US 9,519,786 B1 · Firmware integrity ensurance and update

Abstract

A client device includes a flash chip for storing firmware and a microcontroller for storing an image in read-only memory. The image corresponds to an accurate representation of firmware. When the client device is powered on but before the firmware is executed to boot the client device, the firmware stored on the flash chip is compared to the image. In the event that the firmware does not correspond to the image, the client device is not booted and the firmware is overwritten with the image. The client device may then be booted using the flashed firmware. To update the firmware, the client device may receive a new image from a server. The new image is stored in the read-only memory of the microcontroller. The firmware may then be re-flashed using the new image.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for updating firmware, the method comprising:

generating, with a processor, a firmware image update request using a private key associated with a client device;
sending the image update request to a server;
receiving a new firmware image from the server;
replacing a firmware image stored in a microprocessor on the client device with the new firmware image received from the server;
and
flashing a flash chip including firmware using the new firmware image stored in the microprocessor such that the firmware is updated,
wherein once the new firmware image is received from the server, the client device may not be booted until after flashing the flash chip, and
thereafter, when the firmware is used to boot the client device, the flash chip is automatically flashed with the new firmware image.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Firmware integrity ensurance and update

Life of this patent

Firmware integrity ensurance and update

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims8