Method and apparatus for feature configuration in remotely located ultrasound imaging system

• US 6,418,225 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2001
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Brackett, Charles Cameron, Stratton, Gregory C., Johnson, Chandler A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jack, Todd M.
• Application Number:
  US09/775,519
• Publication Number:
  US 20010005886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/183, 713/200, 380/281
• US Class Current: 380/281
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/899 Combination of imaging systems with ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52017 particularly adapted to short-range imaging G01S7/53 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068

Abstract

A method and apparatus for configuring an ultrasound imaging system at a remote location by obtaining an encrypted feature key from a central location (e.g., via telephone) and then inputting that feature key into the ultrasound imaging system using an operator interface (e.g., a keyboard). To validate the feature key, the ultrasound imaging system decrypts the encrypted data and then compares the decrypted data to validation data pre-stored in the system. If the decrypted data matches the validation data, then the optional feature identified by the feature key will be enabled each time the system is booted or initialized. Optionally, an expiration date can be associated with the activated option, after which date the feature will be disabled when the system is initialized. Similarly, an activated optional feature can be disabled at a remote location by the input of an encrypted key obtained from a central location.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a computerized system at a remote location, comprising the steps of:

storing a validation identifier inside said system;

transmitting an option identifier which identifies a change in system configuration from said remote location to a central location;

encrypting said validation identifier and said option identifier at said central location;

transmitting an encrypted feature key comprising a sequence of characters from said central location to said remote location, said encrypted feature key comprising said encrypted validation identifier and said encrypted option identifier;

placing said system in a feature key entry mode;

inputting said encrypted feature key into said system by operation of a sequence of input keys corresponding to said sequence of characters of said encrypted feature key;

decrypting said encrypted feature key inside said system to form decrypted data comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted option identifier;

comparing said decrypted validation identifier with said stored validation identifier;

altering a system configuration database inside said system to reflect said change in system configuration if said decrypted validation identifier matches said stored validation identifier.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said change in system configuration is addition of an optional feature.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said change in system configuration is deletion of an optional feature.

4. A method for configuring a computerized system, comprising the steps of:

booting a system with an intial system configuration;

placing said system in a feature key entry mode;

inputting an encrypted feature key into said system via an operator interface, said encrypted feature key comprising an encrypted validation identifier and an encrypted option identifier;

decrypted said encrypted feature key inside said system to from decrypted date comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted option identifier;

comparing said decrypted validation identifier with a pre-stored validation identifier;

altering a system configuration database inside said system to reflect a change in system configuration identifier by said decrypted option identifier if said decrypted validation identifier matches said stored validation identifier; and

rebooting said system with said change system configuration following said altering step and before use of said system.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said change in system configuration is addition of an optional feature.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said change in system configuration is deletion of an optional feature.

7. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

an ultrasound transmitter for transmitting ultrasound energy into a volume of ultrasound scatterers;

a signal processing chain for acquiring display data representing an image of ultrasound scatterers in said volume in accordance with a system configuration comprising enabled features, said display data being based on ultrasound energy scattered by said ultrasound scatterers;

a monitor for displaying said image in response to receipt of said display data;

a memory for storing a system configuration database representing said enabled features of said system configuration;

an operator interface comprising a plurality of keys for inputting data into said system;

means for placing said system in a feature key entry mode in response to a predetermined command input via said operator interface; and

decrypting means for outputting decrypted data in response to depression of a sequence of keys of said operator representing an encrypted feature key comprising an encrypted validation identifier and an encrypted option identifier, said decrypted data comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted option identifier;

validating means for determining if said decrypted validation identifier is valid; and

means for altering said system configuration as a function of said decrypted option identifier only if said decrypted validation identifier is valid.

8. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said change in system configuration is addition of an optional feature.

9. The system as defined in claim 7, wherein said change in system configuration is deletion of an optional feature.

10. The system as defined in claim 7, further comprising means for storing decryption matrix precursor data and means for constructing a decryption matrix based on said decryption matrix precursor data, wherein said decrypting means perform decryption by applying said decryption matrix to vectors formed from said encrypted feature key.

11. A system comprising:

an operation interface;

memory which stores a computer booting routine, an optional computer feature, a system configuration database comprising a validation identifier and a list of computer features to be activated at during computer booting, and a computer feature activation/de-activation routine for selectively adding or deleting an identifier of said optional computer feature to or from said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database; and

a computer which executes said computer booting routine during booting, executes said computer feature activation/de-activation routine only in response to entry of a first predetermined command via said operator interface after booting, and executes said computer optional feature in response to entry of a second predetermined command via said operator interface after booting if said optional computer feature has been activated during booting,

wherein said computer feature activation/de-activation routine comprises the following steps;

decrypting a feature key entered via said operator interface to form decrypted data comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted optional computer feature identifier;

comparing said decrypted validation identifier with said stored validation identifier in said system configuration database; and

adding or deleting said decrypted optional computer feature identifier to or from said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database provided that said decrypted validation identifier matches said stored validation identifier.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said system is a scanner.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein said scanner is an ultrasound imaging system.

14. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer feature activation/de-activation routine further comprises the step of rebooting said computer following said adding/deleting step and before use of said system.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said decrypted data derived from said feature key further comprises a decrypted expiration date, and said adding step further comprises associating said decrypted expiration date with said decrypted optional computer feature identifier in said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer feature activation/de-activation routine further comprises the step of constructing a decryption matrix inside said system from decryption matrix precursor data, wherein said decrypting step is carried out by applying said decryption matrix to vectors formed from said feature key.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein said validation identifier comprises a system identifier which uniquely identifies said system.

