Removable Mother/Daughter Peripheral Card

Abstract

A peripheral card having a Personal Computer (“PC”) card form factor and removably coupled externally to a host system is further partitioned into a mother card portion and a daughter card portion. The daughter card is removably coupled to the mother card. In the preferred embodiment, a low cost flash “floppy” is accomplished with the daughter card containing only flash EEPROM chips and being controlled by a memory controller residing on the mother card. Other aspects of the invention includes a comprehensive controller on the mother card able to control a predefined set of peripherals on daughter cards connectable to the mother card; relocation of some host resident hardware to the mother card to allow for a minimal host system; a mother card that can accommodate multiple daughter cards; daughter cards that also operates directly with hosts having embedded controllers; daughter cards carrying encoded data and information for decoding it; and daughter cards with security features.

1 . A non-volatile memory device assembly, comprising:
 a memory card comprising:   a first connector whereby the memory card can be removably coupled to a first host; the first host having a controller function that encodes user data, wherein the memory card lacks the memory controller function;   a flash array;   user data stored in a first portion of the array, the user data encoded by and received from the first host; and   information useful to decode the encoded user data stored in a second portion of the array; and   a mother card comprising:   a second connector, whereby the mother card is removably connectable to the memory card by connecting of the first and second connectors to one another;   a third connector whereby the mother card can be removably coupled to a second host, wherein the third memory connector uses a different pin connector structure than the first connector's pin connector structure; and   a module having the controller function that decodes the encoded user data using said information when the mother card is removably coupled to the second host and the memory card is removably connectable to the mother card, the user data being transferable from the memory card to the second host via the mother card,   wherein the information useful to decode the stored encoded user data includes a decoding algorithm to decode the encoded user data,   wherein the second host lacks the memory controller function, and   wherein when the memory card is connected to the mother care, the memory card receives from the mother card through the second and first connectors program and erase voltages for respective use in storing data in, and erasing of data from, the array.   
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the mother card further includes power conversion circuitry for generating the program and erase voltages. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , where the mother card further includes a flash system controller circuit. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the memory card includes a communication device. 
   
   
       5 . A method of storing user data on and retrieving user data from a non-volatile flash memory card, comprising:
 while a mother card is connected to a first host system, wherein the mother card includes a controller function for encoding data written to and decoding data read from the flash memory card and the first host system does not include the controller function the flash memory card is connected to the mother card, receiving at the flash memory card user data provided by the first host system and encoded via the controller function of mother card;   subsequently storing in the flash memory card the encoded user data along with decoding information useful to decode the stored encoded user data;   after the flash memory card is subsequently disconnected from the mother card and while thereafter connected to a second host system without use of the mother card, wherein the second host system includes the controller function, receiving a request from the second host system to read the encoded user data and the decoding information from the flash memory card; and   in response to the request, providing the encoded user data and the decoding information from the flash memory card to the second host system for decoding the read encoded user data, via the controller function of the second host system, by use of the decoding information read from the flash memory card, to thereby obtain the user data.   
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the decoding information useful to decode the encoded user data includes a decoding algorithm for recovering the user data stored on the flash memory card in an encoded form. 
   
   
       7 . A non-volatile memory card assembly, comprising:
 a daughter card comprising a flash EEPROM array, encoded user data stored in a first portion of the flash EEPROM array, and a first set of functional components stored in a second portion of the flash EEPROM array, said first set of functional components comprising functional components for decoding the encoded user data, said decoding including decompression and decryption processes; and   a mother card comprising a second set of functional components, said first and second sets of functional components forming a complete peripheral device.   
   
   
       8 . The non-volatile memory card assembly of  claim 7 , said first set of functional components comprising a decryption key or decryption function. 
   
   
       9 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 7 , said first set of functional components comprising a decompression function. 
   
   
       10 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 7 , said mother card having a controller capable of using the first set of functional components for decoding said user data. 
   
   
       11 . The data storage system of  claim 7 , said second set of functional components comprising a hardware driver. 
   
   
       12 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 7 , said first set of functional components comprising compression and decompression functions. 
   
   
       13 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 7 , said first set of functional components comprising encryption and decryption functions. 
   
   
       14 . A data storage system, comprising: a re-programmable non-volatile semiconductor memory, first data, second data stored in the memory of information useful to decode the first data, said second data including at least two different decoding functions, a controller operably connected with the memory to decode the first data by use of the second data, and a host connector electrically connected with the controller in a manner to pass the decoded first data therethrough and adapted for removable connection with different host devices, wherein the data storage system is formed in first and second cards that are removably connectable with each other through mating connectors, wherein the memory having the first and second data stored therein is located on the first card, and wherein the controller and host connector are located on the second card. 
   
