US 10776023

Based on the information from the initial search and the provided patent text, here is a summary of U.S. Patent No. 10,776,023.

U.S. Patent 10,776,023: Summary

• Title: Data storage device with configurable policy-based storage device behavior
• Assignee: Gaea LLC
• Inventors: Joshua Johnson, Curt Bruner, Jeffrey Reh, Christopher Squires, Brian Wilson
• Filing Date: November 6, 2017
• Issue Date: September 15, 2020
• Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure are related to data storage devices and in particular to data storage devices with configurable policy-based read and write behavior. A storage device is provided. A device controller with a memory is coupled with the storage device. The memory stores an application with instructions that direct the controller to receive a storage device policy. The instructions further direct the controller to store content from a storage request in accordance with the storage device policy, and record storage information, including at least a content identifier, to the memory. The instructions further direct the controller to retrieve the content according to the storage information received in a storage request. The instructions further provide instruction to refuse a delete request in accordance to the storage information. The instructions provide direction to store the storage information at a remote location.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims

U.S. Patent 10,776,023 has one independent claim.

• Claim 1: This claim describes a method for a data storage device to manage data. The device's controller receives a "storage device policy" which acts as a set of rules. When a request to store data (content) comes in, the controller uses this policy to decide how and where to save the data on the storage media. It then records information about this stored data, including a unique identifier, in its memory. When a request to read the data is received, the controller uses this stored information to find and retrieve the correct content. The policy can also instruct the controller to refuse to delete certain data and can specify that the storage information should be saved in a separate, remote location for added security or management. This allows for flexible and customizable control over how the storage device behaves, a departure from traditional drives with fixed, built-in firmware.

Litigation

As of April 2026, U.S. Patent 10,776,023 has been asserted in litigation. Gaea LLC has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The patent has also been asserted against Samsung. There is an active effort by Unified Patents, a company that works to deter patent assertions from non-practicing entities (NPEs), to find prior art that could invalidate claims of this patent. A search of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) dockets for 2026 did not yield any specific results for this patent number at this time.