U.S. patent application number 09/757239 was filed with the patent office on 2002-07-11 for video-game memory card expansion connector.
Invention is credited to Hung, Hsien Chung.
Application Number | 20020090998 09/757239 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25046981 |
Filed Date | 2002-07-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020090998 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hung, Hsien Chung |
July 11, 2002 |
Video-game memory card expansion connector
Abstract
A video-game memory card expansion connector includes a housing
having a card slot for a memory card supplied by an original
manufacturer of the video game to insert thereinto and a plug head
adapted to plug onto a main unit of the video game, and an
expansion circuit provided in the housing and including at least
one data control element and at least one memory element, as well
as at least a group of memory card contacts adapted to electrically
connect to the memory card inserted into the card slot and a
connecting head adapted to electrically connect to a circuit in the
video-game main unit for connecting the expansion circuit to the
video-game main unit. The at least one data control element enables
the at least one memory element of the expansion circuit to read
out and write in data and to be compatible with the memory card
supplied by the original manufacturer of the video-game main unit,
allowing the video-game main unit to have an expanded memory
capacity.
Inventors: |
Hung, Hsien Chung; (Chung Li
City, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Keith Kline
PRO-TECHTOR INTERNATIONAL SERVICES
20775 Norada Court
Saratoga
CA
95070-3018
US
|
Family ID: |
25046981 |
Appl. No.: |
09/757239 |
Filed: |
January 8, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/45 ;
463/44 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2300/206 20130101;
A63F 13/02 20130101; A63F 13/95 20140902 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/45 ;
463/44 |
International
Class: |
A63F 009/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A video-game memory card expansion connector, comprising: a
housing being provided at two opposite ends separately with a card
slot for a memory card supplied by an original manufacturer of the
video game to insert thereinto and a plug head adapted to plug onto
a main unit of the video game; and an expansion circuit being
provided in said housing at a predetermined position and including
at least a group of memory card contacts corresponding to said card
slot and a connecting head corresponding to said plug head, such
that said memory card provided by the original manufacturer
inserted into said card slot is connected to said memory card
contacts in said housing and said connecting head connects said
expansion circuit to said video-game main unit; and said expansion
circuit also including at least one memory element and at least one
data control element, said at least one data control element being
capable of obtaining from said video-game main unit a driving code
that is needed to enable a memory function of said video game, and
then sending out a control signal to enable said at least one
memory element to read out and write in data and to incorporate
said at least one memory element into a data read-out and write-in
function of said memory card supplied by the original manufacturer
needed by said video-game main unit, making said memory card
expansion connector workable to provide said video-game main unit
an expanded memory.
2. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
1, wherein said card slot at one end of said housing has a
rectangular profile.
3. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
1, wherein said expansion circuit includes a pair of said data
control elements, a first data control element of which obtaining
from said video-game main unit said driving code supplied by the
original manufacturer and sending said driving code to a second
data control element of said pair of data control elements, said
second data control element, on receipt of said driving code,
sending out a control signal to enable said at least one memory
element to read out and write in data, making said memory card
expansion connector workable to provide said video-game main unit
an expanded memory.
4. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
1, wherein said housing is in a form of a card and has a connecting
case electrically connected to a first end of said housing via a
power cord connected to said expansion circuit; said card-shaped
housing having a second end adapted to plug into said card slot
provided on said video-game main unit, and said connecting case
being provided with a card slot into which said memory card
supplied by the original manufacturer for said video-game main unit
is inserted.
5. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
4, wherein said connecting case is provided in said card slot with
a group of memory card contacts for electrically connecting said
memory card inserted into said card slot to said video-game main
unit via said power cord and said expansion circuit in said
housing.
