Read/write protect scheme for a disk cartridge and drive
First Claim
1. A method of inhibiting inadvertent and unauthorized writing and reading of information to and from a storage medium comprising the steps of:
- writing a first code in a predetermined location on the storage medium, said first code being indicative of a first protection mode of said storage medium;
receiving a command to change the protection mode of said storage medium from said first protection mode to a second protection mode and, in response to the command, writing in said predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of the first code, a second code indicative of the second protection mode; and
receiving a second command to change the protection mode of said storage medium from said second protection mode back to said first protection mode, and, in response to the second command, rewriting in said predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of said second code, said first code indicative of said first protection mode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of inhibiting inadvertent and unauthorized writing and reading of information to and from a storage medium comprises the steps of (a) writing a first code in a predetermined location on the storage medium, the first code being indicative of a first protection mode of the storage medium; (b) receiving a command to change the protection mode of the storage medium from the first protection mode to a second protection mode; and, in response to the command, (c) writing in the predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of the first code, a second code indicative of the second protection mode. A protection mode can inhibit writing to the storage medium, both writing and reading to and from the medium, or neither. Changing of protection modes can also be password protected.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of inhibiting inadvertent and unauthorized writing and reading of information to and from a storage medium comprising the steps of:
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writing a first code in a predetermined location on the storage medium, said first code being indicative of a first protection mode of said storage medium; receiving a command to change the protection mode of said storage medium from said first protection mode to a second protection mode and, in response to the command, writing in said predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of the first code, a second code indicative of the second protection mode; and receiving a second command to change the protection mode of said storage medium from said second protection mode back to said first protection mode, and, in response to the second command, rewriting in said predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of said second code, said first code indicative of said first protection mode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. In a disk drive of the type that receives a removable disk cartridge containing a storage medium for reading and writing information thereto, said storage medium having written thereon, in a predetermined location, a current code indicative of a current protection mode of said storage medium, said disk drive being responsive to said current code to inhibit access to said storage medium in accordance with the current protection mode indicated by said code, a method of changing the protection mode of the storage medium comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving a command to change the protection mode of said storage medium from said current protection mode to a different protection mode; and
, in response to the command,(b) writing in said predetermined location on the storage medium, in place of the current code, a different code indicative of the different protection mode, said different protection mode and different code becoming said current protection mode and current code; and (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) whenever it is desired again to change the protection mode of the storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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- 14. A disk cartridge comprising a storage medium having a plurality of concentric tracks to and from which information is written and read, said storage medium having written, in a first predetermined location thereon, a code that indicates a protection mode of said storage medium, and said storage medium having written, in a second predetermined location thereon, a password associated with said code, whereby a disk drive cannot write another code in place of the code written in said first predetermined location unless a password received by the disk drive matches the password written in said second predetermined location.
Specification