CN100397322C - Portable Data Storage Device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable data storage device, at least comprising: a universal serial bus connector; a volatile memory for reading and writing the stored data; a control chip connected between the universal sequence bus connector and the volatile memory for being used as a transmission interface with an external electronic device; a rechargeable battery for providing the power required by the volatile memory for storing data; a battery charging circuit connected between the universal serial bus connector and the rechargeable battery for charging the rechargeable battery. Therefore, the function of higher processing speed and cost saving can be achieved.

Description

Portable Data Storage Device

technical field

The present invention relates to a portable data storage device, in particular to a portable data storage device using an electronic memory for data read and write access.

Background technique

With the rapid development of science and technology, computer-related products are introduced at an extremely fast speed, making the application of computers more powerful. For example, the hard disk has increased from the initial 10MB to the current 80GB or even higher, and its growth rate is as high as 8000 times, so that it can store a larger amount of more delicate digital data.

Existing data storage devices are roughly divided into two categories. The first category is electronic solid-state memory devices, such as read-only memory (ROM) and random-access memory (RAM). These memories are usually embedded in computers and cannot be used independently.

The second type of storage device is a surface-based data storage device, such as a magnetic disk and an optical disk. Although this type of data storage device can be used portablely, it requires a mechanical drive mechanism to be erected or coupled to a computer to allow the data of the storage device to be transferred from the computer. read. In addition, the combination of such a memory device and its mechanical driving mechanism is usually very bulky, and data transmission takes a long time, which is very inconvenient to use.

Therefore, in the past, to transfer files between two computers, a floppy disk must be used to download files from one computer, and then read the files from another computer to achieve mutual transfer. However, the capacity of the floppy disk is only 1.44MB. If you want to transfer 1.5 Files larger than MB cannot be used. Due to the development of the Internet, files can be sent by e-mail to achieve the effect of mutual transfer of files; however, the most common situation encountered by business technicians is that when they want to present at the customer's place, they find that their own pictures and texts The presentation file is about 10MB. Sending it to the customer by email may paralyze the customer's email system or fill up the other party's email space. Burn it into a CD and carry it, but you can't change some of the content afterwards. Bearing the pain to go out with a heavy notebook computer, to the meeting room either the power cord is not long enough, or the worst situation: the image output of my notebook computer does not match the signal of the projector of the other party, and the output image is full of noise. The chances of these situations may be small, but if they happen once, it is enough to completely invalidate the effect of the well-arranged meeting. This is entirely for the trouble caused by not having a suitable removable data storage device that can be installed anywhere to store a file that is not too big or too small.

Because the most common interface of computers is the universal serial bus (USB) interface, it makes the external input and output components of high-function personal computers and workstations have plug-and-play functions, and has the following three advanced features:

1. It is easy to use through hot swapping and automatic setting.

2. Standard connection points and simplified connector design.

3. Simple expansion through a stacked star hub topology (Tiered-Star Hub Topology).

Currently, there is version 1.1 of the USB specification, with a speed of up to 12Mbps. In addition, the speed of USB 2.0 is even higher at 480Mbps. USB2.0 was published by Microsoft in WinHEC in April 2000, and the specification was formulated by USB Promoters Group. Its maximum transmission rate will be increased from 12Mbps of USB1.1 to 480Mbps, and it is compatible with original USB1.1 products. Its thin, light and small features are suitable for embedded/portable devices. The characteristics of high transmission rate and large storage space are more suitable for multimedia products. Plug and play is the biggest advantage of USB. Once plugged into the computer, it will automatically work, saving a lot of trouble in use. USB2.0 has the feature of backward compatibility. Its interface connectors and wires are the same. Even if the USB1.1 peripheral is connected to a USB2.0 computer, it can still work. Therefore, consumers now invest in USB1.1 equipment. , can not be used because the USB provided by the host computer is changed to a higher-speed 2.0 version, so a portable memory combined with a USB interface is developed. This kind of portable memory combines a USB interface and a flash memory for data read and write access, and its capacity has been developed to 512MB or even 1GB, which is more than enough for storing generally large files, and it uses USB plug-and-play It is very convenient and practical for the mutual transmission of large files between two computers.

