PC Power-On Certification via External Device Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power on certification systems for PCs lack comprehensive security, particularly failing to ensure BIOS integrity during booting, as they only protect the operating system and are vulnerable to password loss due to power interruptions or BIOS updates.
Innovation Solution
A power on certification method and system that utilizes a booting certification device connected to the PC, which performs verification procedures during the power-on stage by retrieving recognition information from the device and comparing it to stored verification information, ensuring the BIOS is securely initialized and peripheral devices are appropriately enabled or disabled based on user-specific settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a verification password function in BIOS is used to protect PC data, then security is improved, but the password is lost when power is interrupted or BIOS is updated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the certification function into two parts: the BIOS contains the verification procedure, while a separate external certification device (USB flash disk, Bluetooth device, or RFID card) stores the recognition information. This segmentation ensures that the password/certification data is not stored in the volatile CMOS memory but in a separate non-volatile external device, preventing loss during power interruptions or BIOS updates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external certification device as an intermediary between the user and the BIOS verification procedure. This device acts as a mediator that provides recognition information to the BIOS without requiring the user to manually input passwords, thereby eliminating the risk of password loss while maintaining security.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If USB flash disk is used for user verification in operating system, then password input risk is reduced, but BIOS security cannot be ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements verification at the BIOS level before the operating system loads, rather than only at the operating system level. The BIOS performs the verification procedure by retrieving recognition information from the external certification device during the power-on self-test (POST) phase, ensuring BIOS security is established before the operating system becomes active.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the external certification device universal by supporting multiple device types (USB flash disk, Bluetooth device, RFID card) and integrating the verification procedure into the BIOS itself. This allows the same certification mechanism to protect both BIOS security and operating system access, eliminating the limitation of USB flash disks being OS-specific.
3Ease of operation
If verification password is stored in CMOS memory, then BIOS verification is enabled, but data is lost when electric power is interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the verification password/certification information from the volatile CMOS memory and relocates it to an external non-volatile certification device. This extraction eliminates the dependency on continuous power supply for maintaining verification data, while the BIOS verification function remains intact by retrieving information from the external device during POST.
Data Source
AI summary
A power on certification method for a personal computer (PC) and a power on certification system thereof are described. The power on method includes the following steps. At least one booting certification device is connected to a PC. The PC is booted, and a basic input output system (BIOS) is run. The BIOS is made to retrieve recognition information of the booting certification device through a verification procedure, so as to judge whether the recognition information is consistent with verification information stored in the PC. After the booting certification device passes through the verification procedure, the PC completes other procedures in the BIOS, and enters an operating system.