Pre-boot authentication system

• US 20060010317A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: O2 Micro International Limited (O2 Micro Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lee, Shyh-Shin
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]

Abstract

The invention provides a method for providing enhancements to a BIOS system without using replacement hardware in a microprocessor-based device. The microprocessor-based device boots from a BIOS procedure and interrupts the BIOS procedure to read information from an information module inserted to a information module reader connected to the microprocessor-based device. The information read from the information module is used to selectively alter the BIOS procedure.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing a basic input output system (BIOS) of a computing device during a BIOS procedure, the computing device having an adaptive interface module, the adaptive interface module being capable of communicating with an information module, and the BIOS procedure having an interval with a start and a finish, the method comprising the steps of:

starting the BIOS procedure;

interrupting the BIOS procedure during the interval before the finish;

retrieving updated information from the information module; and

modifying the BIOS procedure according to the updated information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated information being capable of modifying the BIOS procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated information further comprising new subroutines for the BIOS.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated information being capable of modifying an operating system for the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the updated information being capable of providing system settings for a holder of the information module.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing contact with the information module through the adaptive interface module; and

determining a format for the information module.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of retrieving an updated information from the information module further comprising the step of retrieving the update information from the information module according to the format of the information module.

8. A system for enhancing a basic input output system (BIOS) of a computing device during a BIOS procedure, the BIOS procedure having an interval with a start and a finish, the system comprising:

a microprocessor-based device, the microprocessor-based device having

an information module reader with an adaptive interface module,

a BIOS, and

an operating system; and

an information module capable of being inserted into the information module reader,

wherein the microprocessor-based device being booted through the BIOS procedure, the microprocessor-based device also being capable of interrupting the BIOS procedure, retrieving information from the information module through the information module reader during the BIOS procedure, and altering the BIOS procedure according to the retrieved information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieved information being subroutines for the BIOS.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieved information being capable of modifying the operating system of the microprocessor-based device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the retrieved information being capable of providing system settings for a holder of the information module.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the microprocessor-based device being capable of establishing contact with the information module through the interface module reader and determining a format for the information module.