IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,567,967
Granted Patent B2
US 10,567,967 · App. 16/242,914 · Granted Feb 18, 2020

Hardware verification with RFID-stored build information

Inventors: Scott Debates (Crystal Lake, IL); Jarrett K Simerson (Glenview, IL); Hong Zhao (Naperville, IL)
Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC
H04W12/12H04M3/42178H04W4/80H04W12/00512H04W12/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,567,967
App. No.
16/242,914
Granted
Feb 18, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

In embodiments of hardware verification with RFID-stored build information, a device includes hardware components and a wireless radio tag to store build information for hardware verification of the hardware components in the device. A bootloader can interrogate the wireless radio tag to obtain the build information and compare the build information to current information of the hardware components in the device. The bootloader can then determine whether the current information matches the build information. If the current information does not match the build information, then the build information for the hardware components can be stored in the wireless radio tag, and functionality of the hardware components in the device is limited.

Claims (42)

1. A method, comprising:

interrogating a wireless radio tag in a computing device to obtain build information for hardware verification of one or more hardware components in the computing device;

identifying current information for the one or more hardware components;

determining, for the one or more hardware components, whether the current information matches the build information based on a vendor identifier (ID) associated with the one or more hardware components and included in the current information and the build information;

responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information, storing in a memory of the wireless radio tag, the current information that does not match the build information for the one or more hardware components; and

limiting functionality of the one or more hardware components.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

executing a bootloader that performs the interrogating, the identifying, and the determining; and

responsive to the determination that the current information does match the build information, loading an operating system for unrestricted functionality in the computing device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the current information and the build information includes the vendor identifier (ID) and a model ID for each of the one or more hardware components.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the build information corresponds to when the one or more hardware components are installed during manufacture and assembly of the computing device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

encrypting the build information prior to storing the build information in the wireless radio tag; and

decrypting the build information to determine whether the current information matches the build information.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said identifying the current information comprises interrogating the one or more hardware components to obtain the current information.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information, the method further comprising loading an operating system for restricted functionality in the computing device.

8. An electronic device, comprising:

one or more hardware components;

a wireless radio tag to store configuration information of the electronic device for hardware verification, the configuration information including build information for the one or more hardware components in the electronic device;

a memory and processing system to implement a bootloader to:

identify current information for the one or more hardware components;

determine, for the one or more hardware components, whether the current information matches the build information based on a vendor identifier (ID) associated with the one or more hardware components and included in the current information and the build information;

responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information, store the current information in a memory of the wireless radio tag for the one or more hardware components; and

limit functionality of the one or more hardware components.

9. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein, responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information, the bootloader loads an operating system for restricted functionality in the electronic device.

10. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the current information and the build information includes the vendor identifier (ID) and a model ID for each of the one or more hardware components.

11. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the build information corresponds to when the one or more hardware components are installed during manufacture and assembly of the electronic device.

12. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the build information is encrypted prior to being stored in the wireless radio tag, and the bootloader decrypts the build information to determine whether the current information matches the build information.

13. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the bootloader interrogates the one or more hardware components to identify the current information.

14. The electronic device as recited in claim 8 , wherein, responsive to a determination that the current information does match the build information, the bootloader loads an operating system for unrestricted functionality in the electronic device.

15. A system, comprising:

a wireless radio tag to store build information for hardware verification of a hardware component installed in a device during manufacture;

a bootloader that is executable in the device to:

obtain current information corresponding to the hardware component;

determine whether the current information matches the build information of the hardware component based on a vendor identifier (ID) associated with the hardware component and included in the current information and the build information;

responsive to a determination that the current information does not match the build information, store the current information that does not match the build information for the hardware component in a memory of the wireless radio tag; and

limit functionality of the hardware component.

16. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the bootloader, responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information loads an operating system for restricted functionality in the device.

17. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the bootloader, responsive to a determination that the current information does match the build information, loads an operating system for unrestricted functionality in the device.

18. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the build information and the current information corresponding to the hardware component includes the vendor identifier (ID) and a model ID.

19. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the build information is encrypted prior to being stored in the memory of the wireless radio tag, and the bootloader decrypts the build information prior to the determination of whether the current information matches the build information of the hardware component.

20. The system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the hardware component is device memory and the bootloader, responsive to the determination that the current information does not match the build information, limits access to the device memory.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2019
From: DEBATES, SCOTT; SIMERSON, JARRETT K; ZHAO, HONG
To: MOTOROLA MOBILITY LLC
Reel/Frame 048008/0149 →
Continuity (2)
Continuation 15002838 · Jan 21, 2016
Related Publication 20190166501A1 · May 30, 2019