Flash memory devices with security features

• US 7,984,303 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Super Talent Electronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Charles, Nguyen, David, Yu, Frank I-Kang, Shen, Ming-Shiang, Ma, Abraham C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chai; Longbit
• Application Number:
  US12/099,421
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 713/186
• US Class Current: 713/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5621 using charge storage in a floating gate
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0408 comprising cells containing floating gate transistors G11C16/0483, G11C16/0491 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/22 Safety or protection circuits preventing unauthorised or accidental access to memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/349 Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3495 Circuits or methods to detect or delay wearout of nonvolatile EPROM or EEPROM memory devices, e.g. by counting numbers of erase or reprogram cycles, by using multiple memory areas serially or cyclically

Abstract

In an electronic data storage device accessed by a host computer motherboard, a fingerprint sensor scans a fingerprint of a user of the electronic data storage device and generates fingerprint scan data. A processing unit activates an input/output interface circuit to store a data file and fingerprint reference data obtained by scanning a fingerprint of a person authorized to access the data file in a memory device having non-volatile memory, where the processing unit transmits the data file to the host computer motherboard upon verifying that the user of the electronic data storage device is authorized to access the data file stored in the memory device as a result of comparison between the fingerprint scan data from the fingerprint sensor and the fingerprint reference data. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.

Claims

1. An electronic data storage device adapted to be accessed by a host computer motherboard, the electronic data storage device comprising:

a non-volatile memory device for storing one or more data files, verification utility programs and fingerprint/password reference data obtained by scanning a fingerprint of a person authorized to access the data files, wherein the data files and fingerprint reference data are stored and located in different sectors of the non-volatile memory device;

a fingerprint sensor adapted to scan a fingerprint of a user of the electronic data storage device and to generate fingerprint scan data associated with the user, wherein the fingerprint sensor includes a two-dimensional array of scan cells that defines a fingerprint scanning area, wherein each of the scan cells generates a first logic signal upon detection of a ridge in the fingerprint of the user or a second logic signal upon detection of a valley in the fingerprint of the user;

an input/output interface circuit to establish a universal serial bus (USB) communication link with the host computer motherboard; and

a processing unit coupled to the non-volatile memory device, the fingerprint sensor, and the input/output interface circuit, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the fingerprint scan data of the user from the fingerprint sensor, to compare the fingerprint scan data with the fingerprint reference data associated with the user stored in the non-volatile memory device to verify whether the user identified by the fingerprint scan data is authorized to access the data files stored in the secure area of non-volatile memory device, and to activate the input/output interface circuit to enable the host computer motherboard to access the data files stored in the non-volatile memory device upon verifying that the user of the electronic data storage device is authorized to access,

wherein in response to a user inserting the electronic data storage device into a host computer motherboard, the processing unit is configured to launch a verification utility program from a read-only memory (ROM) of the non-volatile memory of the electronic data storage device, wherein the verification utility program is configured to perform at least one of password verification and fingerprint verification operations to verify whether the user is authorized to access the data files stored in the secure area of non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device.

2. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the verification utility program, when executed by the processing unit, is configured to

determine whether a password verification option has been enabled,

if the password verification option is enabled, to prompt the user to enter a first password, and

to compare the entered first password against a second password associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the electronic data storage device as a part of password reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files only if the first password matches the second password.

3. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the verification utility program, when executed by the processing unit, is configured further to

prior to prompting the user to enter the first password, determine whether the second password has been previously stored in the database as part of the password reference data,

if there is no valid password reference data stored in the database, prompt with confirmation the user to enter the second password and a hint to help user to recover the second password if subsequently the user forgets the second password, and

store the second password and the hint entered by the user in the database.

4. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of attempts are provided for the user to enter the first password, if a previous entered first password does not matches with the second password stored in the database, and wherein after the predetermined number of attempts have been tried, the verification utility program terminates without allowing the user to access the data files stored within the secure area of electronic data storage device.

5. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the verification utility program, when executed by the processing unit, is configured further to

determine whether a fingerprint verification option has been enabled,

if the fingerprint verification option is enabled, to prompt the user to swipe a finger across a scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain a first fingerprint scan data of the user, and

to compare the first fingerprint scan data against a second fingerprint scan data associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the electronic data storage device as a part of fingerprint reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files in secure area only if the first fingerprint scan data matches the second fingerprint scan data.

6. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the verification utility program, when executed by the processing unit, is configured further to

prior to prompting the user to obtain the first fingerprint scan data, determine whether the second fingerprint scan data has been previously stored in the database as part of the fingerprint reference data,

if there is no valid fingerprint reference data stored in the database, prompt the user to swipe the finger on the scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain the second fingerprint scan data, and

store the second fingerprint scan data as part of fingerprint reference data in the database.

7. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein a predetermined number of attempts are provided for the user to scan the first fingerprint scan data, if a previous scanned first fingerprint scan data does not matches with the second fingerprint scan data stored in the database, and wherein after the predetermined number of attempts have been tried, the verification utility program terminates without allowing the user to access the data files stored within the electronic data storage device.

8. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the second fingerprint scan data is previously obtained from a particular finger of the user and stored in the database, wherein the verification utility program is configured to prompt the user to swipe the particular finger on the scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor.

9. The electronic data storage device of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory device is a multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory device.

