Computer or microchip with an internal hardware firewall and a master controlling device

• US 9,183,410 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frampton E. Ellis
• Original Assignee: Frampton E. Ellis
• Inventors: Ellis, Frampton E.
• Primary Examiner(s): STRANGE, AARON N
• Application Number:
  US14/230,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20140258437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/209, 712/32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/70 Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5072 Grid computing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5077 Logical partitioning of resources; Management or configuration of virtualized resources specific details on emulation or internal functioning of virtual machines G06F9/455
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0209 Architectural arrangements, e.g. perimeter networks or demilitarized zones
• 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 computer or microchip including protected and network portions; an internal hardware firewall between the protected and network portions, and hardware communications components in the network portion. The firewall denies access to the protected portion from the network. The network portion has a connection for a network of computers including the World Wide Web and/or the Internet. Microprocessor(s) that are not hardware network communications components are located in the network portion and are separate from the firewall. One or more microprocessors and a volatile memory are located in the protected portion. A master controlling device is configured to control the computer or microchip, the non-volatile memory and the microprocessor(s) located in the network and protected portions. The firewall permits unrestricted access by the network of computers to the network portion so that processing operations, other than network communications and firewall operations are executed by microprocessor(s) in the network portion.

Claims

1. A computer or microchip, comprising:

a protected portion;

a network portion;

a master controlling device that controls the computer or microchip;

at least one internal hardware firewall located between the protected portion of said computer or microchip and the network portion of said computer or microchip, said protected portion being protected by at least a first said internal hardware firewall, said network portion having a connection for a network of computers including the World Wide Web and/or the Internet;

at least said first internal hardware firewall denies access to at least said protected portion of said computer or microchip from said network of computers;

at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion;

hardware network communications components located in said network portion of said computer or microchip; and

one or more or at least two or four or eight or 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors that are not hardware network communications components, wherein said one or more microprocessors are located in said network portion of said computer or microchip and are separate from said at least one internal hardware firewall;

the master controlling device controls the one or more microprocessors located in the network portion of said computer or microchip and the at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion; and

wherein the location of at least said first internal hardware firewall permits unrestricted access by said network of computers to said network portion of said computer or microchip so that processing operations other than network communications and firewall operations conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed by one or more of said microprocessors in said network portion of said computer or microchip.

2. The computer or microchip of claim 1, further comprising a flash BIOS of at least the protected and network portion of the computer or microchip located in the protected portion of the computer or microchip.

3. The computer or microchip of claim 1

wherein said at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip is separate from said at least one internal hardware firewall and at least said first internal hardware firewall also denies access to said at least at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip by the network of computers.

4. The computer or microchip of claim 1, wherein the master controlling device of said computer or microchip is located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip.

5. The computer or microchip of claim 1, wherein the master controlling device includes a general purpose microprocessor.

6. The computer or microchip of claim 1, wherein the computer is a mobile personal computer configured for general purpose personal use.

7. The computer or microchip of claim 6, wherein the computer includes a telephone.

8. A computer or microchip comprising:

at least one protected portion;

at least one network portion having a connection for a network of computers;

a master controlling device that controls the computer or microchip; and

at least one internal hardware firewall located so that at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion are protected by at least said internal hardware firewall and one or more or at least two or four or eight or 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors of the computer or microchip located in said network portion that are not protected by at least a first said internal hardware firewall; and

said one more microprocessors that are not protected by at least said first internal hardware firewall are separate from hardware network communications components and said at least one internal hardware firewall;

at least said first internal hardware firewall denies access to at least one said protected portion of said computer or microchip from said network of computers;

the master controlling device controls the one or more microprocessors located in the network portion of said computer or microchip and the at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion; and

wherein the location of at least said first internal hardware firewall permits unrestricted access by said network of computers to said network portion of said computer or microchip so that processing operations other than network communications and firewall operations conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed by one or more of said microprocessors in said network portion of said computer or microchip.

