Pre-boot management of drivers and programs

• US 9,110,679 B1
• Filed: 02/11/2013
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Technologies EMEA Limited
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Technologies Limited (Pharaoh Acquisition LLC)
• Inventors: Chan, Steven, Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Brown, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/763,986
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4411 Configuring for operating with peripheral devices; Loading of device drivers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4416 Network booting; Remote initial program loading [RIPL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/082 the condition being updates or upgrades of network functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

Approaches for managing pre-boot drivers, programs, and data. A BIOS, operating in a pre-boot environment, establishes a connection to a remote server. The BIOS determines whether the server has any updates to be performed to the BIOS using the connection. The BIOS may also perform a discovery process to discover devices operationally connecting to the BIOS and load drivers associated therewith. The BIOS may also establishes a wireless connection to a device, such as a phone, while the BIOS operates in a pre-boot environment. The BIOS may provide, using the connection, the device with access to data stored upon the apparatus, such as picture files, music files, video files, documents, emails, and other media files or objects stored on said device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed, cause:

a BIOS, operating in a pre-boot environment, establishing a connection to a remote server; and

the BIOS determining whether the server has any updates to be performed to the BIOS using the connection,

wherein the BIOS is configured to establish the connection only after receiving permission from a user if said connection incurs a financial charge.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the connection is established using a carrier network modem.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the carrier network modem is a 3 G or a 4 G modem.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the BIOS is configured to try all connection options that do not incur a financial charge before using a connection option that incurs a financial charge.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the connection options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wired LAN connections.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed, cause:

a BIOS performing a discovery process to discover devices operationally connecting to the BIOS and load drivers associated therewith;

the BIOS, operating in a pre-boot environment, establishing a connection to a remote server that stores information for installing the drivers;

the BIOS maintain a repository of network credentials; and

the BIOS using a set of network credentials, from the repository, to connect over a wireless network to the remote server in the discovery process.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information comprises information about OS drivers.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information comprises information about BIOS enhancements.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information comprises information about configuration of an operating system.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information is employed by the BIOS to repair problems that prevent an operation system from booting.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information is employed by the BIOS to repair operational problems of the BIOS.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the BIOS, operating in the pre-boot environment, receiving a communication from a OEM or third party service provider over a network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the discovery process provides, to a network device over a network, access to data stored on a device upon which the BIOS executes.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said data includes one or more of picture files, music files, video files, documents, emails, and other media files or objects stored on said device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein said device is a phone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a tablet PC, or a laptop computer.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

a BIOS, operating in a pre-boot environment, establishing a connection to a remote server; and

the BIOS determining whether the server has any updates to be performed to the BIOS using the connection,

wherein the BIOS is configured to establish the connection only after receiving permission from a user if said connection incurs a financial charge.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the connection is established using a carrier network modem.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the carrier network modem is a 3 G or a 4 G modem.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the BIOS is configured to try all connection options that do not incur a financial charge before using a connection option that incurs a financial charge.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the connection options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and wired LAN connections.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums storing one or more sequences of instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause;

a BIOS performing a discovery process to discover devices operationally connecting to the BIOS and load drivers associated therewith;

the BIOS, operating in a pre-boot environment, establishing a connection to a remote server that stores information for installing the drivers;

the BIOS maintain a repository of network credentials; and

the BIOS using a set of network credentials, from the repository, to connect over a wireless network to the remote server in the discovery process.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information comprises information about OS drivers.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information comprises information about BIOS enhancements.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information comprises information about configuration of an operating system.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information is employed by the BIOS to repair problems that prevent an operation system from booting.

26. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the information is employed by the BIOS to repair operational problems of the BIOS.

27. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further cause:

the BIOS, operating in the pre-boot environment, receiving a communication from a OEM or third party service provider over a network.

28. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the discovery process provides, to a network device over a network, access to data stored on a device upon which the BIOS executes.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said data includes one or more of picture files, music files, video files, documents, emails, and other media files or objects stored on said device.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said device is a phone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a tablet PC, or a laptop computer.