Patent ID: 8191120

Claim:
A powerless lockable peripheral device system, the system comprising: a mechanical mechanism having a plurality of distinguishable mechanical states; a state-identifying mechanism located on a peripheral device for identifying said plurality of distinguishable mechanical states; and an electrical mechanism for effecting operational connectivity between said peripheral device and a host system only upon: external powering of said state-identifying mechanism; and verification by said state identifying mechanism that a current mechanical state of said mechanical mechanism is identical to a predetermined mechanical state of said mechanical mechanism; wherein said electrical mechanism automatically changes said predetermined mechanical state according to a predetermined sequence after a first session of use of said peripheral device to require a different predetermined mechanical state for at least two sessions of use of said peripheral device with said host system; wherein said state-identifying mechanism includes a password decoder that converts one or more analog component values corresponding to said current mechanical state into one or more first digital component values corresponding to said current mechanical state; and wherein said state-identifying mechanism includes a password comparator that compares said one or more first digital component values corresponding to said current mechanical state to one or more second digital component values corresponding to said predetermined mechanical state and provides said verification to said electrical mechanism when said one or more first digital component values match said one or more second digital component values.