Rotation responsive disk activation and deactivation mechanisms

• US 8,121,016 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2009
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Jung, Edward K. Y., Tegreene, Clarence T.
• Primary Examiner(s): HALEY, JOSEPH R
• Application Number:
  US12/583,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 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 method of controlling use of a disk, comprising:

reading data from the disk; and

simultaneous with reading data from said disk, 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes degradation of a data storage medium on said disk.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes modification of data stored on said disk.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch prevents reading of at least a portion of data from said disk.

5. The method of claim 1, 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.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch initiates a process wherein at least a portion of data stored on said disk is modified.

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

reading data from the disk; and

subsequent to reading data from said disk, 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.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes degradation of a data storage medium on said disk.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes modification of data stored on said disk.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch prevents reading of at least a portion of data from said disk.

11. The method of claim 7, 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.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch initiates a process wherein at least a portion of data stored on said disk is modified.

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

checking for previous activation of a rotation activatable mechanical switch on the disk prior to reading data from said disk;

reading data from said disk; and

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

14. The method of claim 13, wherein reading data from said disk is performed if no previous activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch is detected.

15. The method of claim 13, 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.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes degradation of a data storage medium on said disk.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch causes modification of data stored on said disk.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch prevents reading of at least a portion of data from said disk.

19. The method of claim 13, 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.

20. The method of claim 13, activation of said rotation activatable mechanical switch initiates a process wherein at least a portion of data stored on said disk is modified.