Isolated computing environment anchored into CPU and motherboard

• US 20060107328A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Frank, Alexander, Phillips, Thomas G., Hall, Martin H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,464,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/123 by using dedicated hardware, e.g. dongles, smart cards, cryptographic processors, global positioning systems [GPS] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/725 operating on a secure reference time value
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/082 Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/12 Details relating to cryptographic hardware or logic circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A computer is adapted for pay-for-use operation by adding a isolated computing environment to a standard computer. The isolated computing environment may include a trusted non-volatile memory, a digital signature verification capability, a clock or timer and a logic circuit for triggering execution of a validation program responsive to the clock or timer. The isolated computing environment may be protected from tampering by physical or cryptographic mechanisms, or both. The validation program measures or monitors for non-compliant states of the computer and may enforce sanctions when non-compliant states of the computer are detected.

Claims

1. A computer adapted to execute a program code in an isolated computing environment, the computer comprising:

an isolated computing environment for executing a program code,

a secure memory, the secure memory accessible only to the program code and inaccessible to a second program code executed by an other execution environment;

a logic circuit for causing the processor to execute from the secure memory; and

a clock for timing events, the clock coupled to logic circuit, wherein the program code is invoked responsive to a signal from the clock.

2. The computer of claim 1, wherein the other execution environment comprises one of an operating system, a basic input/output structure (BIOS) and a kernel.

3. The computer of claim 1, wherein the program code is one of a service and an application.

4. The computer of claim 1, wherein the program code monitors a state of the computer.

5. The computer of claim 4, wherein the computer further comprises a processor and the state of the computer is one of a state of a resource used by an operating system, a state of an application program, a state of a BIOS extension, and a state of the processor.

6. The computer of claim 5, wherein the processor comprises the isolated computing environment.

7. The computer of claim 4, wherein the program code enforces a policy related to the state of the computer.

8. The computer of claim 7, wherein the policy related to the state of the computer comprises one of reducing a processing speed of the computer and reducing a functional operation of the computer.

9. The computer of claim 1, further comprising a motherboard, the isolated computing environment disposed on the motherboard, the isolated computing environment comprising the secure memory and the clock.

10. An isolated computing environment for use in a computer, the isolated computing environment comprising:

a memory secure from access by unauthorized execution environments;

a program stored in the memory and coded to measure a condition of the computer, the condition corresponding to a predetermined desired state of operation of the computer;

a logic circuit for causing execution of the program; and

a clock for timing an interval, wherein the clock triggers the logic circuit to execute the program corresponding to the interval.

11. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, wherein access to the memory requires cryptographic identification of an authorized execution environment.

12. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, wherein the isolated computing environment is permanently disposed in the computer.

13. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, further comprising a digital signature verification circuit for determining a hash of a memory range.

14. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, further comprising a digital signature verification circuit for validating a digital signature of a message to change the program.

15. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, further comprising a digital signature verification circuit for validating a digital signature of an application program executed by the computer.

16. The isolated computing environment of claim 10, wherein the isolated computing environment has access to computation resources used by one of an operating system and an application program.

17. A method of manufacturing a computer adapted for pay-per-use operation comprising:

providing a computer motherboard;

disposing an isolated computing environment on the motherboard, the isolated computing environment comprising;

a secure memory;

a clock for timing an interval; and

a logic circuit for causing execution of code stored in the secure memory;

protecting the isolated computing environment from tampering; and

disposing a program code in the secure memory, the program code, when executed, for determining a state of the computer and for enforcing a policy when the state of the computer meets a condition.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing the isolated computing environment on the motherboard further comprises:

disposing the isolated computing environment in a processor; and

disposing the processor on the motherboard.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein disposing the isolated computing environment on the motherboard further comprises:

disposing the isolated computing environment on the motherboard; and

securing the isolated computing environment to the motherboard using a destructive coating.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

altering a state of the computer, the state of the computer comprising one of attaching an unauthorized peripheral, executing an unauthorized code, and operating the computer past an expiration date; and

testing that the isolated computing environment enforces the policy corresponding to the state of the computer.