Patent · US Active

Transferring control between programs of different security levels

US7917753B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
2References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 2006
Grant dateMar 29, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 27, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F9/30189
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods for transferring control between programs of different security levels are described herein. Some embodiments include a processor capable of operating at one or more security levels including a first and a second security level, a memory system coupled to the processor (the memory system stores a first program that executes on the processor at the first security level, and a second program that executes on the processor at the second security level), and a register configured to store an entry point address to the first program (wherein an instruction that executes on the processor at the second security level is blocked from writing values to the register). A transfer of control from the second program to the first program is executed if the register provides the entry point address. The transfer of control is blocked if the entry point address is not provided by the register.

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