DEVICE-LESS AND SYSTEM AGNOSTIC UNIFIED EXTENSIBLE FIRMWARE INTERFACE (UEFI) DRIVER

• US 20150067317A1
• Filed: 01/07/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Pradeep Bisht
• Inventors: BISHT, Pradeep
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/32 Means for saving power
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers

Abstract

Loading and executing a device-less and system agnostic Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver configured to filter inputs/outputs (I/O) to storage devices without requiring dependency on a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) type device and/or modifying a system UEFI Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), thereby enabling a software only product supporting booting of an Operating System (OS).

Claims

1. A method of loading a customized Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver by a computer processor, the method comprising:

copying an original Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) boot application stored at a first location to a second location;

replacing the original EFI boot application at the first location with a customized EFI boot application;

copying an original Globally Unique Identifiers (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) stored at a third location to a fourth location; and

replacing the original GPT at the third location with a customized GPT.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized GPT comprises an EFI System Partition (ESP) partition entry that points to the ESP, the ESP including the customized EFI boot application, and

wherein the customized EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block Input/Output (I/O) protocol for the ESP having entry points through which I/O for operating system (OS) partitions of the original GPT is filtered.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the customized GPT omits OS partition entries.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the customized EFI boot application is further configured to cause execution of the original EFI boot application once the block I/O protocol for the ESP is installed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the original EFI boot application loads the OS.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the original EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block I/O protocols for OS partition entries in the original GPT.

7. A computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a customized Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, the customized UEFI driver comprising computer-readable code configured to cause a computer processor method of loading a customized Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, the method comprising:

copying an original Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) boot application stored at a first location to a second location;

replacing the original EFI boot application at the first location with a customized EFI boot application;

copying an original Globally Unique Identifiers (GUID) Partition Table (GPT) stored at a third location to a fourth location; and

replacing the original GPT at the third location with a customized GPT.

8. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 7, wherein the customized GPT comprises an EFI System Partition (ESP) partition entry that points to the ESP, the ESP including the customized EFI boot application, and

wherein the customized EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block Input/Output (I/O) protocol for the ESP having entry points through which I/O for operating system (OS) partitions of the original GPT is filtered.

9. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 8, wherein the customized GPT omits OS partition entries.

10. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 8, wherein the customized EFI boot application is further configured to cause execution of the original EFI boot application once the block I/O protocol for the ESP is installed.

11. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 10, wherein the original EFI boot application loads the OS.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the original EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block I/O protocols for OS partition entries in the original GPT.

13. A computer-readable recording medium having embodied thereon a customized Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) driver, the customized UEFI driver comprising:

a customized Globally Unique Identifiers (GUID) Partition Table (GPT); and

a customized EFI boot application,

wherein the customized GPT points to an EFI System Partition (ESP) storing the customized EFI boot application, and

wherein the customized EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block Input/Output (I/O) protocol for the ESP having entry points through which I/O for operating system (OS) partitions is filtered.

14. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 13, wherein the customized GPT comprises an EFI System Partition (ESP) partition entry that points to the ESP.

15. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 14, wherein the customized GPT omits OS partition entries.

16. The computer-readable recording medium of claim 14, wherein the customized EFI boot application is further configured to cause execution of the original EFI boot application once the block I/O protocol for the ESP is installed.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the original EFI boot application loads the OS.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the original EFI boot application is configured to cause installation of block I/O protocols for OS partition entries in the original GPT.