International Business Machines Corporation

Itt Corporation

Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Other

Edward A Kantner

Kenneth D Schultz

Daniel S Garriss

A new host (14) and new PC card (12) are provided that have more than the standard two rows (16,18) of 34 contact positions each, where the new host can not only engage the new card but can also engage types I, II, and III standard PCMCIA cards so the new host is backward compatible to the large number of existing standard cards. The new PC card has the standard two rows (16,18) of 34 contact positions vertically spaced by 11/4 mm and has third and fourth additional rows (20,22) of card contact positions vertically spaced from the standard rows. The new card front end has laterally opposite card sides forming runners (44,48) of the standard thickness of about 3.3 mm, with the runners having upper and lower surfaces (72,74) lying respectively above and below the standard pair of rows, and with at least the third row lying above the level of the upper runner surfaces. The new host is similarly constructed with side runner guides (50,52) that guide the runners of the previous standard cards as well as of the new card, with the standard rows of host contacts being similarly positioned, and with the additional rows of host contacts lying above the runner guide upper surfaces. The third row (20) is preferably spaced (J) from the axes of one of the standard rows by more than the vertical spacing (F) of the axes of the two standard rows from each other.

Multi-contact PC card and host system

An RF connector is provided for a PC card by having one element (40) of an RF connector in the host device into which the card is inserted. The card has a second element (30) of the RF connector. The two elements are arranged opposite each other when the card is fully inserted into the host device. In this way, a capacitive coupling can be provided between the respective circuits of the card and the host device. RF signals may, accordingly, be transmitted to and from the host device and the PC card.

PCMCIA RF connector

A new IC card is described, which can fit into standard card-receiving hosts that each has a host connector with 68 contact positions; however, the new IC card has more than 68 card contacts that can mate with more than 68 host connector contacts. The new IC card is designed to be inserted into a host stack of at least two vertically-spaced hosts. The new IC card includes upper and lower card connectors that each have 68 contact positions in accordance with PCMCIA specifications, and has a card frame that holds the two card connectors at a spacing equal to the vertical spacing of the host connectors. The card frame has slots on either side to receive mid walls that form parts of the host edge guideways, the card frame also including a slot at the front between the upper and lower card contacts to receive a separation wall of the host stack which separates the host connectors. The new card can have a key that operates at least one switch on a modified host stack, to sense the insertion of the new card and couple the host connector contacts to circuitry designed to connect to the new card.

Stacked IC card assembly for insertion into stacked receiver

An electronic device has a host with a card-receiving slot, with the host being capable of receiving and operating low voltage-low current (3.3 volts and no more than 0.12 amp) cards, low voltage-high current cards, high voltage (5 volts)--low current cards, and high voltage-high current cards. The inner end of the slot has a voltage-discriminating first side and an opposite current-discriminating second side. Each side has a switch with an actuator lying at a location that is occupied by a discrimination key portion that is present in one kind of card (low voltage or low current) but not in another kind of card (high voltage or high current). The electronic device has different circuits for energizing or rejecting the types of card sensed by the switches.

Universal PC card host

Stacked IC card assembly for insertion into stacked receivers

An electronic device has a host with a card-receiving slot, and can receive and operate with both low voltage (3 volts) and high voltage (5 volts) IC (integrated circuit) cards. The inner end of the slot has a voltage-discriminating first side, and has a switch (82, FIG. 5) with an actuator (80) lying at a location that is occupied by a discrimination key portion (69) that is present in a low voltage card but not a high voltage card. The electronic device has both lower and higher voltage circuits (124, 130) for energizing lower and higher voltage cards, and the type of card sensed by the switch determines which circuit is connected to contacts at the inner end of the slot.

Multi-voltage IC card host

A card-receiving host having a simple push latch/unlatch mechanism to aid in withdrawal of an inserted IC card. The host (24, FIG. 2) has dual push latch/unlatch mechanisms (54) which allows the card (16) to be fully inserted and latched when first pushed forward, and, after a second push on the card, unlatches the mechanisms and moves the card rearward by an amount predetermined by the latch implementation to facilitate grasping it to pull it out of the host. In one arrangement the host connector has a male pin assembly that is free to move in and out to accommodate the latch lost motion and to provide the means to transfer the latch spring pressure and motion to the IC card for its rearward travel. The host connector male pins are, in this implementation, terminated to the electronic device frame via a flexible cable (94), in another system (FIG. 9), a pair of actuators, (164, 166), are implemented to operate the latch mechanisms and can be implemented such that the second thrust of the card (to unlatch), will cause the card to be pushed out far enough so that the card contacts (50) are substantially unmated from the host connector contacts, (172).

IC card-receiving host

An adapter cable and card for interfacing a personal computer to a local area network or other type of computer network which can operate on either of two types of media. The cable uses a symmetrical plug connector which mates with a receptacle connector on the adapter card in either a first position, or a second position which is 180 degrees rotated from the first position. In the first position, signal lines for one type of media are connected and signal lines for the other type of media are disconnected. In the second position, signal lines for the second type of media are connected, and signal lines for the first type are disconnected. The disconnection of the unused conductors allows the drive circuits for unused type of media to remain active without causing electromagnetic interference problems.

Growing community of inventors

Raleigh, NC, United States of America

Edward A Kantner