6. A video-game memory card expansion connector, comprising: a
housing being provided at two opposite ends separately with a card
slot for a memory card supplied by an original manufacturer of the
video game to insert thereinto and a plug head adapted to plug onto
a main unit of the video game; and an expansion circuit being
provided in said housing at a predetermined position and including
at least a group of memory card contacts corresponding to said card
slot and a connecting head corresponding to said plug head, such
that said memory card provided by the original manufacturer
inserted into said card slot is connected to said memory card
contacts in said housing and said connecting head connects said
expansion circuit to said video-game main unit; and said expansion
circuit also including at least one memory element and at least one
data control element, said data control element, according to an
internally stored driving code data, being capable of sending out a
control signal to enable said at least one memory element to read
out and write in data and to incorporate said at least one memory
element into a data read-out and write-in function of said memory
card supplied by the original manufacturer needed by said
video-game main unit, making said memory card expansion connector
workable to provide said video-game main unit an expanded
memory.
7. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
6, wherein said housing is in a form of a card and has a connecting
case electrically connected to a first end of said housing via a
power cord connected to said expansion circuit; said card-shaped
housing having a second end adapted to plug into said card slot
provided on said video-game main unit, and said connecting case
being provided with a card slot into which said memory card
supplied by the original manufacturer for said video-game main unit
is inserted.
8. A video-game memory card expansion connector as claimed in claim
7, wherein said connecting case is provided in said card slot with
a group of memory card contacts for electrically connecting said
memory card inserted into said card slot to said video-game main
unit via said power cord and said expansion circuit in said
housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a video-game memory card
expansion connector, and more particularly to a memory expansion
device to which a memory card supplied by an original manufacturer
of the video-game main unit is connected to expand the memory
capacity of the video-game main unit.
[0002] Home video games are widely welcomed by children and young
men. A lot of video games are products of high technologies and
provide high quality amusements. For example, Japanese firm SONY
has developed its PLAY STATION II series video games that are
famous for an excellent 3D plotting function. Factors that decide
the running speed or the 3D plotting function of a video game
include not only functions of the microprocessor and the plotting
chip in the main unit of the video games, but also a memory element
thereof for powerful and complete data access. Video games like the
above-mentioned PLAY STATION II series use externally connected
memory cards with which data about games are accessed. Such memory
cards have fixed memory capacities when they are supplied by the
manufacturers and could not be expanded or changed. That is, these
original memory cards decide the games available for users and the
possibility of expansion of the memory capacity for video games.
For example, one single memory card that could provide only one
single game causes inconveniences to users in operating the video
games and result in limited running speed, 3D plotting function or
data access speed of the main units of the video games. It also
adversely affects the development and application of games
requiring large memory capacities.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to
provide a video-game memory card expansion connector that allows a
user to obtain additional memory compatible with the original
memory card for the video-game main unit simply by inserting the
memory card of the video game into the memory card expansion
connector. Whereby, more games and games requiring large memory
capacities could be selected for play on the same video-game main
unit at optimal running speed to show excellent 3D plotting
function. Moreover, games requiring large memory capacities could
be developed for and run on the video games.
[0004] To achieve the above and other objects, the video-game
memory card expansion connector of the present invention mainly
includes a housing being provided at two opposite ends separately
with a card slot for a memory card supplied by an original
manufacturer of the video game to insert thereinto and a plug head
adapted to plug into a card slot provided on a main unit of the
video game, and an expansion circuit being provided in the housing
at a predetermined position and including at least a group of
memory card contacts corresponding to the card slot on the housing
and a connecting head corresponding to the plug head, such that the
memory card provided by the original manufacturer inserted into the
card slot on the housing is connected to the memory card contacts
in the expansion circuit and the connecting head connects the
expansion circuit to memory card contacts provided in the
video-game main unit. The expansion circuit also includes at least
one memory element and at least one data control element. The at
least one data control element controls coupling of data to enable
the memory element to read out and write in data and to incorporate
the read and write functions of the memory element into that of the
memory card supplied by the original manufacturer of the video-game
main unit, making the memory card expansion connector compatible
with the video-game main unit for the latter to obtain expanded
memory.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The structure and the technical means adopted by the present
invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best
