper posts. Optional clamp-type brackets clamp along side edges of the PCBA.

Abstract: A Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) device includes a PCBA mounted inside a molded plastic housing structure such that metal contacts are exposed on a plug portion of the housing structure, and includes a metal plug shell attached to the housing structure such that an upper wall of the metal plug shell is spaced from the metal contacts by a predetermined gap distance. A USB controller IC is mounted onto a relatively narrow portion of the PCBA under the metal contacts to reduce overall length of the USB device. The metal plug shell is molded or snap-coupled onto tabs formed on the plug portion of the housing structure. An optional locking collar secures a rear edge of the metal plug shell to the housing structure. An optional rear cover is attached over a rear opening of the housing structure and secures a rear edge of the PCBA.

Abstract: A USB device in which all of the devices ICs are located on a lower surface of a PCB (i.e., opposite to the metal contacts) to minimize the device's thickness, and at least one of the ICs is positioned on a relatively narrow portion of the USB plug to minimize the device's length. A card-like carrier for protecting the USB device when not in use includes a frame-like base portion having peripheral walls surrounding a relatively wide main chamber, and an end portion that is attached to the base portion and includes end walls that define a relatively narrow slot communicating with the main chamber. The USB device plug structure is inserted through the main chamber into the slot until a front edge of the handle structure abuts the end walls, and then the device is rotated downward into the main chamber.

Abstract: A dual-personality card reader system supports both USB and micro-SD devices using a card reader and an extended 9-pin USB socket. The card reader includes a PCBA having four standard USB metal contact pads and several extended purpose contact pads disposed on an upper side, components and IC chips covered by a molded case on a lower side, a molded lead-frame connector mounted on the PCBA and including five forward-facing extended purpose pins and eight rear-facing micro-SD connector pins that communicate with the PCBA through the extended purpose contact pads, and a housing including a slot for receiving a micro-SD card such that it communicates with the PCBA through the micro-SD connector pins. The extended 9-pin USB socket includes standard USB contacts and extended use contacts that communicate with the PCBA through the standard USB metal contacts and forward-facing extended purpose pins. The PCBA includes dual-personality electronics for SD/USB communications.

Abstract: An ExpressCard having USB connection has a card case having two opposite first and second end portions and two opposite lateral portions. A card connector is formed at the first end portion of the card case and having a USB interface. Flash chips are implemented in the card case. A USB flash controller implemented in the card case and connected between the USB interface and the flash chips in order to provide a data access to the flash chips through the USB interface. A USB socket, in form factors of Mini-USB or Extended Mini-connector-type, is implemented in the card case and connected to the USB flash controller in order to provide a data access to the one or more flash chips therethrough. An extended Universal-Serial Bus (EUSB) host enters a suspend mode rather than poll an ExpressCard that is busy performing a memory or other operation, thereby saving power.

Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial Bus (EUSB) host has reduced loading by using radio frequency (RF) transceivers or direct wiring traces rather than a pair of legacy USB cables. The reduced loading opens the eye pattern. The EUSB device transfers internal data using chained Direct-Memory Access (DMA). Registers in a DMA controller point to a vector table that has vector entries, each pointing to a destination and a source. The source is a memory table for a memory group. The memory table has entries for several memory segments. Each memory-table entry has a pointer to a memory segment and a byte count for the segment. Once all bytes in the segment are transferred, a flag in the entry indicates when another memory segment follows within the memory group. When an END flag is read, then vector table is advanced to the next vector entry, and another memory group of memory segments processed.

Abstract: A system for producing high volume flash memory cards includes a processing unit, a PC interface for connecting to an external PC, a PC drive circuit connected to the PC interface and the processing unit, a card interface for connecting to an external flash memory card, and a card drive circuit connected to the card interface and the processing unit. The PC drive circuit realizes communication between the PC and the processing unit. The card drive circuit realizes communication between the flash memory card and the processing unit. The processing unit receives command or data from the PC interface, and sends card re-initialization command or data to the flash memory card via the card interface.

Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial Bus (EUSB) bridge to a host computer can have Peripheral Components Interconnect Express (PCIE) protocol layers on one side of the bridge, and EUSB layers on the other side of the bridge, with a high-level bridging converter module connecting the upper layers. The PCIE physical, data-link, and transport layers may be eliminated by integrating the bridge with an I/O controller. PCIE requests and data payloads are directly sent to the bridge, rather than low-level PCIE physical signals. The PCIE data payloads are converted to EUSB data payloads by a high-level direct bridging converter module. Then the EUSB data payloads are passed down to an EUSB transaction layer, an EUSB data-link layer, and an EUSB physical layer which drives and senses physical electrical signals on both differential pairs of the EUSB bus.

