Method and system for protecting data, storage device, and storage device controller
AssigneePhison Electronics Corp.
InventorsHsiang-Hsiung Yu, Yu-Chung Shen, Yun-Chieh Chen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a system for protecting data, a storage device, and a storage device controller are provided. In the present method, when a host accesses data in the storage device, whether the host performs a play operation or a copy operation on the data is first determined. If the host performs the play operation on the data, the storage device continues to execute the play operation so as to allow the host to access the data. On the other hand, if the host performs the copy operation on the data, the storage device executes an interference procedure so as to prevent or retard the data from being copied into the host.
Claims30
A data protection method, for protecting data in a storage device when a host accesses the data, the data protection method comprising:
- determining a reading objective of the host toward the data in the storage device;
- and
- providing two or more reading responses according to the determination result.
A data protection system, comprising:
- a host;
- and
- a storage device, comprising:
- a storage unit, for storing a data;
- and
- a storage device controller, coupled to the storage unit,
- wherein when the host is coupled to the storage device to access the data, the storage device controller determines whether the host performs a play operation or a copy operation on the data,
- if the storage device controller determines that the host performs the play operation on the data, the storage device continues to execute the play operation so as to allow the host to access the data,
- if the storage device controller determines that the host performs the copy operation on the data, the storage device executes an interference procedure so as to prevent or retard the data from being copied into the host.
An external storage device, comprising:
- a connector;
- a storage unit, divided into at least a first storage space and a second storage space, wherein the first storage space and the second storage space respectively store a data;
- and
- a storage device controller, coupled to the connector and the storage unit,
- wherein when a host is coupled to the external storage device through the connector to read the data in the first storage space, the storage device controller determines a reading objective of the host toward the data in the first storage space,
- when the host is coupled to the external storage device through the connector to read the data in the second storage space, the storage device controller directly allows the host to read the data without determining a reading objective of the host toward the data in the second storage space.
A storage device controller, for receiving instructions from a host and controlling a storage unit of a storage device, the storage device controller comprising:
- a microprocessor unit;
- a storage medium interface unit, coupled to the microprocessor unit for coupling the storage device controller to the storage unit;
- a host interface unit, coupled to the microprocessor unit for coupling the storage device controller to the host;
- and
- a data protection unit, coupled to the microprocessor unit, for determining whether the host performs a play operation or a copy operation on a data in the storage unit when the host is coupled to the storage device for accessing the data,
- wherein if the data protection unit determines that the host performs the play operation on the data, the storage device continues to execute the play operation so as to allow the host to access the data,
- if the data protection unit determines that the host performs the copy operation on the data, the storage device executes an interference procedure so as to prevent or retard the data from being copied into the host.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.