Flash memory (Flash Memory), its storage unit is called a basic bit (Cell), and its internal component MOS between the gate (Gate) and the channel (Channel), compared with the traditional one layer of oxide insulation layer (GateOxide), and An extra layer of Float Gate is added. Also because of this layer of floating gate, the flash memory can operate in three modes: writing, reading, and erasing. When negative electrons are injected into the floating gate, the basic bit Cell is written from 1 to 0. When the negative electrons are removed, the basic bit Cell is equivalent to changing from 0 to 1, which is equivalent to the action of erasing .

In addition, with the adoption of many technologies to inject or remove the negative charge stored in the floating gate, the flash memory can have the characteristics of repeated reading and writing, and the flash memory can still retain the data inside the basic bits after the power supply is interrupted. At present, with the advancement of technology, the read and write life of flash memory is about 100,000 times according to the website of the flash memory manufacturer. Therefore, it is a very suitable storage solution to use it as a substitute for disk.

Due to the electrical charge and discharge characteristics of flash memory, its read and write times are physically limited. For reading and writing of a flash memory block, the manufacturer will count the number of reads and writes in the internal firmware to reach the maximum number of reads and writes specified. , that block will be marked as an unused area, so it is possible that the capacity of the flash memory will decrease as it is used extremely frequently. At present, the price of flash memory remains high and there is a serious shortage of goods. As a result, manufacturers who need flash memory not only have to bear high costs, but also have to worry about the loss caused by the shortage of factories. In this era of meager profits, it cannot be ignored. In addition, flash memory is more like a storage device than a general random access memory, because when a computer is powered off, the data stored in the flash memory will not be lost. It reads data at the same speed as a general read-only memory, but when writing data, the original data must be cleared, and then new data must be written, so it will take a long time, which is another feature of flash memory. One disadvantage. Therefore, although the USB is an interface capable of high-speed data transmission, the data access speed of the flash memory is too slow and can only reach about 10% of the USB2.0 transmission speed, so the efficiency is not ideal.

Contents of the invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a portable data storage device that utilizes an electronic memory as a data read-write access, so as to achieve faster processing speed and cost-saving effects, wherein the electronic memory is a dynamic Random Access Memory DRAM or a Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory SDRAM.

Also, DRAM, dynamic random access memory, is the most commonly used memory in computers at present. The so-called main memory (SD-RAM) refers to the memory modules (MemoryModule) made of DRAM chips. When the computer is running, the system uses DRAM to store temporary data, programs, and various information in the calculation process; and these data are stored or read by the CPU, display card, and other computer peripherals. It is called DRAM because this type of memory needs to be charged, and the unit of memory storage is to store charge in a very small capacitor, because it is like a very small capacitor, so the capacitor must be charged within a period of time to keep it. original voltage. In the computer, as long as the address of the bit (bit) is read once, the bit can be charged once, and no additional charging circuit is required. This action is called Refreshed, which is a unique feature of DRAM. , and thus lower cost. As for SDRAM, the principle of synchronous dynamic random access memory is almost the same as that of DRAM. The difference is that SDRAM can be synchronized with the clock of the CPU to remove the time delay and improve the efficiency of memory access. Therefore, data transmission via DRAM or SDRAM and USB2.0 can give full play to its full speed performance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable data storage device that utilizes an electronic memory as a read-out storage data, so as to achieve faster processing speed and cost-saving effects.

To achieve the above purpose, the portable data storage device according to the present invention at least includes: a universal serial bus connector; an electrical memory for reading and writing stored data; a control chip connected to the universal serial bus Between the connector and the electrical memory, it is used as a transmission interface with an external electronic device; a rechargeable battery can provide the power required for the electrical memory to store data; a battery charging circuit is connected to the universal The rechargeable battery can be charged between the serial bus connector and the rechargeable battery.

The universal serial bus connector is USB2.0 version.

The dependent memory can be a dynamic random access memory.

The dependent memory can be a synchronous dynamic random access memory.

The control chip includes a USB serial interface engine, a micro-processing unit, a firmware code unit, a program random access memory and a random access memory storage module.

The external electronic device can be a computer, a digital camera, a digital video recorder, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a printer or an electronic calculator.

The rechargeable battery charges the power of the external electronic device through the USB connector and through the charging circuit.

Thus, the effects of faster processing speed and cost saving can be achieved.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is an action flowchart of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an action flow chart of the control chip in the present invention.

