# US 10,321,317 B1 · NFC-enhanced firmware security > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,317 B1 - Document ID: US10321317B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/730,973 - Filed: 2015-06-04 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-06-04 - Assignees: American Megatrends, Inc. - Applicants: American Megatrends, Inc. - Inventors: Kai Yau; Santhosh K. Betha; Sai Kiran Talamudupula - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321317B1 ## CPC - H04W 12/08: Access security - G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) - G06F 21/35: communicating wirelessly - G06F 21/62: Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules - H04L 41/28: Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration - H04L 63/105: {Multiple levels of security} - H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04L 41/0809: {Plug-and-play configuration} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Technologies are disclosed herein for near field communication (“NFC”) enhanced firmware security. Using an implementation of the technologies disclosed herein, an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device can be utilized to access an NFC-equipped server computer. The server computer reads a login key from an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device. Based upon the login key, a firmware executing on the server computer can determine whether a user is to have administrator access rights, non-administrator user access rights, or no access rights at all to a firmware setup menu provided by the server computer. Based upon the login key, the firmware executing in the NFC-equipped server computer can also identify an operating system to be booted by the server computer. In some configurations, an NFC-equipped mobile device contacts an authorization server to obtain the login key based upon a user's access credentials. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method for accessing a near field communication (NFC) equipped server computer, the method comprising: reading a login key at the NFC-equipped server computer from an NFC-equipped mobile device via NFC, wherein the login key indicates access rights and is generated at an authorization server in response to a user login request at the NFC-equipped mobile device; determining whether the login key read from the NFC-equipped mobile device indicates that a user is to be provided first rights or second rights to a setup menu provided by a firmware executing in the NFC-equipped server computer; providing access to the firmware-provided setup menu with first rights if the login key indicates that the user is to be provided the first rights; and providing access to the firmware-provided setup menu with second rights if the login key indicates that the user is to be provided the second rights. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first rights comprise administrator rights and wherein the second rights comprise non-administrator user rights. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization server is other-than the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the login key further specifies an operating system that is to be booted by the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: identifying, based on the login key, the operating system that is to be booted by the NFC-equipped server computer; and causing the NFC-equipped server computer to boot the operating system. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the login key further indicates that the user is not permitted to access the firmware-provided setup menu. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining that the login key indicates that the user is not permitted to access the firmware-provided setup menu; and restricting access to the firmware-provided setup menu. ### Claim 8 An apparatus, comprising: at least one processor; and a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon that are executable by the processor and which, when executed by the processor, cause the apparatus to receive a first request to access a near field communication (NFC)-equipped server computer, in response to receiving the first request, transmit an authorization request from the apparatus to an authorization server, the authorization request comprising a second request to access the NFC-equipped server computer, receive from the authorization server in response to the second request a login key for use in accessing the NFC-equipped server computer, wherein the login key indicates access rights and originates from the authorization server, and provide the login key to the NFC-equipped server computer via NFC, whereby the NFC-equipped server computer is configured to determine, using the login key, the access rights to the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authorization request specifies user credentials for a user of the apparatus making the request to access the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the login key specifies that the user is to have first access rights to a firmware-provided setup menu provided by a firmware of the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first access rights comprise administrator access rights or non-administrator user access rights. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the authorization server is distinct from the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the login key further specifies an operating system that is to be booted by the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: receive a first request to access a near field communication (NFC)-equipped server computer; in response to receiving the first request, transmit an authorization request to an authorization server, the authorization request comprising a second request to access the NFC-equipped server computer, wherein the authorization server is separate from the NFC-equipped server computer; receive from the authorization server in response to the second request a login key for use in accessing the NFC-equipped server computer, wherein the login key indicates access rights and originates from the authorization server; and provide the login key from the apparatus to the NFC-equipped server computer via NFC. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the NFC-equipped server computer is configured to determine, using the login key, access rights to the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the authorization request specifies user credentials for a user of the apparatus making the request to access the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the login key specifies that a user is to have first access rights to a setup menu provided by a firmware of the NFC-equipped server computer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first access rights comprise administrator access rights. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first access rights comprise non-administrator user access rights. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the login key further specifies an operating system that is that to be booted by NFC-equipped server computer.