Prevent data storage device circuitry swap

• US 9,305,590 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2007
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Miller, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baum, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/873,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,094 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• 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 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00231 wherein the key is obtained from a local external medium, e.g. a card
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00246 wherein the key is obtained from a local device, e.g. device key initially stored by the player or by the recorder
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00492 wherein content or user data is encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/005 wherein only some specific parts of the content are encrypted, e.g. encryption limited to I-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00543 wherein external data is encrypted, e.g. for secure communication with an external device or for encrypting content on a separate record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1816 Testing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

A device comprises a data storage media storing data content and a digital signature. At least a portion of the digital signature is encrypted on the data storage media. The device also includes a removable control circuitry including a unique key. If the unique key corresponds to the encrypted portion of the digital signature, the removable control circuitry allows access to the data content. If the unique key does not correspond to the encrypted portion of the digital signature, the removable control circuitry prevents access to the data content. Embodiments of the invention may be useful to prevent a user from accessing the data content without the original control circuitry used to write the data content. For example, embodiments of the invention may prevent a user from using a different control circuitry that would readily allow unauthorized copying and distribution of the data content.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a data storage medium adapted to store data content encrypted using an encrypted key and the encrypted key, wherein the encrypted key is encrypted using a root key; and

a removable control circuit including a first key,

wherein if the first key does not correspond to the root key, the removable control circuit prevents access to the data content

wherein the data storage medium is further adapted to store unencrypted data content, wherein the removable control circuit is further adapted to prevent access to the unencrypted data content if the first key does not correspond to the root key, and

wherein at least a portion of the data content is unencrypted data content and wherein the removable control circuit is further adapted to delete the unencrypted data content if the first key does not correspond to the root key.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a digital signature having an unencrypted portion that indicates to the removable control circuit that a part of the data content is protected data content even if the first key does not correspond to the root key.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the data content includes metadata.

4. The device of claim 1,

wherein the data storage medium is adapted to store calibration data,

wherein the removable control circuit is adapted to convert an analog signal read from the data storage medium into a digital data signal containing a portion of the data content using the calibration data.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the removable control circuit is part of a circuit board.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the circuit board includes:

a communication interface to forward the data content to a peripheral device;

a signal path that carries the data content to a communication interface;

a first plane, wherein the first plane is selected from a group consisting of a first ground plane and a first power plane; and

a second plane, wherein the second plane is selected from a group consisting of a second ground plane and a second power plane,

wherein the signal path is between the first plane and the second plane.

7. The device of claim 1,

wherein if the first key does not correspond to the root key, the removable control circuit deletes the encrypted key to permanently prevent access to the portion of the data content encrypted with the encrypted key.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the removable control circuit includes a read only memory, wherein the first key is stored in the read only memory.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage medium is a magnetic medium.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the data storage medium is a semiconductor memory.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein if the first key corresponds to the root key, the removable control circuit allows access to the data content.

12. A device comprising:

a data storage medium adapted to store an encrypted key and data content encrypted using the encrypted key, wherein the encrypted key is encrypted using a root key; and

a removable control circuit including a first key,

wherein if the first key corresponds to the root key, the removable control circuit allows access to the encrypted data content,

wherein if the first key does not correspond to the root key, the removable control circuit prevents access to the encrypted data content,

wherein the data storage medium is adapted to store an indication that the data content includes protected data content, and

wherein at least a portion of the data content is unencrypted data content and wherein the removable control circuit is further adapted to delete the unencrypted data content if the first key does not correspond to the root key.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein if the first key does not correspond to the root key, the removable control circuit refuses any request to access the protected data content.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein if the first key does not correspond to the root key, the control circuit erases the protected data content.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the protected data content is not encrypted on the data storage medium.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein the protected data content includes the encrypted data content.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein the data storage medium is a magnetic medium.

18. The device of claim 12, wherein the data storage medium is a semiconductor memory.

19. A method comprising:

generating an encrypted key using a root key;

encrypting data content using the encrypted key;

storing the encrypted data content and the encrypted key on a storage medium;

if a key of a removable circuit corresponds to the root key, providing access to the encrypted data content;

if the key of the removable circuit does not correspond to the root key, preventing access to the encrypted data content; and

wherein at least a portion of the data content is unencrypted data content and wherein the removable control circuit is further adapted to delete the unencrypted data content if the key of the removable control circuit does not correspond to the root key.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein if the key of the removable circuit does not correspond to the root key, deleting any unencrypted data from the storage medium.