IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,370,166
Granted Patent B1
US 7,370,166 · App. 11/118,959 · Granted May 6, 2008

Secure portable storage device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,370,166
App. No.
11/118,959
Granted
May 6, 2008
Kind
B1
Abstract

In one embodiment of the present invention, a secure storage system includes a removable storage device having a secure storage area for storage of secure data and a public storage area and device port for coupling the removable storage device to a host, the removable storage device appearing, to the host, to be non-removable so that the secure storage area remains hidden and the secure data remains secure.

Claims (14)

1. A secure storage system comprising:

a removable storage device having a secure storage area for storage of secure data and a public storage area; and

device port for coupling the removable storage device to a host, the removable storage device configured to indicate to the host that the removable storage device is non-removable so that the secure storage area remains hidden.

2. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the device port is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector.

3. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device includes non-volatile memory.

4. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device includes flash memory.

5. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured to indicate to the host that the removable storage device is non-removable in response to an inquiry from the host.

6. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured to encrypt the secure data prior to storage in the secure storage area.

7. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured to encrypt, upon disconnecting the removable storage device from the host, secure data within the secure storage area that has been altered by a user.

8. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured so that the secure area can be marked as hidden by the host.

9. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured to prevent the host from assigning a drive name to the secure area.

10. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device is configured so that the secure area is only accessible using vendor-unique commands.

11. A secure storage system as recited in claim 1 wherein the removable storage device further comprises a master boot record configured to include information about a number and/or size of the storage areas of the removable storage device.

12. A secure storage system as recited in claim 11 wherein the master boot record is a read only memory.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
MERGER Recorded Mar 25, 2011
From: LEXAR MEDIA, INC.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 026024/0131 →