9. The computer or microchip of claim 8, wherein the computer or microchip is a personal computer or microchip configured for control by an individual personal user to communicate with the network of computers;

and

at least said first internal hardware firewall, by its location, permits unrestricted access by the network of computers to said one or more microprocessors located in the network portion that are not protected by at least said first internal hardware firewall, so that processing operations controlled by said personal user, other than network communication and firewall operations, that are conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed by one or more said microprocessors located in the network portion that are not protected by at least said first internal hardware firewall.

10. The computer or microchip of claim 8, further comprising a flash BIOS of at least the protected and network portions of the computer or microchip located in the protected portion of the computer or microchip.

11. The computer or microchip of claim 8,

wherein said at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip is separate from said at least one internal hardware firewall and at least said first internal hardware firewall denies access to said at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip by the network of computers.

12. The computer or microchip of claim 8, wherein the master controlling device of said computer or microchip is located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip.

13. The computer or microchip of claim 8, wherein said processing operations include network browsing functions.

14. The computer or microchip of claim 13, wherein said network browsing functions are selected from the group consisting of World Wide Web or Internet searching, email and conferencing.

15. The computer or microchip of claim 8, wherein the master controlling device includes a general purpose microprocessor.

16. The computer or microchip of claim 8, wherein the computer is a mobile personal computer configured for general purpose personal use.

17. The computer or microchip of claim 16, wherein the computer includes a telephone.

18. A computer or microchip, comprising:

at least one protected portion;

at least one network portion;

a master controlling device, the master controlling device controlling the computer or microchip, which includes the at least one protected portion and the at least one network portion;

at least one internal hardware firewall located between the protected portion of said computer or microchip and the network portion of said computer or microchip, said protected portion being protected by at least a first internal hardware firewall;

said network portion being configured to communicate with a network of computers including the World Wide Web and/or the Internet;

at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion;

network communications components located in said network portion of said computer or microchip;

at least said first internal hardware firewall denies access to said protected portion from communications originating from said network of computers;

said network portion of said computer or microchip being located between at least said first internal hardware firewall and a connection of said computer or microchip to said network of computers; and

one or more or at least two or four or eight or 14 or 16 or 32 or 64 or 128 or 256 or 512 or 1024 microprocessors located in said network portion of said computer or microchip;

said one or more microprocessors located in said network portion being separate from said network communications components;

said one or more microprocessors located in said network portion and said network communications components being separate from said at least one internal hardware firewall;

at least said first internal hardware firewall, by its location, permits unrestricted access by said network of computers to said network portion of said computer or microchip,

the master controlling device controls the one or more microprocessors located in the network portion of said computer or microchip and the at least one microprocessor and non-volatile memory located in said protected portion; and

wherein one or more shared processing operations conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers is executed by at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

19. The computer or microchip of claim 18, further comprising a flash BIOS of at least the protected and network portions of the computer or microchip located in the protected portion of the computer or microchip.

20. The computer or microchip of claim 18,

wherein said at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip is separate from said at least one internal hardware firewall and at least said first internal hardware firewall denies access to said at least one microprocessor located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip by the network of computers.

21. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein the master controlling device of said computer or microchip is located in said protected portion of said computer or microchip.

22. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein the computer or microchip initiates a request to said network of computers for execution of one or more shared processing operations conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers that are executed at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

23. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein said computer or microchip performs World Wide Web or Internet browsing with the network of computers and processing performed by the computer or microchip for said World Wide Web or Internet browsing with the network of computers is executed at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

24. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein said computer or microchip is configured to function as a node in a computer system with many such nodes in which one or more shared processing operations conducted by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

25. The computer or microchip of claim 18, and wherein one or more shared processing operations initiated by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

26. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein one or more search operations initiated by said computer or microchip with the network of computers are executed at least by one or more said microprocessors located in said network portion of the computer or microchip.

27. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein the master controlling device includes a general purpose microprocessor.

28. The computer or microchip of claim 18, wherein the computer is a mobile personal computer configured for general purpose personal use.

29. The computer or microchip of claim 28, wherein the computer includes a telephone.