Calling Firmware Runtime Services of Basic Input Output System

• US 20130246779A1
• Filed: 03/07/2013
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Wang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US13/789,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246779A1
• 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

Approaches for calling firmware runtime services of a basic input/output system. A special globally unique identifier and a name are sent to PURE virtual variable stores by an operating system. The PURE virtual variable stores identify the special globally unique identifier and the name, for example, by checking in the PURE virtual variable stores to ascertain if the special identifier and the name correspond to a firmware runtime service of the basic input/output system. A corresponding firmware runtime service of the basic input/output system is called. The firmware runtime service of the basic input output system then executes.

Claims

1. A method of calling firmware runtime services of a basic input/output system (BIOS) that supports UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), the method comprising:

transmitting a virtual variable including a globally unique identifier (GUID) and a name to virtual variable stores by an operating system (OS);

identifying the virtual variable by the virtual variable stores;

checking in the virtual variable stores if the virtual variable corresponds to a firmware runtime service of the BIOS, and calling the firmware runtime service of the BIOS; and

executing the firmware runtime service of the BIOS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the virtual variable stores, in response to the GUID and the name, calls a program in the firmware runtime services of the BIOS, to execute the program in the UEFI by the OS.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUID and the name are sent by an OS application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the OS application sends the GUID and the name to an OS runtime variable application program interface (API).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the OS runtime variable API sends the GUID and the name to variable runtime services provided by the BIOS.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the GUID and the name is sent to the virtual variable stores via the variable runtime services.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the GUID is to identify a firmware runtime service of the BIOS and the name is a variable name.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calling the firmware runtime services of the BIOS comprises using different GUIDs.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calling the firmware runtime services of the BIOS comprises using a same GUID and different names.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the virtual variable stores comprise a driver.

11. A tangible computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences for instructions for calling firmware runtime services of a basic input/output system (BIOS) that supports UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes:

transmitting a virtual variable including a globally unique identifier (GUID) and a name to virtual variable stores by an operating system (OS);

identifying the virtual variable by the virtual variable stores;

checking in the virtual variable stores if the virtual variable corresponds to a firmware runtime service of the BIOS, and calling the firmware runtime service of the BIOS; and

executing the firmware runtime service of the BIOS.

12. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein one of the virtual variable stores, in response to the GUID and the name, calls a program in the firmware runtime services of the BIOS, to execute the program in the UEFI by the OS.

13. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the GUID and the name are sent by an OS application.

14. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the OS application sends the GUID and the name to an OS runtime variable application program interface (API).

15. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the OS runtime variable API sends the GUID and the name to variable runtime services provided by the BIOS.

16. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the GUID and the name is sent to the virtual variable stores via the variable runtime services.

17. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the GUID is to identify a firmware runtime service of the BIOS and the name is a variable name.

18. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein calling the firmware runtime services of the BIOS comprises using different GUIDs.

19. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein calling the firmware runtime services of the BIOS comprises using a same GUID and different names.

20. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein each of the virtual variable stores comprise a driver.