Multi-user hidden feature enablement in firmware
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
- receiving data to enable a firmware feature that defines a functionality of a firmware, the received data including a feature authenticated variable and an end-user authenticated variable;
storing the feature authenticated variable when the end-user authenticated variable corresponds to a second end-user authenticated variable extant in an authenticated variable data storage;
receiving a request to provide the functionality defined by the firmware feature; and
providing access to the functionality defined by the firmware feature when the feature authenticated variable is present in the authenticated variable data storage.
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Abstract
A firmware can include multiple features for multiple users enabled based on the presence of authenticated variables. When attempting to access functionality of a feature, the firmware will check for the presence of an authenticated variable corresponding to the feature. The authenticated variable for the feature may be installed by a user. The firmware may data to enable a feature that includes an authenticated variable for enabling the feature and an authenticated variable corresponding to an end-user of the firmware. If the firmware has access to the end-user authenticated variable, the feature authenticated variable is installed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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receiving data to enable a firmware feature that defines a functionality of a firmware, the received data including a feature authenticated variable and an end-user authenticated variable; storing the feature authenticated variable when the end-user authenticated variable corresponds to a second end-user authenticated variable extant in an authenticated variable data storage; receiving a request to provide the functionality defined by the firmware feature; and providing access to the functionality defined by the firmware feature when the feature authenticated variable is present in the authenticated variable data storage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
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receiving data to enable a feature that defines a functionality of a firmware, the received data including a feature authenticated variable and an end-user authenticated variable; storing the feature authenticated variable when the end-user authenticated variable corresponds to a second end-user authenticated variable extant in a non-volatile random access memory (“
NVRAM”
) of the computer;receiving a request to provide the functionality defined by the feature; and providing access to the functionality defined by the feature when the feature authenticated variable is present in the NVRAM of the computer. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A computer-implemented method comprising:
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parsing firmware feature enablement data to determine a feature authenticated variable and an end-user authenticated variable; attempting to retrieve, from a non-volatile random access memory (“
NVRAM”
) of a computer, an end-user value for the end-user authenticated variable;storing the feature authenticated variable at least in response to retrieving the end-user authenticated variable from the NVRAM; receiving a request to provide functionality defined by a firmware feature of a firmware, wherein enablement of the firmware feature is dependent upon the feature authenticated variable; attempting to retrieve, from the NVRAM of the computer, a feature value for the feature authenticated variable; and providing access to the functionality defined by the firmware feature based at least in part on a successful attempt to retrieve the feature authenticated variable from the NVRAM. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification