Method and apparatus for preventing unauthorized modifications to rental computer systems
View Patent ↗A method for preventing unauthorized modifications to a rental computer system is disclosed. During boot up of the rental computer system, a determination is made whether or not a time-day card is bound to the rental computer system. If the time-day card is bound to the rental computer system, another determination is made whether or not a time/date value on the time-day card is less than a secure time/date value stored in a secure storage location during the most recent power down. If the time/date value on the time-day card is not less than the secure time/date value, yet another determination is made whether or not the secure time/date value is less than an end time/date rental value. If the secure time/date value is less than the end time/date rental value, the rental computer system continues to boot.
1. A method for preventing unauthorized modifications to a rental computer system, said method comprising:
during boot up of a rental computer system,
determining whether or not a time-day card is bound to said rental computer system;
in response to a determination that said time-day card is bound to said rental computer system, determining whether or not a time/date value on said time-day card is less than a current secure time/date value;
in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is not less than said current secure time/date value, determining whether or not said current secure time/date value is less than an end time/date rental value; and
in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is less than said end time/date rental value, continue booting of said rental computer system.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method further includes in response to a determination that said time-day card is not bound to said rental computer system, stopping said booting of said computer system.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method further includes in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is less than said current secure time/date value, obtaining a new secure time/date value from a network, and replacing said current secure time/date value with said new secure time/date value.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method further includes in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is not less than said end time/date rental value, prompting a renter to purchase more rental time.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said time-day card includes a real-time clock and a battery.
6. A computer non-transitory medium having a computer program product for preventing unauthorized modifications to a rental computer system, said computer non-transitory medium comprising:
during boot up of a rental computer system,
program code for determining whether or not a time-day card is bound to said rental computer system;
program code for, in response to a determination that said time-day card is bound to said rental computer system, determining whether or not a time/date value on said time-day card is less than a current secure time/date value;
program code for, in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is not less than said current secure time/date value, determining whether or not said current secure time/date value is less than an end time/date rental value; and
program code for, in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is less than said end time/date rental value, continue booting of said rental computer system.
7. The computer non-transitory medium of claim 6 , wherein said computer non-transitory medium further includes program code for, in response to a determination that said time-day card is not bound to said rental computer system, stopping said booting of said computer system.
8. The computer non-transitory medium of claim 7 , wherein said computer non-transitory medium further includes program code for, in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is less than said current secure time/date value, obtaining a new secure time/date value from a network, and replacing said current secure time/date value with said new secure time/date value.
9. The computer non-transitory medium of claim 7 , wherein said computer non-transitory medium further includes program code for, in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is not less than said end time/date rental value, prompting a renter to purchase more rental time.
10. The computer non-transitory medium of claim 7 , wherein said time-day card includes a real-time clock and a battery.
11. A rental computer system comprising:
a time-day card having a real-time clock and a battery; and
a processing unit for, during boot up of said rental computer system,
determining whether or not said time-day card is bound to said rental computer system;
in response to a determination that said time-day card is bound to said rental computer system, determining whether or not a time/date value on said time-day card is less than a current secure time/date value;
in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is not less than said current secure time/date value, determining whether or not said current secure time/date value is less than an end time/date rental value; and
in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is less than said end time/date rental value, continue booting of said rental computer system.
12. The rental computer system of claim 11 , wherein said processing unit stops said boot up of said computer system in response to a determination that said time-day card is not bound to said rental computer system, stopping said booting of said computer system.
13. The rental computer system of claim 11 , wherein said processing unit utilizes a network time/date value as said current secure time/date value in response to a determination that said time/date value on said time-day card is less than said secure time/date value, obtaining a new secure time/date value from a network, and replacing said current secure time/date value with said new secure time/date value.
14. The rental computer system of claim 11 , wherein said processing unit prompts a renter to purchase more rental time in response to a determination that said current secure time/date value is not less than said end time/date rental value, prompting a renter to purchase more rental time.