Secure general purpose input/output pins for protecting computer system resources
US6138240A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 19, 1998 |
| Grant date | Oct 24, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 19, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/82
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A security device and methodology that prevents unauthorized access to general purpose I/O pins in a computer system. In a system according to the invention, secure general purpose I/O pins are utilized as enable signals for data transfer devices such as Universal Serial Port (USB) ports. In one embodiment of the invention, access to the secure general purpose I/O pins is governed by an administrator password that is protected by a memory slot in a security device. When an administrator (or other authorized user) desires access to the general purpose I/O register that controls the secure general purpose I/O pins, the administrator enters the administrator password. If the password is correct, the relevant slot of the security device is unlocked, thereby permitting completion of write cycles to the secure general purpose I/O register. If a write cycle to the secure general purpose I/O register is attempted while the relevant slot in the security device is locked, the write cycle is ignored. Control and monitoring of various system resources in a secure manner is thereby permitted via use of the secure general purpose I/O pins.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.