US 12,639,483 B2Granted

Physical computer intrusion detection

AssigneeIntel Corporation

InventorsSmit Kapila, Jithin Valappilekandy, Sean J.W. Lawrence

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Abstract

An apparatus includes a circuit board configured for attachment to a cover by a first fastener. The circuit board includes a first via sized to receive a distal portion of a first shaft of the first fastener. A first upper portion of the first shaft is to be received in a through-hole in the cover. The apparatus further includes a first conductive trace extending from a first side wall defining the first via to first circuitry. The first conductive trace is configured to carry one or more input signals to the first circuitry indicating whether the distal portion of the first shaft is at least partially disposed in the first via and communicatively coupled to a first conductive element associated with the first via. The first conductive element may include a first conductive plating at least partially covering the first side wall defining the first via.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a circuit board including first circuitry and a system ground conductor, the circuit board configured for attachment to a cover by a first fastener, the circuit board including a first via defined by a first side wall with a first conductive plating, the first via sized to receive a distal portion of the first fastener;
and
a first conductive trace extending from the first conductive plating on the first side wall defining the first via to the first circuitry and configured to carry one or more input signals to the first circuitry indicating whether the distal portion of the first fastener is at least partially disposed in the first via and electrically coupled to the first conductive plating on the first side wall of the first via;
wherein the circuit board is configured such that, when a first portion of the first fastener extends through a through-hole of the cover and the distal portion of the first fastener is at least partially disposed in the first via and in contact with the first conductive plating, and when the cover is electrically coupled to the system ground conductor, a ground loop is to form between the system ground conductor and the first conductive plating through the first fastener such that a first input signal representing a ground signal resulting from the ground loop is to be provided to the first circuitry.

1 more element

One or more machine-readable media comprising one or more instructions, wherein the one or more instructions, when executed by a processor, are to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first input value corresponding to a first input signal from a conductive trace on a circuit board, the first input signal associated with a first fastener configured to mechanically attach and electrically couple the circuit board to a cover of a chassis of an electronic device;
and
generating a first output signal based, at least in part, on the first input value, wherein the first input value is to indicate whether a ground loop is formed between a system ground conductor of the circuit board and a conductive plating on a side wall of a via in the circuit board through the first fastener when (i) a first portion of the first fastener extends through a through-hole of the cover and a distal portion of the first fastener is at least partially disposed in the via and in contact with the conductive plating, and (ii) the cover is electrically coupled to the system ground conductor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.