Secure architecture and apparatus using an independent computer cartridge

• US 5,581,763 A
• Filed: 04/29/1994
• Issued: 12/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: All Optical Networks, Inc., Patevo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Progressive Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Hait, John N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kriess, Kevin A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAVIS, JOHN Q
• Application Number:
  US08/235,248
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 395/650, 395/700
• US Class Current: 726/23
• 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 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1097 Optical sensing of electronic memory record carriers, such as interrogation of RFIDs with an additional optical interface

Abstract

A portable secure computer architecture, apparatus, and method for protecting information and at least one program for controlling that information is disclosed comprising: a computer protected inside of a single sealed cartridge, the computer having a CPU, Memory, and a communications means for communicating with a host computer outside of the cartridge. All internal information and external communications are exclusively controlled by the internal program. Provision is also made for running a second program inside the architecture, while protecting secure information from that second program. Secure information is placed in a bank switched subdivision of memory. The subdivision is switched off by the information controlling program before the second program is permitted to run. Reactivating the protected subdivision causes a simultaneous non-maskable interrupt halting the second program and transferring control back to the first program.

Claims

1. A portable secure computer architecture for protecting information and at least one program for controlling said information, comprising:

a single sealed cartridge and a computer contained within said cartridge, said computer having a central data processing means, memory means controlled by said central data processing means, information within said memory means, at least one program within said memory means which controls said central data processing means, and a connectorless communications means for providing communications into and out of said architecture, said single sealed cartridge insuring physical integrity of said computer contained within said single sealed cartridge and to provide convenient handling and portability enabling said portable secure computer architecture to be made physically secure when unused such as by being locked in a safe, said connectorless communications means facilitating portability of said single sealed cartridge and portable operation of said at least one program, said connectorless communications means being the sole means for transferring information into or out of said architecture to prevent said information and said at least one program from being accessed by any other means outside of said cartridge, said central data processing means having exclusive control over all information transfer into and out of said connectorless communications means to prevent said connectorless communications means from being used by some other means outside of said cartridge for accessing said memory means uncontrolled by said at least one program,

thereby providing security by controlling all said information and said at least one program within said portable secure computer architecture exclusively from within said portable secure computer architecture.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said memory means contains a first program and said memory means includes a first subdivision containing information to be made secure and a second subdivision containing a second program, a means to prevent said second program from altering said first program to prevent said second program from using an altered first program to gain access to said information to be made secure, and

switching means for activating and deactivating said first subdivision, said switching means having:

deactivating means for deactivating said first subdivision upon said switching means receiving a first command controlled signal from said central data processing means during the operation of said first program to prevent said second program from accessing said information to be made secure in said first subdivision later when said second program is operating in said second subdivision, and

activating means for simultaneously activating said first subdivision upon said switching means receiving a second command controlled signal from said central data processing means, and causing a hardwired command control jump to said first program, which transfers program control to said first program, and halts said second program to prevent access of said information to be made secure in said first subdivision by said second program following activation of said first subdivision,

thereby enabling operation of said second program within said portable secure computer architecture while protecting said information to be made secure within said first subdivision from said second program by forcing a hardwired command control transfer to said first program preventing said second program from reading, altering, or directly accessing said information to be made secure, while making said information to be made secure available to said first program.

3. A method of providing security for information, and at least one program for controlling said information, within a computer architecture comprising:

providing a single sealed cartridge;

positioning in said single sealed cartridge a computer having a central data processing means, a connectorless communications means for providing communications into and out of said single sealed cartridge, memory means controlled by said central data processing means, said memory means containing information and said memory means containing at least one program for controlling said central data processing means;

said positioning of said computer in said single sealed cartridge insuring physical integrity of said computer,

said connectorless communications means facilitating portability of said single sealed cartridge and portable operation of said at least one program;

said connectorless communications means being the sole means for transferring information into or out of said architecture to prevent said information and said at least one program from being accessed by any other means outside of said cartridge;

said central data processing means having exclusive control over all information transfer into and out of said connectorless communications means to prevent said connectorless communications means from being used by some other means outside of said cartridge for accessing said memory means uncontrolled by said at least one program;

utilizing said at least one program to control said central data processing means, and

utilizing said at least one program to control said connectorless communications means and all passage of information into and out of said computer,

whereby said at least one program exclusively controls all said information within said single sealed cartridge from within said single sealed cartridge, providing unbreachable control from within said computer architecture thereby securing said information within said computer architecture.

4. The method of claim 3 including:

providing within said memory means a first program and a first subdivision containing information to be made secure, a deactivating means for disabling access to said first subdivision controlled by a first command controlled signal from said central data processing means, an activating means for enabling access to said first subdivision controlled by a second command controlled signal from said central data processing means, and a hardware command control jump to said first program every time said first subdivision is activated by said second command controlled signal,

utilizing said first program within said memory means for controlling said information to be made secure by controlling said central data processing means when said first program is in operation,

providing a second subdivision, a second program within said second subdivision for controlling said central data processing means when said second program is in operation, and a means to prevent said second program from altering said first program to prevent said second program from using an altered first program to gain access to said information to be made secure,

commanding said central data processing means, from said first program, to disable said first subdivision preventing access to said information to be made secure in said first subdivision,

transferring program control from said first program to said second program, and

commanding said central data processing means to simultaneously enable said first subdivision, halt said second program, and return program control to said first program,

thereby providing a method of operating said second program within said computer architecture while protecting said information to be made secure within said first subdivision from said second program by forcing a hardwired command control transfer to said first program preventing said second program from reading, altering, or directly accessing said information to be made secure, while making said information to be made secure available to said first program.