Data retrieval systems

• US 8,332,724 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): ABRAHAM, ESAW T
• Application Number:
  US12/287,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20090122660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: 714/6.1, 714/704, 714/763, 714/784
• US Class Current: 714/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/122 involving the detection of an identification or authentication mark record carriers indicating unauthorised or prior use G11B23/28
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/26 Speed-changing arrangements; Reversing arrangements; Drive-transfer means therefor
• 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 20/00195 using a device identifier associated with the player or recorder, e.g. serial numbers of playback apparatuses or MAC addresses
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• 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 20/00782 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of times a program can be installed
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00797 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of times a content can be reproduced, e.g. using playback counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00927 wherein said defects or errors are generated on purpose, e.g. intended scratches

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, methods of retrieving information from a data storage device previously deactivated by modification or degradation of at least a portion of the data storage device are disclosed.

Claims

1. A data recovery system comprising:

a read head;

a sensor;

drive control hardware; and

drive control software;

wherein at least one of the drive control hardware and drive control software is configured to recover read-support information from an expired data storage device and to read data of interest from the data storage device with the use of the read-support information.

2. The data recovery system of claim 1, wherein the read head is an optical read head.

3. The data recovery system of claim 1, wherein the read head is a magnetic read head.

4. The data recovery system of claim 1, including decoding hardware or software configured to decode encoded read-support information recovered from an expired data storage device.

5. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding hardware or software that includes a function.

6. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding hardware or software that includes a HASH function.

7. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding hardware or software that includes a decryption function.

8. The data recovery system of claim 7, wherein the decryption function is a public key decryption function.

9. The data recovery system of claim 7, wherein the decryption function is a symmetric key decryption function.

10. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding software that includes a table-lookup operation for decoding read-support information stored in multiple locations on the expired data storage device, said multiple locations stored in a lookup table used by the table-lookup operation.

11. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding hardware configured to decode encoded read-support information recovered from an expired data storage device.

12. The data recovery system of claim 4, including decoding software configured to decode encoded read-support information recovered from an expired data storage device.

13. The data recovery system of claim 1, including drive control hardware configured to read read-support information from an expired data storage device at a reduced read speed.

14. The data recovery system of claim 1, including drive control hardware configured to control the level of the data storage device from which read-support information is read.

15. The data recovery system of claim 14, including drive control hardware configured to control reading of read-support information from a first level of an expired data storage device and to control reading of data of interest from a second level of an expired data storage device.

16. The data recovery system of claim 1, including drive control hardware configured to adjust the spatial frequency at which read-support information is read from the expired data storage device.

17. The data recovery system of claim 1, including signal processing software configured to perform signal averaging of multiple copies of low signal-to-noise ratio read-support information read from an expired data storage device.

18. The data recovery system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the drive control hardware and drive control software is configured to recover secondary read-support information distributed in the data of interest.

19. The data recovery system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.

20. The data recovery system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a magnetic sensor.

21. The data recovery system of claim 1, including drive control hardware configured to control at least one of the speed at which read-support information is read from an expired data storage device or the level of the data storage device from which read-support information is read.