Computing system feature activation mechanism

• US 20070039054A1
• Filed: 08/01/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Khanna, Rahul, Pflederer, Keith, Mulla, Dean
• Granted Patent: US 8,769,295 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 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to apparatuses, methods, and systems for a computing system feature activation mechanism. In an embodiment, a computing system receives a remotely generated feature activation information. The computing system compares the remotely generated feature activation information with a built-in feature activation mechanism. In an embodiment, a feature of the computing system is activated if the remotely generated feature activation information matches the built-in feature activation mechanism. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a component to provide feature activation information; and

a feature activation component coupled with the component to provide feature activation information, the feature activation component to dynamically activate a hardware feature.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor coupled with the feature activation component, the processor to provide an externally generated feature activation information to the feature activation component.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the component to provide built-in feature activation information comprises:

a write-once memory storing a value based, at least in part, on an apparatus serial number, a common secret, and a feature identifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the write-once memory is a fuse.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the value based, at least in part, on the apparatus serial number, the common secret, and the feature identifier comprises:

a hash based, at least in part, on a hash of the apparatus serial number, the common secret, and the feature identifier.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the hash is a compressed hash.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feature activation component comprises a comparator to compare the built-in feature activation information with the externally generated feature activation information.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the feature activation component further comprises:

a tried-once marker, to indicate that an attempt to activate a feature has occurred during a current power cycle of the apparatus.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the feature activation component is to prevent an attempt to activate the feature if the tried-once marker is set.

10. A method comprising:

providing built-in feature information from a local computing system to a remote computing system;

receiving a remotely generated feature activation information from the remote computing system;

comparing the remotely generated feature activation information with a built-in feature activation information; and

activating a feature, if the remotely generated feature activation information is equal to the built-in feature activation information.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting a tried-once marker, if the remotely generated feature activation information is not equal to the built-in feature activation information.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

preventing an activation of the feature, if the tried-once marker is set.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the built-in information includes at least one of:

a serial number; and

a feature identifier.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the remotely generated feature activation information comprises:

a hash value based, at least in part, on a serial number, a common secret, and a feature identifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the hash value is a compressed hash value.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the built-in feature activation information comprises:

a built-in hash value based, at least in part, on a serial number, a common secret, and a feature identifier.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the built-in hash value is a built-in compressed hash value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the built-in hash value is a fuse.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein activating the feature, if the remotely generated feature activation information is equal to the built-in feature activation information comprises:

activating a hardware feature of a local computing system, if the remotely generated feature activation information is equal to the built-in feature activation information.

20. A system comprising:

a component to provide built-in feature activation information;

a feature activation component coupled with the component to provide feature activation information; and

a processor coupled with the feature activation component, the processor to provide an externally generated feature activation information to the feature activation component; and

a network interface coupled with the processor, the network interface to receive externally generated feature activation information from an external computing system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the component to provide built-in feature activation information comprises:

a fuse storing a compressed hash value, the compressed hash value based, at least in part, on a serial number, a common secret, and a feature identifier.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a disabled hardware-based feature, the disabled hardware-based feature to be activated responsive to an indication from the feature activation component.