Memory device activation and deactivation

• US 9,396,752 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Teshome
• Application Number:
  US11/198,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,001 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/402 Encrypted data
• 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 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00115 wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• 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 method performed by a microprocessor for retrieving information from a deactivated memory device, comprising:

providing, over the Internet, an identification code to a support entity, the identification code uniquely associated with a specific deactivated memory device, the deactivated memory device including at least one region from which read-support information sufficient to support reading of data of interest from the memory device is readable prior to deactivation but not after deactivation; and

receiving, over the Internet, a unique override code from the support entity, the override code unique to the specific deactivated memory device and containing alternative information sufficient to permit reading of the data of interest from the deactivated memory device.

2. The method of claim 1, including using the alternative information as a key to decode data of interest stored in the deactivated memory device.

3. The method of claim 1, including using the alternative information as index information for reading data of interest stored in two or more locations of the deactivated memory device in a correct sequence.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one region is a degradation-sensitive region, and wherein deactivation of the memory device includes degradation of the degradation-sensitive region.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the degradation-sensitive region has been degraded by exposure to a degradation-inducing influence to render the data of interest inaccessible to a user of the memory device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the region from which read-support information sufficient to support reading of data of interest from the memory device is readable prior to deactivation but not after deactivation includes:

a degradation-sensitive region has been degraded by exposure to a degradation-inducing influence to render the data of interest inaccessible to the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique override code includes complete read-support information sufficient for reading the data of interest from the memory device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique override code includes partial read-support information necessary for reading the data of interest from the memory device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the partial read-support information in the override code is sufficient for reading the data of interest from the memory device when used in combination with partial read-support information stored on the memory device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, over the Internet, a unique override code from the support entity, the override code unique to the specific deactivated memory device and containing alternative information sufficient to permit reading of the data of interest from the deactivated memory device includes:

receiving a backup copy of the read-support information sufficient to support reading of the data of interest from the memory device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a backup copy of the read-support information sufficient to support reading of the data of interest from memory device includes:

receiving the backup copy of the read-support information from a third party by providing an identification code associated with the memory device to the third party.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a backup copy of the read-support information sufficient to support reading of the data of interest from memory device includes:

receiving the backup copy of the read support information in an electronic format.

13. The method of claim 10, including receiving the backup copy of the read support information by reading the backup copy from a secondary location on the memory device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the backup copy is stored in the secondary location of the memory device in encoded or encrypted form.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a backup copy of the read-support information sufficient to support reading of the data of interest from memory device includes:

receiving the backup copy of the read support information in at least one of a digital format, an alphanumeric code, or a bar code.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a backup copy of the read-support information sufficient to support reading of the data of interest from memory device includes:

receiving at least one of complete information necessary for reading the data of interest or a subset of information necessary for reading the data of interest.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, over the Internet, a unique override code from the support entity includes:

receiving the override code including at least one of a full copy of the read-support information, a portion of the read-support information, or an analog of the read-support information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing, over the Internet, an identification code to a support entity includes:

providing the identification code from at least one of a user of the memory device or a representative of a user of the memory device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing, over the Internet, an identification code to a support entity includes:

providing the identification code in the form of an electronic data transmission or a wireless data transmission.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, over the Internet, a unique override code from the support entity includes:

receiving the override code from at least one of a user of the memory device or representative of a user of the memory device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, over the Internet, a unique override code from the support entity includes:

receiving the override code in the form of an electronic data transmission or a wireless data transmission.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the override code includes at least a portion of a decryption key or at least a portion of an index table.