Description of figure number

1 Universal serial bus connector 2 Universal serial bus 5V power supply

A External Electronics B Battery Charger

C Rechargeable battery D Control chip

E Universal Serial Bus serial interface engine F Microprocessing unit

G Firmware Code Unit H Program Random Access Memory

I Random Access Memory Storage Module J Dependency Memory

Detailed ways

Please as shown in Figure 1, be the action flowchart of the present invention, as shown in the figure: this portable data storage device mainly comprises: a universal serial bus (USB) connector 1, an electrical memory J, a control Chip D, a battery charging circuit B, and a rechargeable battery C; wherein, the electrical memory J can be a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), the prices of DRAM and SDRAM It is cheaper and can match the transmission speed of USB2.0, so it can achieve the effect of faster processing speed and cost saving. The portable data storage device is connected to an external electronic device A by a universal serial bus (USB) connector 1 for data transmission, and the data is processed by the control chip D and then stored in an electrical memory J , and the rechargeable battery C is charged by the battery charging circuit B connected between the 5V power supply 2 and the rechargeable battery C on the universal serial bus (USB), so as to store and maintain the electric memory J data. Wherein, the external electronic device can be a computer, a digital camera, a digital video recorder, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a printer or an electronic calculator.

As shown in FIG. 2 , it is an action flowchart of the control chip in the present invention. As shown in the figure: the control chip D includes a universal serial bus serial interface engine (USB SIE) E, a microprocessing unit F, a firmware code unit G, a program random access memory H and a random memory Take memory storage module I. The Universal Serial Bus Serial Interface Engine (USB SIE) E is connected to the USB connector 1. When data is written, the data of the external electronic device A can be transmitted to the control chip D through this, and the data is then transmitted by the control chip. The micro-processing unit F, the firmware code unit G, the program random access memory H and the random access memory storage module I in D perform calculation and processing, and write and store the data into the electrical memory J to complete the writing of data store. Among them, the micro-processing unit F is similar to the CPU in a computer, and is responsible for computing, controlling data flow, and resource allocation; the firmware code unit G is composed of several instructions, which can command the action of the micro-processing unit F; the program is stored in random The memory H is used as a data buffer to provide data temporary storage; the random access memory storage module I transmits data to the electrical memory J for storage.

Storing data by an electrical memory J can not only improve the existing problem of high cost of flash memory, but also improve the overall working speed and make the efficiency higher.

Moreover, charging via USB can only support two charging rates of 100mA and 500mA due to the limitation of its own specifications, so a rechargeable battery charged by USB is designed in the present invention to provide the power required for DRAM or SDRAM to store data. Therefore, the portable data storage device of the present invention can achieve the effect of faster processing speed and cost saving.

To sum up, the design of the portable data storage device of the present invention is indeed feasible, and has improved various shortcomings of the prior art. In order to meet the statutory requirements for an invention patent, an application for an invention patent shall be filed in accordance with the law.

The above descriptions are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention; all other equivalent changes or modifications that do not deviate from the spirit disclosed in the present invention should be included in the patent rights. within the required range.

Claims (7)

1. a Portable data storage device is characterized in that, comprises at least:

One general-purpose serial bus connector;

One according to electrical internal memory, stores data in order to read-write;

One control chip is connected in this general-purpose serial bus connector and should be according between the electrical internal memory, in order to as with the transmission interface of external electronic;

One rechargeable battery can provide this to comply with the required electric power of electrical memory storage data;

One battery charger is connected between this general-purpose serial bus connector and this rechargeable battery, can be with this rechargeable battery charging.

2. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, this general-purpose serial bus connector is the USB2.0 version.

3. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, should can be a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) according to electrical internal memory.

4. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, should can be a synchronous DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) according to electrical internal memory.

5. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, this control chip includes a USB serial interface engine, a microprocessing unit, a firmware code unit, a program random access memory and a random access memory memory module.

6. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that this external electronic can be a computing machine, a digital camera, a digital video tape recorder, a mobile phone, a personal digital assistant, a printer or an electronic calculator.

7. Portable data storage device as claimed in claim 1 is characterized in that, this rechargeable battery charges through this general-purpose serial bus connector the electric power of this external electronic via this charging circuit.

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