Presence terminal-based side channel communications
AssigneeHewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
InventorChristoph L. Schmitz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes a controller detecting a signal state of a presence terminal that is associated with a bus device. The signal state is set by the bus device to indicate presence of the bus device in a connector, and the connector is connected to a bus. The method includes the controller communicating data over the bus; and in response to detecting the signal state, the controller communicating side channel data to the bus device to authenticate the data that is communicated over the bus as being provided by the controller. Communicating the side channel data with the bus device includes providing a signal to the presence terminal, which represents the side channel data.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- a controller detecting a signal state of a presence terminal associated with a bus device, wherein the signal state is set by the bus device to indicate presence of the bus device in a connector, and the connector is connected to a bus;
- the controller communicating data over the bus, wherein communicating data over the bus comprises communicating a message over the bus addressed to the bus, the message comprising data representing a hash value of a certificate, a hash value of a certificate chain, a hash value of a portion of a certificate, or a hash value of a portion of a certificate chain;
- and
- in response to detecting the signal state, the controller communicating side channel data to the bus device to authenticate the data communicated over the bus as being provided by the controller, wherein communicating the side channel data to the bus device comprises providing a signal to the presence terminal representing the side channel data.
A subordinate bus device, comprising:
- a plurality of terminals to be connected to corresponding plurality of terminals of a connector in response to the subordinate bus device being installed in the connector, wherein the plurality of terminals of the connector comprises terminals to communicate with a bus and a presence terminal;
- an input/output (I/O) interface associated with the presence terminal;
- and
- a controller to, in response to the subordinate bus device being installed in the connector:
- set the presence terminal to a predetermined signal state representing presence of the subordinate bus device in the connector to a superior bus device;
- cause the I/O interface to configure the presence terminal to be an input;
- and
- use the input to receive a message from the superior bus device, wherein the message contains data representing a hash value and the controller uses the hash value to validate a certificate or validate a public key portion of the certificate, and wherein the certificate is communicated by the superior bus device via the bus.
An apparatus comprising:
- a bus comprising traces;
- a connector, wherein the connector comprises contacts corresponding to traces of the bus and a presence terminal;
- a subordinate bus device in the connector, wherein the subordinate bus device comprises a presence terminal contact corresponding to the presence terminal, and the subordinate bus device asserts the presence terminal to indicate presence of the subordinate bus device in the connector;
- and
- a superior bus device coupled to the contacts corresponding to the traces of the bus and coupled to the presence terminal, wherein the superior bus device, in response to detection of the assertion of the presence terminal by the subordinate bus device, communicates a multiple bit message to the subordinate bus device via the presence terminal, the multiple bit message comprising data representing a hash value used by the subordinate bus device to validate a certificate or public key portion of the certificate, wherein the certificate is communicated by the superior bus device via the bus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.