Method and system for fluid mediated disk activation and deactivation

• US 8,432,777 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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, Goodall, Eleanor V., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Van
• Application Number:
  US12/803,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• 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 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00826 wherein a spoiler signal is added to degrade the signal quality
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0035 means incorporated in the disc, e.g. hub, to enable its guiding, loading or driving means for driving the head G11B21/06; guiding the disc for centering or locking G11B17/022; turntables or spindles for driving G11B19/2009
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/282 Limited play
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

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 operating a disk drive, comprising:

adjusting a radial position of a read head with respect to a disk received in the disk drive;

controlling a rotation of a disk received in the disk drive to permit reading of data from the disk;

reading data from the disk with a sensor; and

controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk, including producing a pressure differential across a pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through said pressure-sensitive fluid barrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a centrifugally activatable pressure-sensitive fluid barrier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive fluid barrier includes a frangible barrier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pressure-sensitive fluid barrier includes a capillary break, hydrophobic break, or hydrophobic valve.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce release of a conductive fluid from a fluid release mechanism to open a fluid switch, wherein opening the fluid switch opens an electrical circuit on the disk.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce release of a conductive fluid from a fluid release mechanism to close a fluid switch, wherein opening the fluid switch closes an electrical circuit on the disk.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to release a fluid into a region of the disk containing said data, wherein said fluid renders said data unusable or unreadable.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier includes a capillary break.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier includes a hydrophobic break.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier includes a hydrophobic valve.

11. A method of operating a disk drive, comprising:

adjusting a radial position of a read head with respect to a disk received in the disk drive;

controlling a rotation of a disk received in the disk drive to permit reading of data from the disk;

reading data from the disk with a sensor; and

controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk, the rotation sensitive structure including a micromechanical valve.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a centrifugally activatable micromechanical valve.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce release of a conductive fluid from a fluid release mechanism to open a fluid switch, wherein opening the fluid switch opens an electrical circuit on the disk.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to produce release of a conductive fluid from a fluid release mechanism to close a fluid switch, wherein opening the fluid switch closes an electrical circuit on the disk.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling rotation of the disk to produce activation of a rotation sensitive structure configured to produce degradation of data on the disk includes controlling rotation of the disk to release a fluid into a region of the disk containing said data, wherein said fluid renders said data unusable or unreadable.

16. A method of operating a disk drive, comprising:

controlling a rotation of a disk received in the disk drive to permit reading of data from the disk, the disk including a fluid release mechanism including fluid contained within a fluid chamber on the disk and a pressure sensitive fluid barrier having a selected orientation and break pressure;

reading data from the disk with a sensor; and

controlling rotation of the disk to produce a pressure differential across the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier to produce degradation of at least a portion of the data stored on the disk;

wherein the reading data from the disk with a sensor and controlling rotation of the disk to produce a pressure differential across the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier to produce degradation of at least a portion of the data stored on the disk are timed such that degradation of the at least a portion of the data stored on the disk occurs after the at least a portion of the data has been read from the disk with the sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the reading data from the disk with a sensor is performed prior to the controlling rotation of the disk to produce a pressure differential across the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier to produce degradation of at least a portion of the data stored on the disk.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the reading data from the disk with a sensor is performed following the controlling rotation of the disk to produce a pressure differential across the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier to produce degradation of the at least a portion of the data stored on the disk, the fluid producing degradation of the at least a portion of the data stored on the disk over a period of time.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the reading data from the disk with a sensor is performed simultaneously with the controlling rotation of the disk to produce a pressure differential across the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier sufficient to cause fluid to move through the pressure-sensitive fluid barrier to produce degradation of at least a portion of the data stored on the disk.