Apparatus and method for monitoring data storage device for usage and warranty

• US 20060136776A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 06/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Technologies Incorporated (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands BV (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: New, Richard, Wilson, Bruce A., Campello, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 7,571,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a system for monitoring a storage device for usage and warranty. In one embodiment, a data storage apparatus comprises a nonvolatile storage; and a data storage controller configured to store a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage. The log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is not resettable. Storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage cannot be disabled.

Claims

1. A data storage apparatus comprising:

a nonvolatile storage; and

a data storage controller configured to store a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage,

wherein the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is not resettable, and

wherein storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage cannot be disabled.

2. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile storage comprises an area on a surface of a disk of a disk drive.

3. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile storage comprises a tamper resistant module.

4. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nonvolatile storage is configured to be readable without powering up the data storage apparatus.

5. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data storage controller is configured to update the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage during any one or more of (i) powering up of the data storage apparatus, (ii) shutting down of the data storage apparatus, and (iii) operating time of the data storage apparatus in a periodic manner.

6. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the data storage controller is configured to check the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus before shutting down of the data storage apparatus and after subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus to verify if the data storage apparatus has been used with a different system during a period of shut down between the shutting down and the subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus.

7. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 wherein the status parameters include an encrypted usage parameter which keeps track of one or more systems with which the data storage apparatus is used.

8. The data storage apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a warranty status indicator to indicate whether warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated, the warranty status indicator being configured to provide an irreversible indication when the warranty of the data storage apparatus is terminated.

9. A data storage apparatus comprising:

a detection module to detect whether warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated; and

a warranty status indicator operatively coupled with the detection module to indicate whether the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated, the warranty status indicator being configured to provide an irreversible indication when the warranty of the data storage apparatus is terminated.

10. The data storage apparatus of claim 9 wherein the warranty status indicator comprises a fuse that is burned when the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated.

11. The data storage apparatus of claim 9 wherein the warranty status indicator indicates that the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated when information detected by the detection module shows one or more warranty thresholds have been exceeded.

12. The data storage apparatus of claim 9 wherein the information detected by the detection module includes non-operating parameters detected when the data storage apparatus is shut down.

13. The data storage apparatus of claim 9 wherein the information detected by the detection module includes operating parameters detected when the data storage apparatus is operating.

14. The data storage apparatus of claim 9 wherein the detection module comprises a nonvolatile storage and a data storage controller configured to store a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage, wherein the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage is not resettable, and wherein storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage cannot be disabled.

15. The data storage apparatus of claim 14 wherein the warranty status indicator indicates that the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated when the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage shows one or more warranty thresholds have been exceeded.

16. A method of validating warranty of a data storage apparatus, the method comprising:

storing a log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in a nonvolatile storage, the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage being not resettable and storing of the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage configured not to be disabled; and

checking the status parameters in the log against one or more warranty thresholds to determine whether warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein storing comprising updating the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage during any one or more of (i) powering up of the data storage apparatus, (ii) shutting down of the data storage apparatus, and (iii) operating time of the data storage apparatus in a periodic manner.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising reading the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage without powering up the data storage apparatus.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising checking the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus before shutting down of the data storage apparatus and after subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus to verify if the data storage apparatus has been used with a different system during a period of shut down between the shutting down and the subsequent starting up of the data storage apparatus.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising keeping track of one or more systems with which the data storage apparatus is used by using an encrypted usage parameter in the log of status parameters.

21. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a warranty status indicator to indicate whether warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the warranty status indicator comprises a fuse, and further comprising burning the fuse when the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated.

23. The method of claim 21 further comprising setting the warranty status indicator to indicate that the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated when the log of status parameters of the data storage apparatus in the nonvolatile storage shows one or more warranty thresholds have been exceeded.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising periodically checking the log of status parameters against the one or more warranty thresholds.

25. The method of claim 21 further comprising:

detecting information outside of the log of status parameters in the nonvolatile storage, and

setting the warranty status indicator to indicate that the warranty of the data storage apparatus has been terminated when the detected information shows one or more warranty thresholds have been exceeded.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the information detected outside of the log of status parameters in the nonvolatile storage includes non-operating parameters detected when the data storage apparatus is shut down.