Computers and microchips with a portion protected by an internal hardware firewall

• US 8,225,003 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frampton E. Ellis III
• Original Assignee: Frampton E. Ellis III
• Inventors: Ellis, Frampton E. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Dung B
• Application Number:
  US11/329,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20060177226A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A personal computer or microchip, comprising: an internal hardware firewall located between and separate from a protected portion and an unprotected portion of hardware of the computer or microchip; the protected hardware portion being unconnected to a network of computers and including a volatile memory and a master control unit and/or a microprocessor; the unprotected hardware portion being located between the internal hardware firewall and the network and including one or more microprocessors and a volatile memory, the unprotected microprocessors being separate from the internal hardware firewall, and the unprotected hardware portion being connected to the network; the internal hardware firewall denying access by the network to the protected hardware portion; and the internal hardware firewall does not control access by the network to the unprotected hardware portion, so that operations conducted by the computer or microchip with the network are conducted in by the unprotected microprocessors in the unprotected hardware portion.

Claims

1. A microchip for a personal computer configured for a connection to a network of computers, said microchip comprising:

a master control unit that is configured to control the personal computer, said master control unit including at least a non-volatile memory;

an internal hardware firewall that is both located between and separate from a protected portion of hardware of the microchip and an unprotected portion of hardware of the microchip;

said protected hardware portion of the microchip not being connected to said network of computers and including at least said master control unit with said non-volatile memory,

said unprotected hardware portion of the microchip being located between said internal hardware firewall and said network of computers and including one or more microprocessors and at least a volatile memory, said unprotected microprocessors with said volatile memory being separate from said internal hardware firewall, and

said unprotected hardware portion being connected to said network of computers;

said internal hardware firewall denying access by said network to said protected hardware portion of the microchip; and

said internal hardware firewall permitting unrestricted access by the network to the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip, so that operations conducted by the microchip with the network are conducted in said unprotected hardware portion using said one or more unprotected microprocessors of the microchip.

2. The microchip according to claim 1, wherein said protected hardware portion of the microchip includes at least one microprocessor.

3. The microchip according to claim 1, wherein the network of computers includes the Internet.

4. The microchip according to claim 2, wherein the microchip further comprises an optical or radio communication link.

5. The microchip according to claim 2, wherein the microchip has an optical or radio communication link to connect with an external network.

6. The microchip according to claim 2, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip has two or more at least three microprocessors.

7. The microchip according to claim 2, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip has at least 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors.

8. The microchip of claim 4, wherein at least two components of the microchip are connected by an optical or radio communications link.

9. The microchip of claim 4, wherein the microchip comprises an optical communication link including an optical omniguide.

10. The microchip according to claim 4, wherein the microchip comprises an optical communication link including an optical fiber.

11. The microchip according to claim 4, wherein the microchip comprises an optical communication link that is freespace optical wireless.

12. The microchip according to claim 4, wherein the microchip further includes a microlaser.

13. The microchip according to claim 9, wherein the optical omniguide connects said at least one of the microprocessors with a memory component on the microchip.

21. The microchip according to claim 2, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip has at least seven microprocessors.

14. A personal computer configured for a connection to a network of computers, said personal computer comprising:

a master controlling device that is configured to control the personal computer, said master control unit including at least a non-volatile memory;

an internal hardware firewall that is both located between and separate from a protected portion of hardware of the personal computer and an unprotected portion of hardware of the personal computer;

said protected hardware portion of the personal computer not being connected to said network of computers and including at least said master controlling device with said non-volatile memory

said unprotected hardware portion of the computer being located between said internal hardware firewall and said network of computers and including one or more unprotected microprocessors and at least a volatile memory, said unprotected microprocessors with said volatile memory being separate from said internal hardware firewall, and

said unprotected hardware portion being connected to said network of computers;

said internal hardware firewall denying access by said network to said protected hardware portion of the computer; and

said internal hardware firewall permitting unrestricted access by the network to the unprotected hardware portion of the computer, so that operations conducted by said computer with the network are conducted in said unprotected hardware portion using said one or more unprotected microprocessors of the computer.

15. The computer according to claim 14, wherein said protected hardware portion of the microchip includes at least one microprocessor.

16. The computer according to claim 14, wherein at least two components of the computer are connected by an optical or radio communication link.

17. The computer of claim 15, wherein said computer comprises a plurality of microprocessors, each of the microprocessors having an optical communication link to connect with an external network.

18. The computer according to claim 15, wherein an optical omniguide connects at least two of the microprocessors of the computer.

19. The computer according to claim 15, wherein the network of computers includes the Internet.

20. The computer according to claim 15, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least three microprocessors.

22. The computer according to claim 16, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least seven microprocessors.

23. The computer according to claim 15, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors.

24. The computer according to claim 18, wherein the optical omniguide connects said at least one of the microprocessors with a memory component of the computer.

25. A personal computer configured for connection to a network of computers, said personal computer comprising:

an internal hardware firewall that is both located between and separate from a protected portion of hardware of the computer and an unprotected portion of hardware of the computer;

said protected hardware portion of the computer not being connected to said network of computers and including at least one microprocessor with at least a non-volatile memory,

said unprotected hardware portion of the computer being located between said internal hardware firewall and said network of computers and including one or more unprotected microprocessors and at least a volatile memory, said unprotected microprocessors with said volatile memory being separate from said internal hardware firewall, and

said unprotected hardware portion being connected to said network of computers;

said internal hardware firewall denying access by said network to said protected hardware portion of the computer; and

said internal hardware firewall permitting unrestricted access by said network to the unprotected hardware portion of the computer, so that operations conducted by said computer with the network are conducted in said unprotected hardware portion using said one or more unprotected microprocessors of the computer.

26. The computer according to claim 25, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least three microprocessors.

27. The computer according to claim 25, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least seven microprocessors.

28. The computer according to claim 25, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the computer has at least 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors.

29. A microchip for a personal computer configured for a connection to a network of computers, said microchip comprising:

an internal hardware firewall that is both located between and separate from a protected portion of hardware of the microchip and an unprotected portion of hardware of the microchip;

said protected hardware portion of the microchip not being connected to said network of computers and including at least one microprocessor with at least a non-volatile memory,

said unprotected hardware portion of the microchip being located between said internal hardware firewall and said network of computers and including one or more microprocessors and at least a volatile memory, said unprotected microprocessors with said volatile memory being separate from said internal hardware firewall, and

said unprotected hardware portion being connected to said network of computers;

said internal hardware firewall denying access by said network to said protected hardware portion of the microchip; and

said internal hardware firewall permitting unrestricted access by network to the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip, so that operations conducted by said microchip with the network are conducted in said unprotected hardware portion using said one or more unprotected microprocessors of the microchip.

30. The microchip according to claim 29, further comprising an optical or radio communication link.

31. The microchip according to claim 30, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip has at least three microprocessors.

32. The microchip according to claim 30, wherein the unprotected hardware portion of the microchip has at least seven microprocessors.