Patent ID: 8613103

Claim:
A storage device comprising: a non-volatile memory operative to store a data object; one or more software applications; and an access control structure containing information for authenticating an entity, further information for determining a permission of the entity to access the data object, and further information to associate the data object with a particular one of the software applications, wherein the particular one of the software applications is operative to process the data object; and a controller operative to: receive a request for the data object from the entity; if the entity is authenticated, is a user of the data object, and has permission to access the data object, invoke the particular one of the software applications based on the association stored in the access control structure, wherein the request from the user of the data object is a request to access the data object; and if the entity is authenticated and is an owner of the data object, execute the request, wherein the request from the owner of the data object is a request to perform at least one of the following: read the data object, write to the data object, delete the data object, delegate ownership of the data object, and delegate permission to use the data object.