Patent · US Expired

System and method for handling device accesses to a memory providing increased memory access security

US7426644B1 · kind B1 · utility

17Cited by
7References
26Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 5, 2001
Grant dateSep 16, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 7, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F12/1491
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A host bridge is described including a memory controller and a security check unit. The memory controller is adapted for coupling to a memory storing data arranged within a multiple memory pages. The memory controller receives memory access signals (e.g., during a memory access), and responds to the memory access signals by accessing the memory. The security check unit receives the memory access signals, wherein the memory access signals convey a physical address within a target memory page. The security check unit uses the physical address to access one or more security attribute data structures located in the memory to obtain a security attribute of the target memory page. The security check unit provides the memory access signals to the memory controller dependent upon the security attribute of the target memory page. A computer system is described including a memory storing data arranged within a multiple memory pages, a device operably coupled to the memory and configurable to produce memory access signals, the above described host bridge. The computer system may have, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) including a memory management unit (MMU) operably coupled to the…

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