Patent ID: 8127151

Claim:
A method of recovering encoded information stored in a data storage device having at least one signal conductor with predetermined transmission characteristics, an encoded information storage portion having at least one input/output (i/o) interface, and a system clock, the method comprising: detecting a data access attempt that attempts to read at least a portion of encoded information stored in said encoded information storage portion via said i/o interface; transmitting, in response to said detecting, at least one pulse along the at least one signal conductor, where said pulse is provided to said signal conductor at a pulse transmission location of said conductor; detecting transmission characteristics of the at least one signal conductor based on said transmitted pulse, where said pulse is detected at a pulse detection location of said conductor, a return signal propagated along said conductor as a result of said pulse transmission; and generating a decoding key based on the detected transmission characteristics depending upon both of the pulse transmission location and the pulse detection location that define a signal path along the conductor.