Memory card hidden command protocol

• US 20080244208A1
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tyfone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tyfone Incorporated
• Inventors: Tadepalli, Prabhakar, Narendra, Siva G., Spitzer, Thomas N.
• Application Number:
  US11/895,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244208A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 711/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1425 the protection being physical, e.g. cell, word, block
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/77 in smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/79 in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect

Abstract

A memory card compatible token includes non-memory components accessed using commands hidden in the data stream of a memory card access command. A mobile computing device such as a mobile phone accesses the non-memory components by writing to a specific address, including a known data value in the data stream, or both. The token may be activated using an activation code, and a subsequently chosen password may be used to authenticate the mobile computing device to the token each time a hidden command is issued.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a memory access command, the memory access command including an address field and a data field;

comparing at least a portion of the data field to a predetermined data value to determine if there is a match;

if there is not a match, performing a memory access according to the memory access command; and

if there is a match, diverting the memory access command for further interpretation.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising comparing the address field with a predetermined address value to determine if there is an address match, and diverting the memory access command only when there is also an address match.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein diverting the memory access command comprises passing at least some of the data field to a non-memory controller component for further interpretation.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising reading a password from the data field to authenticate access to the non-memory controller component.

5. An article having a machine readable medium with instructions stored thereon that when accessed result in a machine:

comparing data received with a memory write command to a predetermined data value to determine whether the memory write command should be interpreted as a memory write command or whether the memory write command should be interpreted as a command other than a memory write command.

6. The article of claim 5 wherein the instructions, when accessed, further result in the machine forwarding the memory write command to a memory controller component when the memory write command should be interpreted as a memory write command.

7. The article of claim 5 wherein the instructions, when accessed, further result in the machine forwarding the memory write command to a non-memory controller component when the memory write command should be interpreted as a command other than a memory write command.

8. A method comprising populating fields in a memory write command to be sent to a memory card interface by populating at least a first portion of a data field with a data pattern to identify the memory write command as a command to be diverted for purposes other than a memory write.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising prior to populating the fields, receiving a copy of the data pattern from a device coupled to the memory card interface.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising populating an address field with an address value to further identify the memory write command as a command to be diverted for purposes other than a memory write.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising populating a second portion of the data field with a command index to specify a purpose other than a memory write.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising populating a second portion of the data field with a password to authenticate access to a device coupled to the memory card interface.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

issuing the memory write command to a device coupled to the memory card interface followed by issuing a memory read command to the device coupled to the memory card interface.

14. An article having a machine readable medium with instructions stored thereon that when accessed result in a mobile computing device:

accessing a non-memory control function in a device coupled to a memory card interface of the mobile computing device by populating a data field of a memory card write command with a data pattern to identify the memory card write command as a command to be diverted for a purpose other than a memory write.

15. The article of claim 14 wherein the instructions, when accessed, further result in the mobile computing device populating an address field with an address value to further identify the memory write command as a command to be diverted for purposes other than a memory write.

16. The article of claim 14 wherein the instructions, when accessed, further result in the mobile computing device populating the data field with a password to authenticate access to the device coupled to the memory card interface.

17. The article of claim 14 wherein the instructions, when accessed, further result in the mobile computing device populating the data field with a command index to specify a purpose other than a memory write.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, at a non-memory control component in a memory card compatible device, an activation code in a data field of a memory write command;

comparing the activation code to a known value to detect a match; and

if there is a match, requesting a password to be used in subsequent authentications to the non-memory control component in a memory card compatible device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving non-memory related commands hidden in the data field of memory write commands, wherein the non-memory related commands include the password.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving a plurality of activation codes, wherein each of the plurality of activation codes corresponds to the activation of a different non-memory control component in the memory card compatible device.