Methods and apparatuses for securely operating shared host computers with portable apparatuses
View Patent ↗The present invention provides methods and apparatuses that utilize a portable apparatus to securely operate a host electronic device. Typically, each portable apparatus includes a data storage unit which stores an operating system and other software. In one example, a portable apparatus can provide a virtual operating environment on top of a host's operating system for a host device. In another example, a portable apparatus containing its operating system can directly boot a host device with one or more hardware profiles. Furthermore, a device-dependent protection against software piracy, a user-dependent protection against sensitive data leaks, a controllable host operating environment to prevent unwanted information exposure, and a secure restoration procedure to prevent virus infection between the host device users may be incorporated. Moreover, a pre-defined information may also be utilized to authorize a connected-state guest operation environment in the host device.
1. A system comprising:
a computer-readable portable storage medium having a guest portable operation system which has at least one encrypted block in a logical information storage area wherein the at least one encrypted block is capable of being decrypted by a user-dependent encryption key which is generated by a loader program executed in the host computer;
a host computer adapted to execute a loader program from the portable storage medium and to generate the user-dependent encryption key to decrypt the at least one encrypted block for activation of a guest operation environment on the host computer; and
wherein the guest operation environment provided by the guest portable operation system accommodates authorized use of intellectual property data from the portable storage medium.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the guest portable operation system provides a main software-level operating system for the host computer.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user dependent encryption key is generated upon receipt of one of the group consisting of: a password, a user fingerprint, and a user voice.
4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a central server connected to the host computer and capable of managing connected state-operation of the host computer and the guest portable operation system.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the central server further comprises:
pre-defined information having a set of vendor identifiers and device types of the portable storage medium.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the pre-defined information includes a serial number of the portable storage medium.
7. The system of claim 4 , further comprising:
a plurality of other computer-readable portable storage mediums and a plurality of other host computers; and
wherein the central server manages and maintains the activation for the computer-readable portable storage medium and at least one of the plurality of other computer-readable portable storage mediums and the host computer and at least one of the plurality of other host computers.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-readable portable storage medium further comprises:
a processor; and
a biometric apparatus capable of using the processor to provide user-binding data between the guest portable operation system and the user.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the host computer further comprises:
pre-defined information having a set of vendor identifiers and device types of the portable storage medium, wherein the pre-defined information is a serial number of the portable storage medium.
10. A system comprising:
a computer-readable portable storage medium having at least one device dependent information and a guest portable operation system which is bound with the at least one device dependent information and is encrypted;
the computer-readable portable storage medium further including a processor which is adapted to receive user dependent binding data to decrypt the guest portable operation system and to authenticate with the at least one device dependent information;
a host computer adapted to create a guest operation environment from the decrypted and authenticated guest portable operation system; and
wherein the guest operation environment provided by the guest portable operation system accommodates authorized use of intellectual property data from the computer readable portable storage medium.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one device dependent information is one of the group consisting of: a Vendor Identification, a Product Identification, a manufacturer name, a serial number, an interface number, a configuration value, and interface parameters.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the user-dependent binding data is biometric information.
13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a central server connected to the host computer and capable of managing connected state-operation of the host computer and the guest portable operation system.
14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a plurality of other computer-readable portable storage mediums and a plurality of other host computers; and
wherein the central server manages and maintains activation procedures for the computer-readable portable storage medium and at least one of the plurality of other computer-readable portable storage mediums and the host computer and at least one of the plurality of other host computers.
15. A method of creating a connected-state guest operation environment on a host computer from a computer-readable portable storage medium comprising:
loading a first set of instructions from the computer-readable portable storage medium onto a host computer using a loader program;
receiving a password for the first set of instructions;
decrypting at least one encrypted block in a logical information storage area of the computer-readable portable storage medium by a user dependent encryption key which is generated by the loader program executed in the host computer;
loading a second set of instructions which are encrypted from a guest operation system in the computer-readable portable storage medium onto the host computer;
decrypting the second set of instructions by the first set of instructions with the received password wherein the decrypted second set of instructions create a connected-state guest operation environment on the host computer; and
authorizing use of intellectual property data from the computer-readable portable storage medium.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
managing connected state-operation of the host computer and the guest portable operation system by a central server.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
managing and maintaining the activation procedures for the computer-readable portable storage medium and at least one of a plurality of other computer-readable portable storage mediums and the host computer and at least one of a plurality of other host computers by the central server.
18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
loading a selected software program from the guest portable operation system;
checking the selected software program with an activation key; and
launching an activated software program in the connected-state guest operation environment.
19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
loading a previously activated software program from the guest portable operation system in the connected-state guest operation environment from activation information stored in the computer-readable portable storage medium.
20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the use dependent encryption key is generated upon receipt of one of the group consisting of: a password, a user fingerprint, and a user voice.