understood by referring to the following detailed description of
the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings,
wherein
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective of a video-game memory card
expansion connector according to a first embodiment of the present
invention;
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the video-game memory
expansion connector of FIG. 1, showing memory card contacts and
expansion circuit provided therein;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top sectional view of the video-game memory
expansion connector of FIG. 1, showing a memory card supplied by an
original manufacturer is inserted into the video-game memory card
expansion connector of the present invention;
[0009] FIG. 4 is a perspective of a video-game memory card
expansion connector according to a second embodiment of the present
invention, showing a differently designed housing thereof;
[0010] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the
expansion circuit adopted by the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the
expansion circuit adopted by the present invention;
[0012] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the
expansion circuit adopted by the present invention; and
[0013] FIG. 8 is a perspective of a video-game memory card
expansion connector according to a third embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0014] Please refer to FIG. 1 in which a video-game memory card
expansion connector according to a first embodiment of the present
invention is shown. For the purpose of simplicity, the video-game
memory card expansion connector shall be briefly referred to as the
expansion connector hereinafter and denoted by reference numeral
100 in all accompanying figures. As can be seen from FIG. 1, the
expansion connector 100 mainly includes a housing 10 that may be of
any configuration but is provided at two opposite ends separately
with a card slot 11 for a memory card 200 supplied by an original
manufacturer of the video game to insert thereinto, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3, and a plug head 12 adapted to plug into a card slot
provided on a main unit 300 of the video game (not shown in FIGS.
1, 2 and 3). At least one suitable mark 121 is provided at an outer
surface of the plug head 12 to indicate a direction in which the
plug head 12 is plugged onto the video-game main unit 300. An
expansion circuit 20 is provided in the housing 10 at a
predetermined position. In a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, the expansion circuit 20 is provided in the housing 10
so as to locate below the memory card 200 as shown in FIG. 2. The
expansion circuit 20 includes at least a group of memory card
contacts 21 corresponding to the card slot 11 and a connecting head
22 corresponding to the plug head 12. The memory card 200 provided
by the original manufacturer is inserted into the card slot 11 to
electrically connect to the memory card contacts 21, as shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3, and the connecting head 22 connects the expansion
circuit 20 to memory card contacts (not shown) provided in the
video-game main unit 300, such that the memory card 200, the
expansion circuit 20, and the video-game main unit 300 are
electrically connected to one another.
[0015] FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the present invention
that is structurally the same as that of the first embodiment shown
in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, except that an appearance of the housing 10
and a shape of the card slot 11 in this second embodiment are
differently designed. The card slot 11 has a rectangular profile in
the first embodiment and is changed to a curvy triangle in the
second embodiment to make the entire expansion connector 100 of the
present invention looked more attractive.
[0016] Please refer to FIG. 5 that is a block diagram of a first
embodiment of the expansion circuit 20. In this embodiment, the
expansion circuit 20 includes at least one memory element 23 and at
least one data control element 24. The at least one data control
element 24 is electrically connected to the video-game main unit
300 in order to obtain from the main unit 300 a driving code X
supplied by the original manufacturer of the video game. When the
main unit 300 completes necessary tests and the at least one memory
element 23 is verified to be compatible with the video-game main
unit 300 and the driving code X for the memory card 200, the at
least one data control element 24 is able to use the driving code X
to send out a control signal Y to directly enable the at least one
memory element 23 to read out and write into data, and to
incorporate a data bus D1 of the at least one memory element 23
into a data bus D2 of the memory card 200, allowing the main unit
300 to use not only the memory card 200 but also the at least one
memory element 23 to expand its memory when running games.
[0017] FIG. 6 shows a block diagram of a second embodiment of the
expansion circuit 20. In the second embodiment, the expansion
circuit 20 also includes at least one memory element 23 and at
least one data control element 24. However, the driving code X in
the first embodiment of FIG. 5 is now internally recorded on the at
least one data control element 24 in this second embodiment. In
this case, when the expansion circuit 20 is actuated, it is not
necessary to obtain the driving code X from the video-game main
unit 300. The at least one data control element 24 directly uses
the internally stored driving code X to send out the control signal
Y to the at least one memory element 23. Similarly, the control
signal Y enables the at least one memory element 23 to read out and
write in data, allowing the data bus D1 of the memory element 23 to
incorporate into the data bus D2 of the memory card 200 and
therefore couple the present invention with the memory card 200
supplied by the original manufacturer of the video game. This
design also enables the main unit 300 to obtain expanded memory
just as the case shown in FIG. 5.