10. A method of providing security to an electronic data storage device, the method comprising:

storing one or more data files, verification utility programs and fingerprint/password reference data obtained by scanning a fingerprint of a person authorized to access the data file in a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device; and

in response to inserting the electronic data storage device into a host computer motherboard, launching a verification utility program from a read-only memory (ROM) of the non-volatile memory of the electronic data storage device to verify whether a user associated with the electronic data storage device is authorized to access content stored in the electronic data storage device, including

scanning via a fingerprint sensor of the electronic data storage device a fingerprint of a user of the electronic data storage device to generate a first fingerprint scan data, wherein the fingerprint sensor includes a two-dimensional array of scan cells that defines a fingerprint scan area, wherein each of the scan cells generates a first logic signal upon detection of a ridge in the fingerprint of the user and a second logic signal upon detection of a valley in the fingerprint of the user, and

comparing the first fingerprint scan data with a second fingerprint scan data as part of the fingerprint reference data stored in a database of a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device to verify whether the user is authorized to access the data files stored in the electronic data storage device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining whether a fingerprint verification option has been enabled;

if the fingerprint verification option is enabled, prompting the user to swipe a finger across a scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain a first fingerprint scan data of the user; and

comparing the first fingerprint scan data against a second fingerprint scan data associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the electronic data storage device as a part of fingerprint reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files in secure area only if the first fingerprint scan data matches the second fingerprint scan data.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to prompting the user to obtain the first fingerprint scan data, determining whether the second fingerprint scan data has been previously stored in the database as part of the fingerprint reference data;

if there is no valid fingerprint reference data stored in the database, prompting the user to swipe the finger on the scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain the second fingerprint scan data; and

storing the second fingerprint scan data as part of the fingerprint reference data in the database.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a predetermined number of attempts for the user to scan the first fingerprint scan data, if a previous scanned first fingerprint scan data does not matches with the second fingerprint scan data stored in the database; and

after the predetermined number of attempts have been tried, terminating the verification utility program without allowing the user to access the data files stored within the electronic data storage device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the second fingerprint scan data is previously obtained from a particular finger of the user and stored in the database, wherein the verification utility program is configured to prompt the user to swipe the particular finger on the scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the verification utility program is configured to perform password verification operations, including

determining whether a password verification option has been enabled,

if the password verification option is enabled, prompting the user to enter a first password, and

comparing the entered first password against a second password associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the electronic data storage device as a part of password reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files only if the first password matches the second password.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prior to prompting the user to enter the first password, determining whether the second password has been previously stored in the database as part of the password reference data;

if there is no valid password reference data stored in the database, prompting with confirmation the user to enter the second password and a hint to recover the second password if subsequently the user forgets the second password; and

storing the second password and the hint entered by the user in the database.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

providing a predetermined number of attempts for the user to enter the first password if a previous entered first password does not matches with the second password stored in the database; and

after the predetermined number of attempts have been tried, terminating the verification utility program without allowing the user to access the data files stored within the electronic data storage device.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-volatile memory device is a multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory device.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the process to perform a method of providing security to an electronic data storage device, the method comprising:

storing one or more data files, verification utility programs and fingerprint reference data obtained by scanning a fingerprint of a person authorized to access the data file in the secure area of a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device; and

in response to inserting the electronic data storage device into a host computer motherboard, launching a verification utility program from a read-only memory (ROM) of the non-volatile memory of the electronic data storage device to verify whether a user associated with the electronic data storage device is authorized to access content stored in the electronic data storage device, including

scanning via a fingerprint sensor of the electronic data storage device a fingerprint of a user of the electronic data storage device to generate a first fingerprint scan data, wherein the fingerprint sensor includes a two-dimensional array of scan cells that defines a fingerprint scan area, wherein each of the scan cells generates a first logic signal upon detection of a ridge in the fingerprint of the user and a second logic signal upon detection of a valley in the fingerprint of the user, and

comparing the first fingerprint scan data with a second fingerprint scan data as part of the fingerprint reference data stored in a database of a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device to verify whether the user is authorized to access the data files stored in the secure area of non-volatile memory of electronic data storage device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a fingerprint verification option has been enabled;

if the fingerprint verification option is enabled, prompting the user to swipe a finger across a scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain a first fingerprint scan data of the user; and

comparing the first fingerprint scan data against a second fingerprint scan data associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the non-volatile memory of electronic data storage device as a part of fingerprint reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files only if the first fingerprint scan data matches the second fingerprint scan data.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to prompting the user to obtain the first fingerprint scan data, determining whether the second fingerprint scan data has been previously stored in the database as part of the fingerprint reference data;

if there is no valid fingerprint reference data stored in the database, prompting the user to swipe the finger on the scanning surface of the fingerprint sensor to obtain the second fingerprint scan data; and

storing the second fingerprint scan data as part of the fingerprint reference data in the database.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the non-volatile memory device is a multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory device.

23. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the process to perform a method of providing security to an electronic data storage device, the method comprising:

storing one or more data files, verification utility programs and password reference data obtained by password entry by a person authorized to access the data file in the secure area of a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device; and

in response to inserting the electronic data storage device into a host computer motherboard, launching a verification utility program from a read-only memory (ROM) of the non-volatile memory of the electronic data storage device to verify whether a user associated with the electronic data storage device is authorized to access content stored in the electronic data storage device, including

receiving a first password from a user, and comparing the first password with a second password as part of the password reference data stored in a database of a non-volatile memory device of the electronic data storage device to verify whether the user is authorized to access the data files stored in the secure area of non-volatile memory of electronic data storage device.

24. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether a password verification option has been enabled;

if the password verification option is enabled, prompting the user to enter first password of the user; and

comparing the first password against a second password associated with the user and previously stored in a database of the non-volatile memory of electronic data storage device as a part of password reference data, wherein the user is authorized to access the data files only if the first password matches the second password.

25. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to prompting the user to obtain the first password, determining whether the second password has been previously stored in the database as part of the password reference data;

if there is no valid password reference data stored in the database, prompting the user to enter password and hint to obtain the second password; and

storing the second password as part of the password reference data in the database.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the non-volatile memory device is a multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory device.