Pre-paid computer monitoring hardware
View Patent ↗A computer is modified to add a memory management module between a memory controller and memory. The module may control or intercept signals between the memory controller and the memory to disable a portion or all of the computer's normal function. The memory management module may be a discrete device or may be part of the memory controller itself.
1. A computer system comprising:
a processor;
a memory controller;
a memory;
a memory bus communicating with the memory and the memory controller; and
a memory management module installed on the memory bus between the memory controller and the memory, wherein the memory management module is configured to: deny access of the memory controller to a first portion or all of the memory when one or more of a payment condition has not been met or a tampering condition has been met, wherein the first portion includes memory addresses that are inaccessible by the memory controller;
eavesdrop on at least one of the memory bus, a DRAM, a Southbridge, or a Northbridge for an out-of-compliance memory signal, wherein the out-of-compliance memory signal includes a memory access signal having an address that is within the first portion; and
if the out-of-compliance memory signal is received, the memory management module is further configured to issue a reboot command, and upon reboot, enforce a memory limitation by informing BIOS that only a second portion of the memory is available, wherein the memory addresses of the second portion and the memory addresses of the first portion are mutually exclusive; and
if the memory management module notices memory has been limited by the BIOS and if the memory management module discovers the out-of-compliance memory si-lal in which the BIOS has failed to enforce the memory limitation, the memory management module is further configured to instruct the system to increase a number of memory addresses within the first portion;
wherein the memory management module is further configured to, upon reboot, initialize the on-board dynamic memory to discover information related to a physical memory, the information related to the physical memory comprising:
an amount of currently-installed physical memory; and
a difference between the amount of currently-installed physical memory and a previously-installed physical memory;
wherein the memory management module comprises:
a secure clock;
a random number generator;
an embedded processor;
access to a secure memory; and
access to an on-board dynamic memory; wherein the embedded processor only executes code stored in the secure memory, and the secure memory is preconfigured with a trusted software application, the trusted software application comprising a routine that verifies and updates the secured memory from a known source, the known source comprising a signed source.
2. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the memory management module is further configured to listen to a peripheral bus to determine if additional memory has been added to bypass the memory and if the determination is positive, imposing a sanction on the system, wherein the sanction presents the user with a text only interface that allows a user to enter a certificate indicating that the condition has been met.
3. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a Front Side Bus;
wherein the memory management module is further configured to monitor the Front Side Bus to find snooping cycles, the snooping cycles having memory addresses that are within the first portion, and to discover an unauthorized memory cycle from the snooping cycles.
4. The computer system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a peripheral bus comprising a memory access cycle, wherein the memory management module is further configured to monitor the peripheral bus to discover the one or more memory access cycles.