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US 8,572,404 B2Granted
Security and safety manager implementation in a multi-core processor
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsThomas R. Markham, Kevin Staggs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system includes a multi-core computer processor. One or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a security co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor, and one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a safety manager co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor. An operating system of the security co-processor and an operating system of the safety manager co-processor are independent of operating systems of the other cores of the multi-core processor. The security co-processor and the safety manager co-processor are configured to boot before the other cores and to enforce security policy and/or safety policy on the other cores.
Claims18
A system comprising:
- a multi-core computer processor;
- wherein one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a security co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein an operating system of the security co-processor is independent of operating systems of the other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein the security co-processor is configured to boot before the other cores and to enforce security policy on the other cores;
- wherein the security co-processor is configured to enforce one or more privilege levels including an untrusted level, a user level, a supervisor level, and a maintenance level;
- wherein the untrusted level comprises processing downloaded software code from a party other than an administrator of the system;
- wherein the user level comprises processing software code and data from a source approved by the administrator of the system;
- wherein the supervisor level comprises dynamic management of the system including changing operating system settings and changing hardware settings;
- and
- wherein the maintenance level comprises changes that affect the security of the system including processing kernel updates, updating keys for authentication, and privileged operations.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- a multi-core computer processor;
- wherein one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a safety manager co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein an operating system of the safety manager co-processor is independent of operating systems of the other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein the safety manager co-processor is configured to boot before the other cores and to enforce safety policy on the other cores;
- wherein the safety manager co-processor is configured to enforce one or more privilege levels including an untrusted level, a user level, a supervisor level, and a maintenance level;
- wherein the untrusted level comprises processing downloaded software code from a party other than an administrator of the system;
- wherein the user level comprises processing software code and data from a source approved by the administrator of the system;
- wherein the supervisor level comprises dynamic management of the system including changing operating system settings and changing hardware settings;
- and
- wherein the maintenance level comprises changes that affect the security of the system including processing kernel updates, updating keys for authentication, and privileged operations.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- a multi-core computer processor;
- wherein one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a security co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein one or more cores of the multi-core computer processor are configured as a safety manager co-processor for the system and for other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein one or more of an operating system of the security co-processor and an operating system of the safety manager co-processor are independent of operating systems of the other cores of the multi-core processor;
- wherein one or more of the security co-processor and the safety manager co-processor are configured to boot before the other cores and to enforce one or more of security policy and safety policy on the other cores;
- wherein one or more of the security co-processor and the safety manage processor are configured to enforce one or more privilege levels including an untrusted level, a user level, a supervisor level, and a maintenance level;
- wherein the untrusted level comprises processing downloaded software code from a party other than an administrator of the system;
- wherein the user level comprises processing software code and data from a source approved by the administrator of the system;
- wherein the supervisor level comprises dynamic management of the system including changing operating system settings and changing hardware setting;
- and
- wherein the maintenance level comprises changes that affect the security of the system including processing kernel updates, updating keys for authentication, and privileged operations.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.