Method and an apparatus of flash cards access

Abstract

A method for flash cards access is provided, said method comprises detecting signals from specific pins of slots of flash cards and determining flash card insertion according to said signals. Said method further comprises disabling flash cards by sending signals for at least one pin of other flash cards' slots.

1 . A method for accessing flash memory card, comprising 
 detecting at least one signal from at least one pin belonging to a plurality of flash memory card slots,    determining the type of flash memory card inserted base on said signals,    sending at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of any other memory card slots to disable any other memory cards.    
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein methods for sending at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of any other memory card slots to disable any other memory cards is achieved by one of the following: 
 sending a control signal to at least one disable pin of other memory card slots after detecting the insertion of a first memory card; and    monitoring for signals from slots other than the first memory card slot after the insertion of a first memory card is detected, and then sending out a control signal to the second memory card slot to disable the card that is inserted after the first memory card is detected.    
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , when the first flash memory card inserted is Compact Flash card, send at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of other slots to disable flash memory cards inserted to slots other than the first memory card slot, the inserted memory card could be any of the following type: Compact flash card, smart media card, secure digital card/multi media card and memory stick card.  
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , when the first flash memory card inserted is Smart Media card, send at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of other slots to disable flash memory cards inserted to slots other than the first memory card slot, the inserted memory card could be any of the following type: Compact Flash card, Smart Media Card, Secure Digital Card/Multi Media Card and Memory Stick Card.  
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , when the first flash memory card inserted is Secure Digital/Multi Media card, send at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of other slots to disable flash memory cards inserted to slots other than the first memory card slot, the inserted memory card could be any of the following type: Compact Flash card, Smart Media Card, Secure Digital Card/Multi Media Card and Memory Stick Card.  
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , when the first flash memory card inserted is Memory Stick card, send at least one control signal to at least one disable pin of other slots to disable flash memory cards inserted to slots other than the first memory card slot the inserted memory card could be any of the following type: Compact Flash card, Smart Media Card, Secure Digital Card/Multi Media Card and Memory Stick Card.  
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pin CFRESET of other memory card slots to pull pin CFRESET high continuously, such that the any CF card inserted in other slots will not be enabled.  
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to CFCS 0  and CFCS 1  to pull CFCS 0  and CFCS 1  high continuously, such that CFCS 0  and CFCS 1 , CFCS 0  and CFCS 1  cannot control other pins of the CF card and therefore CF cards in other slots are not enabled.  
   
   
       9 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pull SMCE_ of other slots high continuously to prevent SM cards in any other slots from being enabled.  
   
   
       10 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pull SDCLK of other slots continuously high or low, such that the SD card inserted other slots are not enabled.  
   
   
       11 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pull SDCMD pin of other slots continuously high so that SD cards in other slots will not receive signal to activate and remains disabled.  
   
   
       12 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pull MSCLK continuously high or continuously low; MS cards in other slots remain disabled since there is no transition at pin MSCLK.  
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein control signal is sent to pull MSBS of other slots continuously high so that MS cards in other slots will not receive signal to activate and remains disabled.  
   
   
       14 . A device which operates unaffected by the insertion of other types of flash memory cards comprising; 
 a detection module which detects the insertion of a first flash memory card into a flash memory card slot;    an accessing module which access data in said first flash memory card; and    a disabling module which disables at least one flash memory card inserted on other than said first flash memory card.    
   
   
       15 . The device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the kind of the inserted first flash memory card type is determined by where the detected signal is from; that is the pin and the slot of the signal origin is used to determine the card type.  
   
   
       16 . The device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the disabling module send signals to particular pins in slots other than the one with said first flash memory card to disable any flash memory cards inserted in other than said first flash memory card.  
   
   
       17 . The device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the device further comprises a bus between flash memory card interface and said modules for transferring data between the accessing module and the flash memory card interface.  
   
   
       18 . The device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the device further comprises a flash memory card device for connecting flash memory card and the bus.  
   
   
       19 . The device as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the flash memory card interface consists of at least two flash memory card slots.  
   
   
       20 . The device as recited in  claim 14  wherein pins of different slots for transferring data in flash memory cards are interconnected