Disk drive for selectively satisfying a read request from a host computer for a first valid data block with a second valid data block

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a disk drive which can assert control over the information content supplied in response to a read request from the host by performing a selective translation of addresses received from the host. The disk drive can include hardware, firmware, or a combination thereof, to unambiguously detect a command block to read a predetermined location on the drive. The drive, upon detecting occurrence of a predetermined address included in the command block, translates the address to initiate a read from an alternate, substitute location information stored at the substitute location is returned to the requesting host in satisfaction of the host's request. The information can be blocks of data, such as audio/video data, or can be executable code including, but not limited to, code used to boot a substitute operating system stored at a location known only to the drive.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.