WO1995019015B1

WO1995019015B1 - Ic communication card

Info

Publication number: WO1995019015B1
Application number: PCT/US1995/000215
Authority: WO
Filing date: 1995-01-06
Publication date: 1995-08-24

Abstract

Apparatus is described for infrared communication between a first electronic device (10, Fig. 7) such as a notebook computer which has a slot (84) for receiving an IC card, and a second electronic device (104) such as a computer, printer, etc, that has an infrared transmit/detect unit (100) (or another notebook computer with a slot). The apparatus includes an IC card (82) with a rigid frame (112, Fig. 8) having a front portion (114) that holds a connector (88), the frame having a rear portion (116) that projects rearwardly from the slot and that holds an infrared emitter (120) and an infrared detector (122). As a result, the first electronic device fixes the position and orientation of the emitter and detector. The IC card with the emitter and detector preferably has a width (W) and thickness (T) as prescribed by JEIDA and PC CARD standards. The emitter preferably includes a plurality of emitter elements (141-144) spaced laterally along the rear end portion of the card to provide increased power in a small thickness.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS [received by the International Bureau on 19 July 1995 (19.07.95); original claims 1-13 replaced by amended claims 1-10 (3 pages)]

1. An IC card which has a front portion for insertion into a slot of an electronic device while a rear portion of the card substantially projects from the electronic device, characterized by:

said IC card has a rigid frame extending between said front and rear portions of said card, said card having a thickness at said rear portion which is less than half of said card width and less than half of said card length;

said rear portion includes a light emitter that includes a plurality of separate emitter elements spaced along the width of said rear portion of said card.

2. The IC card described in claim 1 wherein: said IC card includes an opaque rear barrier which has a plurality of substantially identical openings with each opening lying behind and in line with one of said emitter elements.

3. The IC card described in claim 1 wherein: said IC card includes circuitry connected to said emitter elements to energize them in synchronism.

4. The IC card described in claim 1 wherein: said light emitter is constructed to emit light largely along an axis and within a spread angle of no more than 80° that is centered on said axis.

5. An IC card which has a front portion for insertion into a slot of an electronic device while a rear portion of the card substantially projects from the electronic device, characterized by:

said IC card has a rigid frame extending between said front and rear portions of said card; said rear portion includes a light emitter and a light detector that are each mounted on and maintained in position and orientation by said rigid frame, said light emitter being constructed to emit a light beam having a spread angle (A) of no more than 80°.

6. The IC card described In claim 5 wherein: said card thickness at said rear portion is less than half said card width and less than half said card length, and said light emitter includes a plurality of separate emitter elements spaced along the width of said rear edge, and electrically connected to be energized in synchronism, with light from ail of said emitters lying substantially within an imaginary cone having a rearwardly-extending axis and having a spread angle of no more than 80º.

7. An IC card which has a front portion for insertion into a slot of an electronic device while a rear portion of the card substantially projects from the electronic device, characterized by:

said rear portion includes a light emitter and a light detector, said light detector being sensitive to at least some wavelengths of Infrared light and visible light, and said rear portion includes an infrared window that passes infrared light but which blocks most visible light.

8. A combination of an IC card which has a front portion for insertion into a slot of a first electronic device and a rear portion, where both the front and rear portions have connectors, and apparatus for establishing communication between the card and a remote second electronic device wherein:

said apparatus includes an infrared transmit/receive unit and a cable assembly that includes a cable extending from said unit and a plug which lies at an end of said cable and which is mateable to said connector at said rear end of said cable, said cable being flexible to enable adjustment of the orientation of said unit.

9. A method for transmitting data between first and second electronic devices, where each of said electronic devices has a slot with a front end for receiving an IC card, and has a device connector at the front end of its slot, characterized by:

constructing first and second IC cards that are each insertable into one of said slots, that each has a front card portion with a card connector, and that each has a rear portion with a light emitter and a light detector;

inserting the front card portion of said first and second cards, respectively into the slots of said first and second electronic devices until each card connector and a corresponding device connector are mated, with said rear card portion of each card substantially projecting rearwardly out of the corresponding slot;

orienting said electronic devices so the rear portions of said cards generally face each other;

energizing the emitter of said first card so it emits light modulated by data signals, and detecting said light by the detector of the second of said cards.

10. The method described in claim 9 wherein: said step of constructing said first IC cards includes forming it with a laterally-extending rear card edge and placing a plurality of infrared emitter elements in said card so said elements are laterally spaced apart from one another along said rear card edge;

said step of transmitting data signals includes energizing all of said plurality of infrared emitter elements in synchronism.