Portable Storage Device With Updatable Access Permission

• US 20080059743A1
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Pomerantz, Itzhak, Bychkov, Eyal, Teicher, Mordechai, Hahn, Yehuda
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2127 Bluffing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices

Abstract

A portable storage device controllable by a remote service center is disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the portable storage device includes a register for storing permission indicia and a non-volatile user memory for storing user data. Upon receiving a permission directive from a remote service center (e.g. via the host device), the permission indicia may be replenished (i.e. if it is desired to extend additional device-use privileges) or depleted (i.e. if is desired to deny or reduce device-use privileges). When providing host access to the onboard non-volatile user memory of the portable storage device, the permission indicia are consumed, thereby limiting the extent of host-user memory access allowable without a refresh of the permission indicia. Exemplary permission indicia include but are not limited to distinct host-device couplings, inter-device transfer quota, and usage time quote. Methods, systems including the aforementioned portable storage device, and computer code are also described.

Claims

1. ) A portable storage device controllable by a remote service center, the storage device comprising:

a) a device interface for operatively coupling with a host;

b) a non-volatile user memory for storing user data;

c) a non-volatile register for storing permission indicia; and

d) a controller operative to;

A) regulate access by said host to said non-volatile user memory by effecting at least one regulation operation selected from the group consisting of;

i) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to an entirety of said non-volatile user memory;

ii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to directory services for said non-volatile user memory;

iii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing said host device to write data to said non-volatile user memory;

B) consume said permission indicia in accordance with an extent of said host access; and

C) replenish or deplete said permission indicia in accordance with a permission directive received from the remote service center via said host device.

2. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said controller is operative to effect the regulation operation of (d)(A)(i).

3. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said controller is operative to effect the regulation operation of (d)(A)(ii).

4. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said controller is operative to effect the regulation operation of (d)(A)(iii).

5. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said permission indicia include distinct host-device coupling quota data.

6. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said permission indicia include inter-device transfer quota data.

7. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said permission indicia include time quota data.

8. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said non-volatile user memory and said non-volatile register reside in a single non-volatile storage module.

9. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said non-volatile user memory and said non-volatile register reside in separate non-volatile storage modules.

10. ) The portable storage device of claim 1 wherein said controller is further operative to:

D) disallow host read access to said permission indicia without authorization from the remote service center.

11. ) A portable storage device controllable by a remote service center, the storage device comprising:

a) a device interface for operatively coupling with a host;

b) a non-volatile including;

i) a non-volatile user memory for storing data;

ii) a non-volatile register for storing permission indicia;

c) a device controller; and

d) driver code stored in said non-volatile memory,

wherein, upon execution of said driver code, a combination of executing said driver code and said device controller is operative to;

A) regulate access by said host to said non-volatile user memory by effecting at least one regulation operation selected from the group consisting of;

i) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to an entirety of said non-volatile user memory;

ii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to directory services for said non-volatile user memory;

iii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing said host device to write data to said non-volatile user memory;

B) consume said permission indicia in accordance with an extent of said host access; and

C) replenish or deplete said permission indicia in accordance with a permission directive received from the remote service center via said host device.

12. ) In a system including a host device coupled to a portable storage device having a non-volatile user memory and a non-volatile register for storing permission indicia, a method of handling regulation of host access to the non-volatile user memory, the method comprising:

a) in accordance with the permission indicia stored in the non-volatile register, regulating access to the non-volatile memory of the non-volatile storage device by effecting at least one regulation operation selected from the group consisting of;

i) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to an entirety of said non-volatile user memory;

ii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing host access to directory services for said non-volatile user memory; and

iii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allowing or disallowing said host device to write data to said non-volatile user memory;

b) consuming the permission indicia in accordance with an extent of said host access; and

c) when the host device is in communication with a remote service center, replenishing or depleting said permission indicia in accordance with a permission directive received from the remote service center via said host device.

13. ) The method of claim 12 wherein said effecting of said at least one regulation operation includes effecting said host access allowing or disallowing of (a)(i).

14. ) The method of claim 12 wherein said effecting of said at least one regulation operation includes effecting said host access allowing or disallowing of (a)(ii).

15. ) The method of claim 12 wherein said effecting of said at least one regulation operation includes effecting said host access allowing or disallowing of (a)(iii).

16. ) The method of claim 12 wherein:

i) said regulating access in accordance with said permission indicia includes regulating access in accordance with distinct host-device coupling quota data; and

ii) said consuming of said permission indicia includes consuming said distinct host-device coupling quota.

17. ) The method of claim 12 wherein:

i) said regulating access in accordance with said permission indicia includes regulating access in accordance with inter-device transfer quota data; and

ii) said consuming of said permission indicia includes consuming said inter-device transfer quota.

18. ) The method of claim 12 wherein:

i) said regulating access in accordance with said permission indicia includes regulating access in accordance with time quota data; and

ii) said consuming of said permission indicia includes consuming said time quota

19. ) The method of claim 12 further comprising:

d) disallowing host read access to said device-stored permission indicia without authorization from the remote service center.

20. ) A storage system comprising:

a) a portable storage device including;

i) a non-volatile user memory for storing user data; and

ii) a non-volatile register for storing permission indicia; and

b) a host device coupled to said portable storage device,

wherein a combination of said host device and said portable storage device is operative to;

i) in accordance with the permission indicia stored in the non-volatile register, regulate access to the non-volatile memory of the non-volatile storage device by effecting at least one regulation operation selected from the group consisting of;

A) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow host access to an entirety of said non-volatile user memory;

B) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow host access to directory services for said non-volatile user memory; and

C) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow said host device to write data to said non-volatile user memory;

ii) consume the permission indicia in accordance with an extent of said host access; and

iii) when said host device is in communication with a remote service center, replenish or deplete said permission indicia in accordance with a permission directive received from the remote service center via said host device.

21. ) A computer readable storage medium having computer readable code embodied in said computer readable storage medium, said computer readable code comprising instructions, in a system including a host device coupled to a portable storage device having a non-volatile user memory and a non-volatile register for storing permission indicia, to:

a) in accordance with the permission indicia stored in the non-volatile register, regulate access to the non-volatile memory of the non-volatile storage device by effecting at least one regulation operation selected from the group consisting of;

i) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow host access to an entirety of said non-volatile user memory;

ii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow host access to directory services for said non-volatile user memory; and

iii) in accordance with said permission indicia, allow or disallow said host device to write data to said non-volatile user memory;

b) consume the permission indicia in accordance with an extent of said host access; and

c) when the host device is in communication with a remote service center, replenish or deplete said permission indicia in accordance with a permission directive received from the remote service center via said host device.