[0018] FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of the expansion circuit 20.
In this third embodiment, the expansion circuit 20 includes at
least one memory element 23 and a pair of data control elements 24,
25. Wherein, the first data control element 24 obtains from the
video-game main unit 300 the driving code X for the memory card 200
supplied by the original manufacturer and the main unit 300
completes tests of the at least one memory element 23 to valid the
latter. Thereafter, data including the driving code X and testing
results are sent to the second data control element 25 for the same
to send out a control signal Y to enable the at least one memory
element 23 to read out and write in data, and to incorporate the
data bus D1 of the at least one memory element 23 into the data bus
D2 of the memory card 200, allowing the present invention to couple
with the memory card 200 to expand the memory capacities of the
video-game main unit 300, just as in the cases shown in FIGS. 5 and
6.
[0019] With the above arrangements, an even more accurate
functional division of electric circuit is possible. Each one
single element in a circuit of the video game needs not to store
data while executing different electrical functions. This design
enables accurate and efficient operation of the expansion circuit
20 and reduces probabilities of failure in the entire circuit of
the video game.
[0020] FIG. 8 shows an expansion connector 100 according to a third
embodiment of the present invention. In this third embodiment, the
expansion connector 100 includes a housing 10 in the form of a
card. A plug head 12' provided at one end of the housing 10 is
adapted to plug into a card slot provided on the video-game main
unit 300, and a connecting case 500 is connected via a power cord
400 to another end of the housing 10 opposite to the plug head 12'.
The connecting case 500 is provided with a card slot 510 into which
the memory card 200 supplied by the original manufacturer of the
video game is inserted. A group of memory card contacts 21' are
provided in the card slot 510 to, on the one hand, electrically
contact an end of the memory card 200 inserted into the card slot
510, and on the other hand, electrically connect via the power cord
400 to the expansion circuit 20 provided in the housing 10. Through
the same electrical operations of the expansion circuit 20 as that
described in the first, the second, and the third embodiments of
the expansion circuit 20 shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, at least one
memory element 23 in the expansion circuit 20 of this embodiment is
compatible with and incorporated into the memory card 200 supplied
by the original manufacturer to expand the memory capacity of the
video-game main unit 300. The expansion connector 100 of this third
embodiment is particularly advantageous for use because it allows
the connecting case 500 to locate in the vicinity of a user and
therefore easy access to and replacement of the memory card 200.
The video-game main unit 300 can therefore be more conveniently
controlled at a remote place.
[0021] The following summarizes some advantages of the present
invention that make it industrially practical for use:
[0022] 1. The present invention provides an expanded memory
capacity to the memory card 200 supplied by the original
manufacturer, so that more games are available on the video-game
main unit 300 and the latter could be operated in a more convenient
manner, run at increased speed, and show excellent 3D drawing
effect.
[0023] 2. The expansion connector 100 of the present invention can
be conveniently and easily operated. Loading of a driver for the
video game onto the memory card 200 and the at least one memory
element 23, testing of the compatibility of the at least one memory
element 23 with the memory card 200, and incorporation of the at
least one memory element 23 into the memory card 200 all can be
automatically completed.
[0024] 3. The at least one memory element 23 is not limited to any
fixed memory capacity and is therefore beneficial to the
development and application of game programs requiring high memory
capacity for running on the video-game main unit 300.
[0025] The present invention provides a simple way to enable
expanded memory for general video-game main units, such as the Play
Station II Series developed by SONY, through automatic test of
compatibility of an expanded memory with the original memory card,
and incorporation of the compatible expanded memory into the
original memory card, making it possible to develop large scaled
and high memory capacity video-game programs and increase
industrial and commercial value of the video games.
[0026] The present invention has been described with some preferred
embodiments thereof and it is understood that many changes and
modifications in the described embodiments can be carried out
without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention
that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.
* * * * *