Method and system for rotational control of data storage devices

• US 20110181981A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 07/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Tegreene, Clarence T., Jung, Edward K.Y., Ferren, Bran
• Application Number:
  US12/930,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20110181981A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/73.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00069 whereby the sample substrate is of the bio-disk type, i.e. having the format of an optical disk
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00608 wherein the material that the record carrier is made of is altered, e.g. adding reactive dyes that alter the optical properties of a disc after prolonged exposure to light or air
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2508 Magnetic discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2537 Optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0035 means incorporated in the disc, e.g. hub, to enable its guiding, loading or driving means for driving the head G11B21/06; guiding the disc for centering or locking G11B17/022; turntables or spindles for driving G11B19/2009
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/282 Limited play
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/0945 Methods for initialising servos, start-up sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 7/24 Record carriers characterised by shape, structure or physical properties, or by the selection of the material characterised by the arrangement of information on the carrier G11B7/007

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.

Claims

1. A limited use memory device comprising:

a substrate;

machine-readable data stored on said substrate; and

at least one centrifugally activatable switching mechanism on said substrate, said switching mechanism configured to produce modification of a feature of the memory device.

2. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature renders at least a portion of said machine-readable data inaccessible.

3. The limited use memory device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of centrifugally activatable switching mechanisms, said switching mechanisms activatable in sequence over a plurality of uses of the memory device and configured such that activation of said plurality of switching mechanisms renders at least a portion of said machine-readable data inaccessible.

4. The limited use memory device of claim 3, wherein a use of the memory device includes subjecting the memory device to at least one of angular acceleration or deceleration.

8. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature disables reading of at least a portion of said machine-readable data from said data storage device.

9. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature enables reading of at least a portion of said machine-readable data from said data storage device.

10. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature causes destruction of at least a portion of said machine-readable data.

11. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature comprises modification of at least a portion of said machine-readable data.

12. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein modification of said feature includes modification of readability of at least a portion of said machine-readable data.

13. The limited use memory device of claim 12, wherein said portion of machine readable data comprises information necessary for reading additional data from said data storage device.

16. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein prior to modification of said feature, a first portion of data on said disk is readable, and following modification of said feature a second portion of data on said disk is readable.

17. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein said data storage device is an optically readable disk, and wherein said centrifugally activatable switching mechanism is activatable by spinning said substrate in an optical disk drive at normal read speeds.

18. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein said data storage device is an optically readable disk, and wherein said centrifugally activatable switching mechanism is activatable by spinning said substrate in an optical disk drive at speeds above normal read speeds.

19. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein said data storage device is a magnetically readable disk, and wherein said centrifugally activatable switching mechanism is activatable by spinning said substrate in a magnetic disk drive at normal read speeds.

20. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein said data storage device is a magnetically readable disk, and wherein said centrifugally activatable switching mechanism is activatable by spinning said substrate in a magnetic disk drive at speeds above normal read speeds.

31. The limited use memory device of claim 1, wherein said feature includes at least one of an optical feature, an electrical feature, or a magnetic feature.

32. The limited use memory device of claim 13, wherein said information comprises at least one of a decryption key or index information.

5-7. -7. (canceled)

14-15. -15. (canceled)

21. A disk drive system, comprising:

a receptacle for receiving a substrate configured for rotating access having stored data and a rotation activatable switching mechanism thereon;

a read head for reading data from the substrate;

a motor capable of spinning the substrate in a controlled pattern in response to a control signal; and

a drive controller including electrical circuitry configured to generate a control signal for causing said motor to spin said substrate in a controlled pattern sufficient to produce activation of said rotation activatable switching mechanism.

22. The disk drive system of claim 21, further comprising a detector capable of sensing an outcome of activation of said rotation activatable switching mechanism.

23. The disk drive system of claim 22, wherein said read head is configured to function as said detector.

24. The disk drive system of claim 21, wherein said motor is capable of spinning the substrate at a speed higher than the normal read speed for said drive to produce activation of said rotation activatable switching mechanism.

33. The disk drive system of claim 21, wherein said read head includes at least one of an optical read head or a magnetic read head.

25-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a system bus;

an input device;

an output device;

a drive capable of reading data from a substrate configured for rotating access; and

data storage media containing software instructions capable of controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate of intensity and duration capable of activating a rotation activatable mechanism to render at least a portion of machine readable data stored on the substrate inaccessible.