Secured Component Verification Certificate for Shipment Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing information handling systems lack secure methods for verifying the components installed in end-user systems and tracking changes to these components over the system's service life, which can lead to unauthorized warranty claims and component misidentification.
Innovation Solution
A method for secured shipment verification and component part forensic tracking involves collecting unique component identifiers, recording them in a data structure, encrypting the data, creating a Secured Component Verification (SCV) certificate, signing it, and storing it in a repository. This certificate is then verified by the end-user system to ensure component authenticity and integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If component identifiers are collected and stored in a data structure, then component tracking capability is improved, but system complexity increases due to encryption and certificate management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by collecting component identifiers and creating encrypted SCV certificates during the manufacturing process, before the system is deployed to the end user. This pre-processing ensures that verification data is ready and secured in advance, improving reliability without adding complexity to the operational verification process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a secured component verification certificate that contains encrypted copies of component identifier data. Instead of storing and processing large amounts of raw component data, the system creates compact cryptographic copies (certificates) that can be efficiently stored and verified, reducing system complexity while maintaining verification reliability.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to the data structure, then security is improved, but processing time increases due to encryption and decryption operations
Solution Approach 1:
Encryption is performed as a preliminary action during manufacturing when the SCV certificate is created. The data is encrypted once during certificate generation, and then only verification (decryption/validation) is performed later during warranty claims or component checks. This approach minimizes the frequency of encryption/decryption operations, reducing processing time overhead while maintaining security.
3Reliability
If component identifiers are tracked throughout service life, then forensic tracking capability is improved, but data management complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a portable SCV certificate that contains encrypted copies of all component identifier data. This certificate can be stored locally on the system or remotely, and copied between storage locations as needed. Instead of managing complex distributed databases, the system uses simple certificate copying and verification, reducing data management complexity while maintaining forensic tracking capability throughout the system's service life.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for verifying unique components are installed in an end user information handling system comprises a manufacturing facility collecting component information into a data structure, encrypting the data structure, creating a secured component verification (SCV) certificate, signing the SCV certificate and communicating the SCV certificate to a repository, the repository storing the signed SCV certificate. A copy of the signed SCV certificate is saved onto the information handling system. When the information handling system is delivered, the copy of the SCV certificate is compared with the SCV certificate stored in the repository. If they match, the information handling system is verified. If a unique component is replaced, a delta certificate is created and stored with the original SCV certificate in the repository such that all changes to unique components in the information handling system are tracked.