Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Other

John Charles Dunn

Kenneth D Ray

Firdosh Kersy Bhesania

Vladimir Sadovsky

Glen T Slick

Stephen R Handley

Yonghong Guo

Paul England

Marcus Peinado

Bryan M Willman

Joy Chik

Vinod Murli Mamtani

Makarand V Patwardhan

Mark E Maszak

Chenyin Zhong

Mark F Williams

Randall Edward Aull

Doron J Holan

David Rudolph Wooten

Forrest Curtis Foltz

Idan Avraham

Jay Senior

Bradley L Carpenter

Constantyn Koeman

The various embodiments described below are directed to providing authenticated and confidential messaging from software executing on a host (e.g. a secure software application or security kernel) to and from I/O devices operating on a USB bus. The embodiments can protect against attacks that are levied by software executing on a host computer. In some embodiments, a secure functional component or module is provided and can use encryption techniques to provide protection against observation and manipulation of USB data. In other embodiments, USB data can be protected through techniques that do not utilized (or are not required to utilize) encryption techniques. In accordance with these embodiments, USB devices can be designated as 'secure' and, hence, data sent over the USB to and from such designated devices can be provided into protected memory. Memory indirection techniques can be utilized to ensure that data to and from secure devices is protected.

Methods and systems for protecting data in USB systems

One or more universal serial bus (USB) devices are connected at a client computer. The USB devices are recognized by the client computer and a determination is made as to whether an application server computer provides functionality for one or more of the USB devices. A specific communication path is provided from the USB device to the server computer if functionality is provided by the application server computer.

USB devices in application server environments

Systems and methods for enabling trusted software to monitor and control USB traffic associated with a security extension of a host controller and devices in a USB topology is disclosed. A host controller proxy receives USB-related data from a host controller driver, determines whether the data is of a security interest, and if so, sends the data to a driver for a security extension executing in the trusted execution environment. Likewise, after software executing in the trusted execution environment evaluates and appropriately addresses data sent by the HCD proxy or data retrieved from a hardware security extension, the HCD proxy receives data from the trusted execution environment for further dissemination.

Accessing a USB host controller security extension using a HCD proxy

Automatic protocol migration when upgrading operating systems includes checking, after upgrading at least a portion of an operating system of a host device, whether a new driver supporting enhanced functionality for a portable device is now available, where a driver supporting base functionality would have been previously used for communicating with the portable device. If such a new driver supporting enhanced functionality for the portable device is now available, then the host device installs the new driver supporting enhanced functionality for the portable device.

Automatic protocol migration when upgrading operating systems

In accordance with certain aspects of the automatic protocol determination for portable devices supporting multiple protocols, a portable device detects which one of the multiple protocols is being used by the host device for subsequent communication with the portable device. This detection is based on the content of a command received from a host device. The detected protocol is then used by the portable device for subsequent communication with the host device. The host device may also send, to the portable device, a notification of which of the multiple protocols is being used by the host device.

Automatic protocol determination for portable devices supporting multiple protocols

A system for identifying data connection attributes is disclosed. The system comprises a connection monitor that identifies an operational attribute of a data connection. The system also includes a signal module that activates operation of a status indicator of the data connection such that a manner of operation of the status indicator is associated with the operational attribute. Methods for operating the system are also disclosed.

Status indicators for universal serial bus (USB) ports

Safe mode operation for portable devices supporting multiple protocols includes a portable device that supports multiple protocols, such as a base functionality protocol and an enhanced functionality protocol, reporting to a host device that the portable device supports only a single protocol (e.g., the base functionality protocol). This single protocol will be used for subsequent communication between the host device and the portable device. This reporting to the host device that the portable device supports only a single protocol can be triggered, for example, by an appropriate button(s) on the portable device being pressed when the portable device is powered on.

Safe mode operation for portable devices supporting multiple protocols

Indicating data connection and status conditions

A protocol analyzer monitors a bus while a software module causes a trace packet to be generated and sent out on the bus to an invalid address. The trace packet triggers the protocol analyzer and permits the bus data flowing on the bus when the software module detected a problem to be analyzed. The trace packet causes the protocol analyzer to trigger even though the bus protocol is normal and the protocol analyzer would not otherwise trigger. The trace packet can be used to analyze and debug communications flowing on a bus when the software module detects a problem.

Systems and methods for analyzing bus data

A client driver requests data packet transfers from a peripheral device through a protocol stack and a host controller. The protocol stack receives the data transfer request and allocates the request into the host controller schedule. The host controller schedule requests the data of the peripheral device, and directs the received data into previously allocated buffers. The host controller then sends a signal to the client driver that the respective buffers are filled. The host controller can then deactivate the instructions in the host controller schedule until further notice so that the instructions do not need to be deleted from the schedule. The client driver extracts the data from the buffer, and sends a signal to the host controller that the buffer can be used again. The request in the host controller schedule can then be reactivated without having to necessarily re-insert new instructions into the host controller schedule.

Peripheral device data transfer protocol

Systems and methods for specifying extended configuration descriptor information in a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device are described. In one aspect, an extended configuration descriptor is provided in firmware of a USB device. The extended configuration descriptor includes a set of non-standard class codes. Responsive to receiving a host-specific device request, the USB device communicates the extended configuration descriptor to a requestor.

Specifying extended configuration descriptor information in a USB device

A method for rebalancing bandwidth allocations to peripheral and other devices, particularly for isochronous communications, connected to a computer system via a bus in order to accommodate bandwidth requirements of a newly added device or newly launched application is described. The method is particularly useful in the context of buses such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB) and the IEEE 1394 bus (FireWire) which allow a plurality of devices to be connected to a computer system and even be powered by the bus. The method utilizes a Policy to identify preferred configurations and, furthermore, extends the USB and other standards to specify devices that can dynamically respond to commands to change their bandwidth to another setting.

Method and system for managing bandwidth on a master-slave bus

The following system and procedure for specifying an extended configuration descriptor includes a USB device that responds to device requests from a host. In response to receiving a host-specific device request that specifies a predetermined index, the USB device returns an extended configuration descriptor to the requester. The extended configuration descriptor includes information that can be used by the requestor to control the USB device. When the USB device is a composite device, the extended configuration descriptor includes function information corresponding to a plurality of sub-devices. Each function comprises one or more interfaces.

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Issaquah, WA, United States of America

John Charles Dunn