3com Corporation

Michael R Fine

Eric P Mitchell

Randy C Rollins

In order to boot a portable computer, a smart key is required to be inserted into a PCMCIA card of the portable computer. Firmware in the PCMCIA card verifies that a smart key has been inserted. The portable computer will boot only when two conditions are met. The first condition is that the smart key, the PCMCIA card, and the portable computer all contemporaneously have the matching codes stored therein. The second condition is that the first condition is met and that a new random generated and encrypted code is successfully stored in each of the smart key, the PCMCIA card, and the portable computer. Until these two conditions are met, the portable computer will not boot. Once booted, access to certain coded files on the portable computer is denied if respective matching codes in the coded files are not also contained in the smart key. Also, the portable computer will not exit an idle, sleep, or power conservation mode until the two conditions are met. Also disclosed are an inventive apparatus and system including a smart key, an ASIC analogous to the PCMCIA card, and a computerized apparatus analogous to the portable computer, where the foregoing two conditions must be met before a user gains access to the computerized apparatus. Contemplated computerized apparatus include PDAs, copy machines, facsimile machines, standalone modems, mobile telephones, pagers, televisions, and automobiles.

Security system for a computerized apparatus

A method and portable ISDN interface module for interfacing both a computer or digital device having a framed data format such as HDLC with an analog telephone over integrated partitioned ISDN channels is provided. The portable ISDN interface module comprises an analog telephone interface, a controller or mechanism for generating and managing the partitioned channels of an ISDN service and an ISDN interface. The analog telephone interface receives and transmits analog information with an analog telephone or other analog device such as a fax/modem between the corresponding external devices and the ISDN interface. The controller or channel generating means implements the channelization or partitioning of the physical link between the portable ISDN interface module and the ISDN. The ISDN interface provides encoding and decoding of analog information and multiplexes the various information sources such as digitized analog telephone information and digital data information into the corresponding ISDN partitioned channels. The ISDN interface presents both an S/T-interface and a U-interface to the ISDN system. Additional telephony functionality such as answering machine and speed-dialing are also provided.

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Ogden, UT, United States of America

Michael R Fine