Data update authorization

• US 7,703,145 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L3 Technologies, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Aviation Communication and Surveillance Systems LLC (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schulze, Timothy, Stelling, Desi, Walker, Vance
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITHERS, MATTHEW
• Application Number:
  US11/736,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 726/31
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]

Abstract

A method is described for controlling customer installations of software or data by providing to the customer an encrypted list of authorized installation targets, whereby the installation program reads and decrypts the list, and only allows installation to proceed if the customer'"'"'s installation target has a serial number that matches one of the vendor-provided serial numbers in the authorization list. Provision is also made for allowing customers to add serial numbers to the list, within constraints predetermined by the software vendor. Also provided is a method for a customer to perform a predetermined number of installations, whereby the software maintains and decrements a counter in an encrypted file on a storage medium, keeping track of how many remaining installations a customer may perform.

Claims

1. A data update authorization method comprising:

matching a first authorization code stored within an upgradeable system with a second authorization code stored within a data loader;

after finding the match, transmitting indicia from the upgradeable system to the data loader indicative that the data stored within the data loader is authorized for installation in the upgradeable system;

decrypting a countdown datum stored within the data loader; and

disabling the transmitting when the value of the decrypted countdown datum is zero.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising if the match was not found:

determining whether a master serial number stored within the upgradeable system matches a serial number stored within the data loader; and

if the determining finds the match, transmitting indicia from the upgradeable system to the data loader indicative that the data stored within the data loader is authorized for installation in the upgradeable system.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein if the match was not found:

determining whether a master serial number stored within the upgradeable system matches a serial number stored within the data loader; and

if the determining finds the match;

decrypting a countdown datum stored within the data loader; and

when the value of the decrypted countdown datum is greater than zero transmitting indicia from the upgradeable system to the data loader indicative that the data stored within the data loader.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, when the value of the decrypted countdown datum is greater than zero, further comprising transmitting data stored within the data loader for installation in the upgradeable system from the data loader to the upgradeable system.

5. The method as defined in claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting the data for installation in the upgradeable system data from the data loader to the upgradeable system;

installing the data for installation within the upgradeable system;

decrementing the countdown datum to form an updated countdown datum;

encrypting the updated countdown datum; and

overwriting the countdown datum stored within the data loader with the encrypted updated countdown datum.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the transmitting further comprises transmitting data stored within the data loader for installation in the upgradeable system from the data loader to the upgradeable system.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, prior to the match:

storing the second authorization code within the data loader; and

establishing a connection between the data loader and the upgradeable system.

8. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the storing of the second authorization code within the data loader further comprises reading an authorization medium with the data loader, wherein:

the authorization medium comprises an authorization list; and

the authorization list comprises the second authorization code.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further comprising transmitting the authorization list to the upgradeable system.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises prior to the matching;

transmitting the second authorization code from the data loader to the upgradeable system; and

decrypting, at the upgradeable system, the second authorization code; and

the matching is performed by the upgradeable system by matching the first authorization code stored within the upgradeable system with the decrypted second authorization code.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the authorization list comprises a plurality of data elements; and

the matching further comprises matching at least one data element with the first authorization code stored within the upgradeable system.

12. A digital storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, wherein said computer-executable instructions are operable to execute the method as defined in claim 1.

13. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the established connection is selected from the group consisting of:

an electrical connection of the upgradeable system to the data loader through an ARINC standard data bus; and

a wireless connection to the upgradeable system to the data loader through a wireless interface.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data loader is configured to comply with a standard selected from the group consisting of ARINC 615, ARINC 615-3, ARINC 615-4, ARINC 615-A1 and ARINC 615-A2.

15. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein:

the storing of the second authorization code within the data loader further comprises reading an authorization medium with the data loader, wherein;

the authorization medium comprises an authorization list; and

the authorization list comprises the second authorization code and the countdown datum.

16. A data update authorization method comprising:

establishing an electrical communication between upgradeable system having a first authorization code and a data loader having;

a plurality of second authorization codes;

an encrypted countdown datum; and

data for installation in the upgradeable system;

decrypting the countdown datum; and

if the value of the decrypted countdown datum is greater than zero and there is a match between a first authorization code and at least one said second authorization code, transmitting indicia from the upgradeable system to the data loader indicative that the data for installation in the upgradeable system data is authorized for said installation.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising, if the value of the decrypted countdown datum is greater than zero and there is a match between a first authorization code and at least one said second authorization code:

transmitting the data for installation in the upgradeable system data from the data loader to the upgradeable system;

installing the data for installation within the upgradeable system;

decrementing the countdown datum to form an updated countdown datum;

encrypting the updated countdown datum; and

overwriting the countdown datum stored within the data loader with the encrypted updated countdown datum.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, further comprising, prior to establishing the electrical communication:

reading an authorization medium with the data loader, wherein the authorization mediums contains;

the plurality of second authorization codes;

the encrypted countdown datum; and

the data for installation in the upgradeable system; and

wherein the overwriting further comprises overwriting the countdown datum stored in the authorization medium with the encrypted updated countdown datum.

19. A data upgrade authorization system comprising:

means for establishing an electrical communication between upgradeable system having a first authorization code and a data loader having;

a plurality of second authorization codes;

the encrypted countdown datum; and

data for installation in the upgradeable system;

means for decrypting the countdown datum; and

means, if the value of the decrypted countdown datum is greater than zero and there is a match between a first authorization code and at least one said second authorization code, for;

transmitting indicia from the upgradeable system to the data loader indicative that the data for installation in the upgradeable system data is authorized for said installation;

transmitting the data for installation in the upgradeable system data from the data loader to the upgradeable system;

installing the data for installation within the upgradeable system;

decrementing the countdown datum to form an updated countdown datum;

encrypting the updated countdown datum; and

overwriting the countdown datum stored in the data loader with the encrypted updated countdown datum.

20. The data upgrade authorization system as defined in claim 19, wherein:

the data loader comprises means for reading an authorization medium containing;

the plurality of second authorization codes;

the encrypted countdown datum; and

the data for installation in the upgradeable system; and

the means for overwriting further comprises means for overwriting the countdown datum stored in the authorization medium with the encrypted updated countdown datum.