Data storage device with secure access based on motions of the data storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11288353-B2
Application number	US-201715649562-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing secure access to a data storage device. A user may move the data storage device (e.g., wave, twist, etc.). The data storage device may determine whether the motions valid and may allow access to the data storage device (e.g., to non-volatile memory of the data storage device) when the motions are valid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable external hard drive configured to repurpose an accelerometer sensor or a shock sensor of the portable external hard drive for detecting falls to also validate user inputs without using any input hardware other than the accelerometer sensor or the shock sensor, the portable external hard drive comprising:
an enclosure without a touch sensitive input device and without a display screen;
a data interface configured to removably connect to and transfer data to a computing device;
a non-volatile memory comprising a head and a platter located within the enclosure and configured to store data;
a set of sensor devices, including the accelerometer sensor or the shock sensor, located within the enclosure having a first purpose of triggering parking of the head to prevent damage to the platter; and
a controller coupled to the non-volatile memory and the set of sensor devices, wherein the controller is configured to:
park the head in a safe position while waiting for input from a user;
utilize the set of sensor devices for a second purpose of detecting a first set of motions for accessing the non-volatile memory;
determine whether the first set of motions detected by the set of sensor devices is valid by at least:
identifying a set of pauses between the first set of motions, each pause comprising a duration of time where no changes are detected in an x-axis, a y-axis, or a z-axis of the portable external hard drive; and
matching time durations of pauses in the set of pauses with time durations of a recorded set of pauses previously provided by the user;

in response to determining that the first set of motions is valid, allow access to read from or write to a first portion of the non-volatile memory by the computing device via the data interface, the first portion associated with a first user; and
in response to determining that a second set of motions is valid, allow access to read from or write to a second portion of the non-volatile memory by the computing device, the second portion associated with a second user.

2. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first set of motions is valid further comprises:
determining whether a set of changes in orientation is valid.

3. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first set of motions is valid further comprises:
determining whether a set of movements of the portable external hard drive through a three-dimensional space are valid.

4. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first set of motions is valid further comprises:
determining whether a timing pattern of the first set of motions is valid.

5. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
generate a one-time password; and
determine whether the second set of motions is valid based on the one-time password.

6. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the second set of motions is detected by the computing device.

7. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a set of speeds of the first set of motions; and
allow access to the non-volatile memory further based on the set of speeds.

8. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to allow read access to the non-volatile memory by:
decrypting at least a portion of the non-volatile memory.

9. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein:
the data interface comprises a direct-access interface configured to connect to the computing device via a connection cable; and
the controller is configured to allow access to read from or write to the non-volatile memory by the computing device by allowing data to be communicated via the direct-access interface.

10. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein:
the data interface comprises a network-access interface configured to communicate with the computing device via a network; and
the controller is configured to allow access to read from or write to the non-volatile memory by the computing device by allowing data to be communicated via the network-access interface.

11. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
prevent access to read from or write to the non-volatile memory by the computing device in response to determining that the first set of motions is invalid.

12. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a number of access attempts in response to determining that the first set of motions is invalid; and
delete data stored on the non-volatile memory in response to determining that the number of access attempts exceeds a threshold.

13. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
determine a number of access attempts in response to determining that the first set of motions is invalid; and
encrypt at least a portion of the non-volatile memory in response to determining that the number of access attempts exceeds a threshold.

14. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the second set of motions is detected by the set of sensor devices.

15. The portable external hard drive of claim 1 , wherein the portable external hard drive lacks a touch-sensitive input device.

16. A method for repurposing a set of sensors of a portable external hard drive, the portable external hard drive not having a touch sensitive input device and not having a display screen, the set of sensors comprising an accelerometer sensor or a shock sensor, the set of sensors having a primary purpose of triggering parking of a head to prevent damage to a platter of the portable external hard drive, the method comprising:
receiving, by the portable external hard drive, a connection to a computing device;
parking the head in a safe position while waiting for input from a user;
utilizing the set of sensors for a secondary purpose of detecting a first set of motions for accessing the portable external hard drive;
determining whether the first set of motions is valid by at least:
identifying a set of pauses between the first set of motions, each pause comprising a duration of time where no changes are detected in an x-axis, a y-axis, or a z-axis of the portable external hard drive; and
matching time durations of pauses in the set of pauses with time durations of a recorded set of pauses previously provided by the user;

in response to determining that the first set of motions is valid, allowing access to read from or write to a first portion of a non-volatile memory of the portable external hard drive by a computing device, the first portion associated with a first user; and
in response to determining that a second set of motions is valid, allowing access to read from or write to a second portion of the non-volatile memory by the computing device, the second portion associated with a second user.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining whether the first set of motions is valid further comprises:
determining whether a set of changes in orientation is valid.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining whether the first set of motions is valid further comprises:
determining whether a set of movements of the portable external hard drive through a three-dimensional space are valid.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein determining whether t

Assignees

• Western Digital Tech Inc

Inventors

• Xu Jun
• Zhang Lei
• Xi Wei
• Jenkins Dean Mitcham
• Chew David W
• Zhou Jianguo

Classifications

• G06F21/31 Primary

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F21/316

  by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour · CPC title

• G06F3/0659

  Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling · CPC title

• G06F21/36 Primary

  by graphic or iconic representation · CPC title

• G06F3/067

  Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS] · CPC title