Abstract: An IC solution utilizing mixed FPGA and MLC arrays is proposed. The process technology is based on the Schottky CMOS devices comprising of CMOS transistors, low barrier Schottky barrier diode (SBD), and multi-level cell (MLC) flash transistors. Circuit architectures are based on the pulsed Schottky CMOS Logic (SCL) gate arrays, wherein a variable threshold NMOS transistor may replace the regular switching transistor. During initialization windows, existing FPGA programming techniques can selectively adjust the VT of the switching transistor, re-configure the intra-connections of the simple SCL gates, complete all global interconnections of various units. Embedded hardware arrays, hardwired blocks, soft macro constructs in one chip, and protocols implementations are parsed. A wide range of circuit applications involving generic IO and logic function generation, ESD and latch up protections, and hot well biasing schemes are presented. The variable threshold transistors thus serve 3 distinctive functions.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) memory card includes a tube metal housing that is rectangularly-shaped and a Chip-On-Board (COB)-Universal Serial Bus (USB) device and a carrier substrate having a U-block disposed on one side of thereof and vertically extending upwardly from a bottom surface of the U-block, the COB-USB device positioned on the carrier substrate forming a USB card sub-assembly, the USB card sub-assembly being securely located inside the metal housing with the U-block serving to stop the COB-USB device from slipping out of the metal housing.

Abstract: A multi-partition Universal Serial Bus (USB) device has a flash memory with multiple partitions of storage. Some partitions are for different operating systems and store OS images. Another partition has a control program while a user partition stores user data and user configuration information. The control program can test the multi-partition USB device and instruct the host computer BIOS to mount a partition from its flash memory as a drive of the host computer. The host computer can then be rebooted. The OS image from the flash memory is loaded into main memory during rebooting, and the host computer executes a new operating system using the new OS image. The user can press buttons on the multi-partition USB device to select which OS to load, and to begin rebooting. Virus removal programs in the alternate OS can help recover from a virus in the primary OS.

Abstract: A convertible leg exercise apparatus for performing different leg exercises has a first leg exercise arm pivotally mounted on a frame for rotation about a first pivot axis and a second leg exercise arm pivotally attached to the first arm for rotation about a second pivot axis spaced below the first pivot axis. The second arm pivots about the second pivot axis away from the first arm to perform one leg exercise, while the first and second arms pivot together about the first pivot axis to perform another leg exercise. The second arm may be configured to perform a leg press exercise while the first and second arms rotate together to perform leg extension and leg curl exercises.

Abstract: An electronic data storage medium is adapted to be accessed by a data terminal, and includes a processing unit connected to a memory device that stores a data file and security reference data possessed by a person authorized to access the data file, and an input-output interface circuit activable so as to establish communication with the data terminal. The processing unit is operable selectively in a programming mode and a data retrieving mode. The electronic data storage medium also includes a function key set for manually switching the electronic data storage medium between the programming mode and the data retrieving mode.

Abstract: An electronic data storage medium is adapted to be accessed by a data terminal, and includes a processing unit connected to a memory device that stores a data file and security reference data possessed by a person authorized to access the data file, and an input-output interface circuit activable so as to establish communication with the data terminal. The processing unit is operable selectively in a programming mode and a data retrieving mode. The electronic data storage medium also includes a function key set for manually switching the electronic data storage medium between the programming mode and the data retrieving mode.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the present invention, the hollow shell of a mid-seam memory card is composed of three, independently formed, plastic pieces—a bottom plastic piece, a top plastic piece, and a plastic lid. The plastic pieces are cross-linked using, for example, ultraviolet light (UV) activated epoxy, or ultrasonic-press methods. A printed circuit board (PCB) assembly, including memory, is positioned within the cavity of the plastic pieces, and the lid is attached. The PCB assembly can be made using chip on board (COB) or surface mount technology (SMT) components attached using ball grid array (BGA) or thin and small outline package (TSOP) connections. Various read-write/write-protect devices are possible, and can be implemented in the form of a physical feature present on one of the lateral sides of the bottom and top plastic pieces.

Abstract: An electronic data storage medium is adapted to be accessed by a data terminal, and includes a processing unit connected to a memory device that stores a data file and security reference data possessed by a person authorized to access the data file, and an input-output interface circuit activable so as to establish communication with the data terminal. The processing unit is operable selectively in a programming mode and a data retrieving mode. The electronic data storage medium also includes a function key set for manually switching the electronic data storage medium between the programming mode and the data retrieving mode.

Abstract: An extended Universal-Serial Bus (EUSB) host enters a suspend mode rather than poll an EUSB device that is busy performing a memory or other operation. Power is saved since polling is avoided. The busy EUSB device sends a not-yet NYET signal back to the EUSB host to instruct the host to enter the suspend mode. When the EUSB device is ready to continue transfer with the host, the EUSB device wakes up the host by sending a ready RDY signal back to the host. The NYET and RDY signals may be tokens or flags in serial packets sent over a full-duplex connection to the host with two sets of differential pairs. Transfers may be re-started by the host after suspension once the requested data is read from flash memory, or space is made available in a sector buffer by completing earlier writes to flash memory.

Abstract: A slim male Universal-Serial-Bus (USB) connector fits on only one side of the connector substrate in a standard female USB connector. Wobble or vertical play is reduced by locking depressions in the slim male USB connector that engage metal springs on a metal case that surrounds the female USB connector, locking the two connectors together. Between metal contacts on the slim USM connector are dividers that help fill in gaps when the two connectors are connected together, further reducing play. End rails on the slim USB connector fill in gaps on the sides. The connector substrate of the slim male USB connector can be separate or can be integrated with a circuit board that holds a flash memory chip and a USB controller chip. The connector is wider than the standard width for a better fit. A slim female USB connector for assembly use with the slim male USB connector is also disclosed.