Portable memory device having mutually exclusive non-volatile electronic data storage - US11216216B2

Background: While in high school, my engineering classes were primarily project based, utilizing the Fab Lab to bring together mechatronics and fabrication. During my senior year, my teacher, Tom Dubick, introduced me to the patent lawyer Chad Tillman of Tillman Wright, an alum of my high school. Chad saw the potential in my project idea, and together we decided pursue a patent, which was issued January 4, 2022. Iterating through the ideation and navigating through the application was a fascinating learning opportunity that I hope to apply again in the future.

Idea: In concept, the idea is relatively simple: a flash drive with multiple sets of physical memory. The memory accessible via the serial bus is selected by a physical switch. The interesting part is the choice of switch. The switch could be as simple as a two way switch, allowing the user to select the "work" or "home" memory module. Alternatively, a combination lock switch could differentiate between a "protected" or "unprotected" module. Just scramble the combination before lending the drive to a colleague for added peace of mind.