Method of Operating Ephemeral Peripheral Device

• US 20160246967A1
• Filed: 04/28/2016
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jonker LLC
• Original Assignee: Jonker LLC
• Inventors: Gross, John Nicholas, Liu, David K.Y.
• Granted Patent: US 10,839,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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: G11C 13/0004 comprising amorphous/crystalline phase transition cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0059 Security or protection circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0097 Erasing, e.g. resetting, circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0416 comprising cells containing a single floating gate transistor and no select transistor, e.g. UV EPROM
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/14 Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/22 Safety or protection circuits preventing unauthorised or accidental access to memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/26 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/24 Memory cell safety or protection circuits, e.g. arrangements for preventing inadvertent reading or writing; Status cells; Test cells

Abstract

An ephemeral system includes an ephemeral communications device and associated ephemeral memory system (onboard or peripheral) for securing user data. Different secure operating modes are provided for customizing user security requirements across end-to-end communications links, including in exchanges of electronic data between smartphone devices.

Claims

1. A method of implementing a secure communications device comprising:

receiving data at a first communications device from a second communications device;

designating said received data as ephemeral data to be treated in accordance with a set of ephemeral parameters by said first communications device;

in response to said designating, storing said ephemeral data in an ephemeral memory device that is coupled to but separate from said first communications device;

wherein said ephemeral data from said second communications device is not stored in any non-ephemeral non-volatile memory circuit of the first communications device;

automatically erasing said ephemeral data from the second communications device based on said set of ephemeral parameters, including in response to one of;

a) a read access;

b) a time expiration;

c) a predetermined event relating to said ephemeral memory device;

wherein said automatically erasing effectuates an ephemeral treatment of said data by irreversibly destroying said data at a physical level such that it cannot be read again.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of ephemeral parameters specify ephemeral treatment for an entirety of a data session with said second communications device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said automatically erasing effectuates a one time access by a hybrid read operation that is a destructive read-erase.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a separate communications channel is established between said ephemeral memory device and said second communications device based on said set of ephemeral parameters.

5. A method of implementing a secure communications channel comprising:

receiving a request at a first wireless communications device for a secure wireless data session with a second communications device;

in response to said request, establishing a connection to said second communications device during which any wireless data received by said first device is treated by such device as ephemeral data in accordance with a set of ephemeral parameters specified for such data;

processing said ephemeral data and storing it in an ephemeral memory device that is coupled to but separate from said first communications device;

wherein said ephemeral data from said second communications device is not stored in any non-ephemeral non-volatile memory circuit of the first communications device;

automatically erasing said ephemeral data from the second communications device based on said set of ephemeral parameters, including in response to one of;

a) a read access;

b) a time expiration;

c) a predetermined event relating to said ephemeral memory device;

wherein said automatically erasing effectuates an ephemeral treatment of said data by irreversibly destroying said data at a physical level such that it cannot be read again;

processing any transmitted data by said first communications device as ephemeral data such that it is also not stored in any non-volatile memory circuit of the first communications device;

wherein said set of ephemeral parameters further operate to effectuate an end-to-end ephemeral channel, by specifying and controlling data treatment by any intermediary processing systems between the first wireless communications device and said second communications device such that none of such intermediary processing systems store such ephemeral data in a non-volatile memory or storage.