Patent ID: 11972118
Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. A mobile data storage device (DSD) comprising:
a non-volatile storage medium configured to store user data;
a data path configured to transmit data between the mobile DSD and a host computer system;
a housing covering the non-volatile storage medium and having a machine readable optical code visible on an external surface of the housing;
a non-volatile system memory configured to store an internal security passcode; and
a controller disposed within the housing and configured to:
receive, from the data path, a request to restore the mobile DSD to factory settings;
receive, from the data path, a unique access passcode derived by:
reading, by a computing device that does not include the mobile DSD, the machine readable optical code from the housing;
determining, responsive to reading the machine readable optical code, the unique access passcode; and
sending, by the host computer system, the unique access passcode to the mobile DSD;

validate, based on the internal security passcode, the unique access passcode; and
in response to determining that the unique access passcode is valid, restore the mobile DSD to factory settings.