The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 04, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 19, 1997
Michael F Angelo, Houston, TX (US);
Craig A Miller, Tomball, TX (US);
David R Wooten, Spring, TX (US);
Compaq Computer Corporation, Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A secure start-up system for a computer enables a flash memory to be reset in a secured way. Various operations are carried out to make sure that the reset is an authorized one, and to avoid unauthorized, e.g. virus, infiltration. These operations include multiple tests to avoid the probability of the reset being unauthorized. Any one or more than one of the following can be used. Flashing is only authorized when a special flash enable bit is set in the non-volatile memory. This flash enable bit is reset during every startup cycle. Flashing is only authorized from a cold boot as opposed from a warm boot. This minimizes the possibility of a computer routine authorizing flashing by a software reset. Flashing is only authorized from a floppy. This prevents a virus from writing the flashing routine to the boot sector of a non-removable disc. The user is warned prior to flashing, and asked to confirm. Finally, contents of the flashing routine can be checked using some kind of checking algorithm such as a secure hash algorithm.