Rotation responsive disk activation and deactivation mechanisms

• US 7,668,068 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Tegreene, Clarence T., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US11/150,823
• Publication Number:
  US 20060280088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 369/273
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/282 Limited play
• 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 data storage device comprising:

a substrate configured for rotating access;

a data storage medium capable of storing machine-readable data carried by said substrate;

electronic circuitry on said substrate; and

a rotation activatable switch on said substrate, said rotation activatable switch configured to undergo a change in state in response to rotation to control an electrical connection between at least two portions of said electronic circuitry and render unusable at least a portion of machine-readable data stored on said substrate.

2. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein said rotation activatable switch is a centrifugally activatable switch.

3. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein said rotation activatable switch includes a cantilever.

4. The data storage device of claim 1, including a power source, wherein said rotation activatable switch is configured to control delivery of power from said power source to at least a portion of said data storage device.

5. The data storage device of claim 1, including a power receiver coil, wherein said rotation activatable switch is configured to control the receipt of power by or distribution of power from said power receiver coil.

19. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein said rotation activatable switch is activatable by at least one of angular acceleration of said substrate or angular deceleration of said substrate.

20. The data storage device of claim 1, wherein said rotation activatable switch includes at least one of a maintained contact switch, a momentary contact switch, a micromechanical switch, or a fluid switch.

6. A data storage device comprising:

a substrate;

a data storage medium on said substrate, said data storage medium degradable upon exposure to a degradation-inducing influence;

electronic circuitry on said substrate; and

a rotation activatable switching mechanism on said substrate, said rotation activatable switching mechanism configured to control an electrical connection between at least two portions of said electronic circuitry for controlling exposure of said data storage medium to said degradation-inducing influence.

7. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein activation of said rotation activatable switching mechanism produces direct exposure of said data storage medium to said degradation-inducing influence.

8. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein activation of said rotation activatable switching mechanism facilitates degradation of said data storage medium by a secondary degradation-inducing influence.

9. The data storage device of claim 6, wherein said rotation activatable switching mechanism comprises a microswitch that is closable upon exposure to sufficient centrifugal force, and wherein closure of said microswitch permits electrical current to flow into a selected portion of said data storage device.

10. The data storage device of claim 9, wherein said microswitch comprises a microfabricated cantilever.

21. The data storage device of claim 8, wherein said secondary degradation inducing influence comprises at least one of light, an electromagnetic field, or heat.

11. A method of controlling use of a disk, comprising:

reading data from the disk; and

rotating said disk to activate a rotation activatable mechanical switch on said disk to control an electrical connection between at least two portions of electronic circuitry on said disk;

wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch initiates a process wherein at least a portion of data stored on said disk is destroyed.

12. The method of claim 11, including rotating said disk to activate said rotation activatable mechanical switch prior to reading data from said disk.

13. The method of claim 11, including rotating said disk to activate said rotation activatable mechanical switch subsequent to reading data from said disk.

14. The method of claim 11, including rotating said disk to activate said rotation activatable mechanical switch simultaneous with reading data from said disk.

15. The method of claim 11, including checking for previous activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch prior to reading data from said disk.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein reading data from said disk is performed if no previous activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch is detected.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein reading data from said disk is performed if no more than a selected number of previous activations of said rotation activatable mechanical switch are detected.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch prevents reading of at least a portion of data from said disk.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes at least one of degradation of a data storage medium on said disk or modification of data stored on said disk.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch initiates a process wherein at least a portion of data stored on said disk is rendered unusable or modified.

24. A data storage device comprising:

a substrate;

a data storage medium on said substrate, said data storage medium degradable upon exposure to a degradation-inducing influence; and

a rotation activatable switching mechanism for controlling exposure of said data storage medium to said degradation-inducing influence, wherein said rotation activatable switching mechanism comprises a microswitch that is closable upon exposure to sufficient centrifugal force, and wherein closure of said microswitch permits electrical current to flow into a selected portion of said data storage device.

25. The data storage device of claim 24, wherein said microswitch comprises a microfabricated cantilever.