18. The system as recited in claim 17, wherein said validation identifier further comprises a key identifier.

19. A method for configuring a computerized system, comprising the following steps:

booting said computerized system with a system configuration wherein only those optional computer features which are identified in a list of activated optional computer features listed in a system configuration database stored in system memory are activated;

inputting a command via an operator interface which causes said computerized system to enter a feature activation mode;

inputting an encrypted feature key into said computerized system via said operator interface while said computerized system is in said feature activation mode, said encrypted feature key comprising an encrypted validation identifier and an encrypted optional computer feature identifier, wherein said encrypted optional computer feature identifier corresponds to an optional computer feature not identified in said list of activated optional computer features;

automatically decrypting said feature key inputted via said operator interface to form decrypted data comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted optional computer feature identifier;

automatically comparing said decrypted validation identifier with a stored validation identifier in said system configuration database; and

automatically adding said decrypted optional computer feature identifier to said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database if said decrypted validation identifier matches said stored validation identifier.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, further comprising the step of rebooting said computer with a system configuration comprising said optional computer feature following said adding step and before use of said system.

21. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said encrypted feature key further comprises an encrypted expiration date, said decrypted data derived from said feature key further comprises a decrypted expiration date, and said adding step further comprises associating said decrypted expiration date with said decrypted optional computer feature identifier in said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database.

22. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said computer feature activation routine further comprises the step of constructing a decryption matrix inside said system from decryption matrix precursor data, wherein said decrypting step is carried out by applying said decryption matrix to vectors formed from said feature key.

23. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein said validation identifier comprises a system identifier which uniquely identifies said computerized system.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein said validation identifier further comprises a key identifier.

25. A method for configuring a computerized system, comprising the following steps:

booting said computerized system to have a system configuration wherein only those optional computer features which are identified in a list of activated optional computer features listed in a system configuration database stored in system memory are activated;

inputting a command via an operator interface which causes said computerized system to enter a feature de-activation mode;

inputting an encrypted feature key into said computerized system via said operator interface while said computerized system is in said feature de-activation mode, said encrypted feature key comprising an encrypted validation identifier and an encrypted optional computer feature identifier, wherein said encrypted optional computer feature identifier corresponds to an optional computer feature identified in said list of activated optional computer features;

automatically decrypting said feature key inputted via said operator interface to form decrypted data comprising a decrypted validation identifier and a decrypted optional computer feature identifier;

automatically comparing said decrypted validation identifier with a stored validation identifier in said system configuration database; and

automatically deleting said decrypted optional computer feature identifier from said list of activated computer features in said system configuration database if said decrypted validation identifier matches said stored validation identifier.

26. The method as recited in claim 25, further comprising the step of rebooting said computer with a system configuration not including said optional computer feature following said deleting step and before use of said system.

27. A method for configuring a computerized system, comprising the steps of:

pre-storing an option and an activation status datum in said system, said activation status datum having a first value indicating that said option should not be activated when said system is booted;

transmitting data comprising an option identifier identifying said option and a machine identification number identifying said system from a remote location to a central location;

at said central location, receiving said data, adding a key identifier to said data, encrypting said key identifier and said data to form an encrypted feature key, and transmitting said encrypted feature key to said remote location;

inputting said encrypted feature key into said system via an operator interface;

inside said system, automatically performing the following steps;

decrypting said encrypted feature key inside said system to form decrypted data comprising said key identifier, said option identifier and said machine identification number;

validating said key identifier and said machine identification number resulting from decryption; and

changing said activation status datum from said first value to a second value if said key identifier and said machine identification number are valid, said second value indicating that said option should be activated when said system is booted.

28. A method for configuring a computerized system, comprising the steps of:

pre-storing an option and an activation status datum in said system, said activation status datum having a first value indicating that said option should be activated when said system is booted;

transmitting data comprising an option identifier identifying said option and a machine identification number identifying said system from a remote location to a central location;

at said central location, receiving said data, adding a key identifier to said data, encrypting said key identifier and said data to form an encrypted feature key, and transmitting said encrypted feature key to said remote location;

inputting said encrypted feature key into said system via an operator interface; and

inside said system, automatically performing the following steps;

decrypting said encrypted feature key to form decrypted data comprising said key identifier, said option identifier and said machine identification number;

validating said key identifier and said machine identification number resulting from decryption; and

changing said activation status datum from said first value to a second value if said key identifier and said machine identification number are valid, said second value indicating that said option should not be activated when said system is booted.

29. A system comprising:

an operator interface;

memory storing an option, an option identifier identifying said option, and an activation status datum, said activation status datum having either first or second values, said first value indicating that said option should not be activated when said system is booted and said second value indicating that said option should be activated when said system is booted; and

a computer programmed to perform the following steps in an option activation mode;

detecting entry of an encrypted feature key via said operator interface;

decrypting said encrypted feature key to form decrypted data;

verifying that said decrypted data comprise a valid key identifier and a valid machine identification number; and

after verification, changing said activation status datum from one of said first and second values to the other of said first and second values if said decrypted data comprise said option identifier.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein said system is an ultrasound imaging system.

31. A method for changing a state of activation of an optional software feature stored in a computerized system via an operator interface, comprising the steps of:

inputting an enter feature key entry mode command; and

inputting an encrypted feature key comprising a machine identification number identifying said computerized system, an option identifier identifying said optional software feature, an expiration date on which said optional software feature should be de-activated, and a key identifier.