IP Library Granted Patent US 12,461,863
Granted Patent B2
US 12,461,863 · App. 18/447,781 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Method and device for facilitating secure data transfer and storage

Inventors: Rewa Prasad Ahirwar (Bangalore, IN); Ramanathan Muthiah (Bangalore, IN)
Assignee: Sandisk Technologies, Inc.
G06F12/1458H04L9/3215H04L9/3234H04W12/062G06F2212/1052
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,461,863
App. No.
18/447,781
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A computer implemented method for transferring data from a user device to a non-volatile storage medium of a data storage device via a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel. The method executing on a user device comprising a user interface and memory store. The method comprises establishing a wireless peer-to-peer control channel between the user device and the data storage device. In response to receiving, via the user interface, a request to transfer data from the user device to the storage medium, sending, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a command to enable control channel access, and performing a secure unlocking process to transition the data storage device to a control channel access state. In response to successfully completing the secure unlocking process, obtaining write data, and sending, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a write command comprising the write data.

Claims (66)

1 . A computer implemented method for transferring data from a user device to a non-volatile storage medium of a data storage device via a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel, the method performed by a software application executing on a user device, the user device comprising a user interface and memory store, the method comprising;

establishing a control channel between the user device and the data storage device, the control channel comprising the wireless peer-to-peer communication channel; and

in response to receiving from a user, via the user interface, a request to transfer data from the user device to the storage medium of the data storage device,

sending, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a command to enable control channel access,

performing a secure unlocking process to transition the data storage device to a control channel access state, and

in response to successfully completing the secure unlocking process,

obtaining write data to be written to the storage medium, and

sending, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a write command comprising the write data.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the software application comprises an operating system of the user device, and the method further comprises registering the data storage device as a block storage device with the operating system of the user device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

establishing a peripheral control channel between the user device and a peripheral device, the peripheral control channel comprising a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel; and

receiving, from the peripheral device, via the peripheral control channel, the write data.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the software application comprises a peripheral device application configured to communicate with the peripheral device, via the peripheral control channel.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein obtaining the write data to be written to the storage medium comprises receiving, by the peripheral device application, from the peripheral device, via the peripheral control channel, the write data.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the peripheral device application is configured to store a copy of the write data in the memory store of the user device.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the peripheral device application is configured to, in response to sending, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a write command comprising the write data,

erase the copy of the write data from the memory store of the user device.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the request to transfer data comprises a request to transfer the write data from a second data storage device to the data storage device; and

the method further comprises transferring the write data from the second data storage device to the user device prior to sending the write command comprising the write data to the data storage device.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data storage device comprises a first data storage device and the control channel comprises a first control channel.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

establishing a second control channel between the user device and a second data storage device, the second control channel comprising a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel;

sending, to the second data storage device, via the second control channel, a command to enable control channel access;

performing a second secure unlocking process to transition the second data storage device to a control channel access state; and

in response to successfully completing the second secure unlocking process:

sending, to the second data storage device, via the second control channel, a read command, the read command comprising a reference to read data stored in a storage medium of the second data storage device; and

receiving, from the second data storage device, via the second control channel, the read data.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising, writing the read data, to a memory store of the user device, as the write data.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising, in response to sending, to the data storage device, via the first control channel, a write command comprising the write data,

erasing the write data from the memory store of the user device.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

obtaining, from the first data storage device, an indication of a first file structure, the first file structure comprising zero or more files; and

obtaining, from the second data storage device, an indication of a second file structure, the second file structure comprising at least one file.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

displaying, on the user interface of the user device, a representation of the first file structure and a representation of the second file structure.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein obtaining write data to be written to the storage medium comprises:

receiving, via the user interface, a user selection of a selected file in the second file structure;

sending, to the second data storage device, via the second control channel, a read command, the read command comprising a reference to the selected file; and

receiving, from the second data storage device, via the second control channel, the selected file.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the write data comprises one or more files.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure unlocking process comprises:

receiving, from the data storage device, via the control channel, a cryptographic challenge;

determining a response to the cryptographic challenge; and

transmitting, to the user device, via the control channel, the cryptographic challenge.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the cryptographic challenge is based on elliptic curve cryptography.

19 . A device for transferring data to a non-volatile storage medium of a data storage device via a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel, the device comprising:

a user interface;

a memory store; and

one or more processors configured to:

establish a control channel between the device and the data storage device, the control channel comprising the wireless peer-to-peer communication channel; and

in response to receiving from a user, via the user interface, a request to transfer data from the device to the storage medium of the data storage device:

send, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a command to enable control channel access;

perform a secure unlocking process to transition the data storage device to a control channel access state; and

in response to successfully completing the secure unlocking process,

obtain write data to be written to the storage medium, and

send, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a write command comprising the write data.

20 . A device for transferring data to a non-volatile storage medium of a data storage device via a wireless peer-to-peer communication channel, the device comprising:

a user interface;

a memory store;

means to establish a control channel between the device and the data storage device, the control channel comprising the wireless peer-to-peer communication channel;

means to, in response to receiving from a user, via the user interface, a request to transfer data from the device to the storage medium of the data storage device,

send, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a command to enable control channel access, and

perform a secure unlocking process to transition the data storage device to a control channel access state; and

means to, in response to successfully completing the secure unlocking process, obtain write data to be written to the storage medium, and

send, to the data storage device, via the control channel, a write command comprising the write data.

Assignments (8)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS THE AGENT
Reel/Frame 068762/0494 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 27, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067982/0032 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 29, 2024
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 067567/0682 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT - DDTL Recorded Nov 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 065657/0158 →
PATENT COLLATERAL AGREEMENT- A&R Recorded Nov 21, 2023
From: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 065656/0649 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 10, 2023
From: AHIRWAR, REWA PRASAD; MUTHIAH, RAMANATHAN
To: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 064557/0437 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63523891 · Jun 28, 2023
Related Publication 20250004952A1 · Jan 2, 2025
References Cited (25)
US 8639873B1 · Jevans · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 10348695B1 · Khassanov · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 11556665B2 · Mastenbrook et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20060039221A1 · Fukuda · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20100268878A1 · Matton · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20120246416A1 · Shiba · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140295754A1 · Lortz · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150171928A1 · Lee · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20150199684A1 · Maus · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160028713A1 · Chui · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20190026727A1 · Wilson · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190377505A1 · Yaghmour · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210173561A1 · Mastenbrook · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210218557A1 · Mastenbrook · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20220014918A1 · Mastenbrook · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220035901A1 · Yun · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220221990A1 · Srimal · 2022 [cited by examiner]
CN 105739906A · 2016 [cited by applicant]
KR 20240063736A · 2024 [cited by applicant]
“ArmorLock™ Security Platform”, Western Digital Corporation, pp. 1-18, (2020). [cited by applicant]
“ArmorLock™ Encrypted NVMe™ SSD with Mobile and Desktop Apps User Manual”, Western Digital Corporation, pp. 1-37, (2022). [cited by applicant]
Translation of CN-105739906-A. 2024. [cited by applicant]
Translation of KR-20240063736-A. 2024. [cited by applicant]
“ArmorLock User Manual: Encrypted NVMe SSD with Mobile and Desktop Apps”. https://documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/sandisk-pro/product/portable-drives/armorlock/user-manual-armorl… [cited by applicant]
“Western Digital Whitepaper ArmorLock Security Platform”. https://documents.westerndigital.com/content/dam/doc-library/en_us/assets/public/western-digital/collateral/white-paper/white-paper-armorlock-security-platform.p… [cited by applicant]