US 12,306,952 B2
Component access to ROM-stored firmware code over firmware controller exposed virtual ROM link
Glen Douglas Dower, Fort Collins, CO (US); and Peter Seiler, Fort Collins, CO (US)
Assigned to Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
Appl. No. 17/793,664
Filed by Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P., Spring, TX (US)
PCT Filed Feb. 12, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/017903
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 19, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/162690, PCT Pub. Date Aug. 19, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0049419 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 21/57 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 21/575 (2013.01) [G06F 21/572 (2013.01); G06F 2221/033 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computing device comprising:
a hardware component;
a read-only memory (ROM) storing firmware code for the hardware component and second firmware code for a second hardware component; and
a firmware controller directly physically connected to the hardware component, the second hardware component, and the ROM, the firmware controller to expose (i) a virtual ROM link to the hardware component over which the hardware component is to access the firmware code and (ii) a second virtual ROM link to the second hardware component over which the second hardware component is to access the second firmware code,
wherein the firmware controller is to:
perform secure boot authentication of the firmware code stored on the ROM prior to permitting the hardware component to access the firmware code over the virtual ROM link;
perform secure boot authentication of the second firmware code stored on the ROM prior to permitting the second hardware component to access the second firmware code over the second virtual ROM link;
control starting of the hardware component so that the hardware component remains unstarted until the firmware controller has successfully performed the secure boot authentication of the firmware code;
control starting of the second hardware component so that the second hardware component remains unstarted until the firmware controller has successfully performed the secure boot authentication of the second firmware code; and
stagger starting of the hardware component and the second hardware component as the firmware controller successfully performs the secure boot authentication of the firmware code and the secure boot authentication of the second firmware code.