Data storage device and method of access in confidential mode and normal mode
AssigneeSanDisk Technologies LLC
InventorsGanesh Kumar Pathirakani, Nagarajan Ragupathy, Ashutosh Kumar
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Abstract
A data storage device (DSD) (1) comprising: a storage medium (13); and at least one flash interface module (FIM) (27), wherein in response to a signal (4) of a switch (3) is configured to selectively transition operation of the DSD (1) between two modes. A confidential mode, in which security data (7) is stored with user data (9) as protected data (11) in the storage medium (13) of the DSD (1) during a write operation (15), and the security data (7) is used to validate subsequent requests to access (17), or modify, the corresponding stored user data (9). A normal mode, in which access to the protected data (11) is prevented.
Claims20
A data storage device (DSD) comprising:
- a storage medium, wherein:
- the storage medium comprises a plurality of blocks;
- each block of the plurality of blocks is a smallest unit that can be erased;
- each block comprises a plurality of flash memory units (FMU);
- and
- each FMU of the plurality of FMUs is a smallest unit that can be read or written to;
- and
- at least one flash interface module (FIM), wherein, in response to a signal of a switch, the at least one FIM is configured to selectively transition operation of the DSD between:
- (i) a confidential mode, in which security data is stored with user data as protected data in at least one FMU in the storage medium of the DSD during a write operation, and the security data in the at least one FMU is used to validate subsequent requests to access or modify the corresponding stored user data in the at least one FMU;
- and
- (ii) a normal mode, in which access to the protected data is prevented.
A computer-implemented method for selectively enabling access to user data stored in a storage medium of a data storage device (DSD), the computer-implemented method performed, at least in part, by at least one flash interface module (FIM) of the DSD, the method comprising:
- receiving a signal from a switch;
- and
- transitioning, in response to the signal, operation between:
- (i) a confidential mode, in which security data is stored with user data as protected data in at least one flash memory unit (FMU) in the storage medium of the DSD during a write operation, wherein:
- the storage medium comprises a plurality of blocks;
- each block of the plurality of blocks is a smallest unit that can be erased;
- each block comprises a plurality of FMUs;
- and
- each FMU of the plurality of FMUs is a smallest unit that can be read or written to;
- and
- the security data in the at least one FMU is used to validate subsequent requests to access or modify the corresponding stored user data in the at least one FMU;
- and
- (ii) a normal mode, in which access to the protected data is prevented.
A data storage device (DSD) comprising:
- means for storing data, wherein:
- the means for storing data comprises a plurality of blocks;
- each block of the plurality of blocks is a smallest unit that can be erased;
- each block comprises a plurality of flash memory units (FMU);
- and
- each FMU of the plurality of FMUs is a smallest unit that can be read or written to;
- means for receiving a signal from a switch;
- and
- means for transitioning operation, in response to the signal, configured to selectively transition operation of the DSD between:
- (i) a confidential mode in which security data is stored with user data, as protected data in at least one FMU in the means for storing data during a write operation, and the security data in the at least one FMU is used to validate subsequent requests to access or modify the corresponding stored user data in the at least one FMU;
- and
- (ii) a normal mode, in which access to the protected data is prevented.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.