   
       15 . The data storage system of  claim 14 , said second data of information comprising a decryption key or decryption function. 
   
   
       16 . The data storage system of  claim 14 , said second data of information comprising a decompression function. 
   
   
       17 . The data storage system of  claim 14 , said system further comprising a hardware driver on the second card. 
   
   
       18 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 14 , said second data of information comprising a decryption key or decryption function and a decompression function. 
   
   
       19 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 14 , said second data of information comprising compression and decompression functions. 
   
   
       20 . The non-volatile memory card of  claim 14 , said second data of information comprising encryption and decryption functions. 
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the second host system includes a camera and the user data includes visual field data obtained by the camera. 
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the first host system includes a personal computer. 
   
   
       23 . A method of storing user data on and retrieving user data from a non-volatile flash memory card, comprising:
 while the flash memory card is connected to a first host system, wherein the first host system includes a controller function for encoding data written to and decoding data read from the flash memory card, receiving in the flash memory card from the first host system encoded user data and decoding information, the received encoded user data being encoded by the controller function;   subsequently storing in the flash memory card the encoded user data along with the decoding information, wherein the decoding information is useful for decoding the stored encoded user data;   after the flash memory card is subsequently disconnected from the first host system and while thereafter connected to a mother card, the mother card being removably connected to a second host system, wherein the mother card includes the controller function and the second host system does not include the controller function, reading by the mother card of the encoded user data and the decoding information from the flash memory card; and   subsequently decoding the read encoded user data via the controller function of the mother card by use of the decoding information read from the flash memory card and providing the decoded read encoded user data to the second host system.   
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the decoding information useful to decode the encoded user data includes a decoding algorithm for recovering in un-encoded form the encoded user data stored on the memory card. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the first host system includes a camera and the user data includes visual field data obtained by the camera. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the second host system includes a personal computer. 
   
   
       27 . A method of storing user data on and retrieving user data from a non-volatile flash memory card, comprising:
 while the flash memory card is connected to a mother card that is removably connected to a first host system, wherein the mother card includes a controller function for encoding data written to and decoding data read from a flash memory card and the first host system does not include the controller function, receiving at the flash memory card user data received from the first host system and encoded via the controller function of mother card;   subsequently storing in the flash memory card the encoded user data along with decoding information useful to decode the stored encoded user data; and   after the flash memory card is subsequently disconnected from the mother card and while thereafter connected to a second host system without use of the mother card, wherein the second host system includes the controller function, providing the encoded user data and the decoding information from the flash memory card to the second host system in response to receiving a request from the second host system.   
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the decoding information useful to decode the encoded user data includes a decoding algorithm for recovering in un-encoded form the encoded user data stored on the memory card. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the second host system includes a camera and the user data includes visual field data obtained by the camera. 
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 29 , wherein the first host system includes a personal computer. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the flash memory card comprises a flash array and a first connector and the mother card comprises a second connector,
 whereby the flash memory card is removably connected to the mother card by connecting of the first and second connectors to one another, and   wherein the flash memory card receives from the mother card through the second and first connectors program and erase voltages for respective use in storing data in, and erasing of data from, the array in said storing of the encoded user data along with the decoding information useful to decode the stored encoded user data.   
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the mother card further includes power conversion circuitry for generating the program and erase voltages. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 31 , where the mother card further includes a flash system controller circuit. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 31 , where the mother card further includes a third connector whereby the mother card is removably coupled to the first host system, wherein the third memory connector uses a different pin connector structure from the first connectors pin connector structure, and wherein the flash memory card is connected to second host system by the first connector. 
   
   
       35 . A method of storing user data on and retrieving user data from a non-volatile flash memory card, comprising:
 while the flash memory card is connected to a first host system, wherein the first host system includes a controller function for encoding data written to and decoding data read from the flash memory card, receiving from the first host system user data encoded via the controller function of the first host system at the flash memory card;   receiving decoding information useful to decode the encoded user data at the flash memory card;   subsequently storing in the flash memory card the encoded user data along with the decoding information useful to decode encoded user data;   after the flash memory card is subsequently disconnected from the first host system and while thereafter connected to a mother card, the mother card being connected to a second host system, wherein the mother card includes the controller function and the second host system does not include the controller function, reading by the mother card of the encoded user data and the decoding information from the flash memory card; and   decoding the read encoded user data, via the controller function of the mother card, by use of the decoding information read from the flash memory card, to thereby provide the user data to the second host system.   
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the first host system includes a camera and the user data includes visual field data obtained by the camera. 
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , wherein the second host system includes a personal computer. 
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the decoding information useful to decode the encoded user data includes a decoding algorithm for recovering the user data stored on the flash memory card in an encoded form.