The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 11, 2002
Filed:
May. 20, 1999
Steven F Liepe, Ft Collins, CO (US);
Hewlett-Packard Company, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
A method and apparatus for increasing the amount of memory available to a host device that utilizes flash memory are disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, a flash card comprising flash memory and a transmitter for transmitting data via wireless communication is utilized within a host device. Such flash card may store data in its flash memory, and may transmit data from the flash card to an extended storage device via wireless communication. In a preferred embodiment, such wireless communication is radio frequency (RF). Data transfer from the flash card to an extended storage device may be initiated by a mechanism on the flash card or on the host device. In a preferred embodiment, the flash card further comprises a receiver for receiving wireless signals. In such an embodiment, an extended storage device may initiate a data transfer by transmitting the appropriate signals to the flash card. In a preferred embodiment, an extended storage device may comprise a transmitter for further transmitting the data to another storage device(s). Such transmitter may be a more powerful transmitter than provided in the flash card, such that the extended storage device may transmit data to a more remote location. Advantageously, in a preferred embodiment an extended storage device may be a less expensive form of storage than flash memory.