Patent · US Expired

Fail-safe device driver and method

US5946399A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
4References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 18, 1997
Grant dateAug 31, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 18, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2211/007
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A device driver (104) is used to provide a fail-safe interface between a plurality of client applications and a cryptographic card. Device driver (104) ensures separation between red data, black data, and command data. Device driver (104) uses objects and object handles to control data flow. Device driver (104) uses several simplex channels to control data flow. Each channel is managed separately using its own object, and each channel has unique access protection through the object handles. Within device driver (104), the simplex channel interfaces are kept separate and functional separation of the data and command memory is maintained to provide fail-safe data isolation.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.