USB-compliant personal key
AssigneeRainbow Technologies, Inc.
InventorsShawn D. Abbott, Bahram Afghani, Allan D. Anderson, Patrick N. Godding, Maarten G. Punt, Mehdi Sotoodeh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for a USB-compliant personal key has been described. The personal key includes an integrated connector design that is simple and easy to manufacture, and allows broken or defective connecting pins to be easily replaced. In the several embodiments disclosed, the personal key also comprises a biometric sensor for authenticating the identity of the user, and visual and aural sensors for providing information to the user.
Claims21
A compact electronic key, releasably coupleable to a host processing device, comprising:
- at least one circuit board, having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;
- at least one circuit connection surface providing electrical communication with the processor;
- at least one conductive pin for providing electrical communication between the circuit connecting surface and the host processing device, wherein the conductive pin comprises a pin securing portion and is releasably coupleable to the circuit connection surface;
- and
- a housing for substantially enclosing at least some of the circuit board, the housing comprising a pin interfacing portion mateable with the pin securing portion for securing the pin member along a longitudinal axis of the conductive pin.
A compact electronic key, releasably coupleable to a host processing device, comprising:
- at least one circuit board, having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor;
- at least one circuit connection surface providing electrical communication with the processor;
- at least one conductive pin member for providing electrical communication between the circuit connecting surface and the host processing device, wherein the conductive pin member comprises a pin securing portion and is releasably coupleable to the circuit connection surface;
- and
- a housing for substantially enclosing at least some of the circuit board, the housing comprising a fist housing member and a second housing member, and a pin interfacing portion mateable with the pin securing portion to secure the conductive pin member in all axes when the first housing member is mated to the second housing member, but permitting the conductive pin member motion in an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the conductive pin member when the first housing member is not mated to the second housing member.
A method of assembling a compact electronic key, comprising the steps of:
- installing at least one connecting pin in a first housing member having at least one pin restraining member, the connecting pin having a clip portion and tab portion mating with a pin restraining member notch in the pin restraining member;
- inserting a circuit connection surface disposed on a circuit board having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor in the clip portion;
- and
- mating a second housing member with the first housing member.
A compact electronic key, assembled by performing the steps of:
- installing at least one connecting pin in a first housing member having at least one pin restraining member, the connecting pin having a clip portion and tab portion mating with a pin restraining member notch in the pin restraining member;
- inserting a circuit connection surface disposed on a circuit board having a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor in the clip portion;
- and
- mating a second housing member with the first housing member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.