Iomega Corporation

Trent Mark Thomas

Troy Taylor Davidson

Stephen Larry McBride

George Raymond Meyer

Stefan A Teleki

John Alan Hensley

David A Thompson

Michael L Hawkins

Michael S Kupka

Jim Sandman

Christopher R Low

Thane S Heninger

A system an method for distribution of electronic data over a network infrastructure that includes a client device for operation by a user desiring to receive the electronic data and server that contains the electronic data and offering the electronic data for downloading to the client device via the network infrastructure. The client device communicates a compound data key that includes a unique serial number associated with a particular piece of media to which the electronic data is to be stored to the server, vendor information and user information. The server encrypts the electronic data using the compound key, and downloads the encrypted electronic data to the client computer, where the client computer writes the encrypted electronic data to the particular piece of media such that the encrypted electronic data may only be accessed from the particular piece of media. The electronic data is decrypted for use by the apparatus or another device attached to the apparatus using the compound key as a data key, and the data is accessible from only the one piece of media having the unique serial number and is not accessible from any other media having a different or no identifier. In an alternate embodiment, the apparatus for reading the encrypted electronic data is connected to a general purpose computer having a media drive which reads the unique serial number and the electronic data from the one piece of media. The apparatus comprises an application specific integrated circuit which controls and executes instructions to accept the electronic data and the unique serial number from the general purpose computer.

System for keying protected electronic data to particular media to prevent unauthorized copying using a compound key

A system and method for automatically executing a participating application upon insertion of a removable media into a computing device. When the computing device detects that the removable media containing has been inserted, a task disk control file is read from the removable media. The task disk control file contains all of the configuration information necessary to run the participating application from the removable media. The participating application is then launched for use by a user. After the user is finished using the participating application, the removable disk is automatically ejected. In addition to monitoring for insertion of the removable media, events such as a completion of the self-contained application and a request to eject the media are monitored. When a completion event is encountered, all data files are saved, temporary files deleted and configuration information removed prior to the removable disk ejection. When an ejection event is encountered, the computing device is instructed to wait until the completion events are executed prior to actual ejection of the removable media.

Self-contained application disk for automatically launching application software or starting devices and peripherals

A computer recovery system provided on a removable high capacity disk. In the event that a user encounters an abnormal operating condition, the user inserts the removable high capacity disk into the computer and restarts the computer. The computer boots either directly from the removable high capacity disk or from a floppy disk which transfers control to the removable high capacity disk. The removable high capacity disk includes all of the files necessary to load the computer operating system and launch the graphical user interface of the operating system such that the user is provided with a familiar operating environment. The removable high capacity disk also includes a suite of software recovery software which attempt to ascertain and correct the cause of the abnormal operating condition to return the computer system to a normal operating condition. In the event the recovery system cannot correct the cause of the abnormal operating condition, the user may continue working with files located on the hard disk within the computer or perform a restore operation from an archive.

System for computer recovery using removable high capacity media

A disk can store data from two different operating systems, particularly DOS and MAC OS formats. The initial sector on the disk, sector zero, is divided between the operating systems, allowing two sector signatures. As a result, DOS recognizes the disk as valid and the MAC OS can support a driver on the disk. According to another aspect of the invention, the DOS portion of the dual-format disk is reclaimed by having a software program start its execution on the dual-format disk then switch its execution to another storage device. As a result, the program can dismount the dual-format disk and safely reclaim it for use on the MAC OS.

Method for sharing a storage medium between computers having disparate

A large capacity removable media drive is integrated into a computer as a floppy disk drive. The method and apparatus are suited to an environment in which the removable media disk drive is configured as the first fixed disk drive in the computer. Thus, the removable media drive is recognized by the BIOS as a fixed disk drive. A substitute master boot record is provided to the computer from the removable media drive in response to a request for the master boot record of the media. Control of the boot sequence is thereby gained. The substitute master boot record loads a boot program that alters the operating system to recognize the removable media drive as a floppy disk drive.

Growing community of inventors

Ogden, UT, United States of America

Trent Mark Thomas