Systems And Methods For Modifying System Pre-Boot Interface Configuration Based On Usage Characteristics Of An Individual Information Handling System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022012339-A1
Application number	US-202016927541-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Jul 13, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to monitor unique usage characteristics (e.g., system device usage) of an individual information handling system, and to determine a unique system pre-boot interface (PBI) configuration for the individual information handling system based on these monitored unique usage characteristics. The provided systems and methods may also be implemented to automatically update pre-boot interface security configuration for system devices based on the monitored usage characteristics of the individual information handling system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method, comprising:
using a pre-boot interface logic to boot an information handling system with a current pre-boot interface configuration to an operating system (OS) runtime session executing on at least one programmable integrated circuit of the information handling system; using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to monitor one or more usage characteristics of the information handling system during the OS runtime; using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to evaluate the monitored usage characteristics against predefined pre-boot interface configuration risk context data to determine a unique pre-boot interface configuration; and then using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to automatically perform only one of the following prior to the next boot of the information handling system:
provide a message to a user of the information handling system information informing the user of the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration only if the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration differs from the current pre-boot interface configuration, or
provide no message to the user of the information handling system regarding the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration only if the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration is the same as the current pre-boot interface configuration.

2 . The method of claim 1 , where the pre-boot interface logic is basic input/output system (BIOS), unified extensible firmware interface (UEFI), Coreboot or Linuxboot.

3 . The method of claim 1 , where the monitored usage characteristics of the information handling system comprise at least one of monitored usage of a data bus port of the information handling system, monitored usage of a camera of the information handling system, monitored usage of a local area network (LAN) port of the information handling system, monitored usage of a wireless LAN port of the information handling system, monitored usage of a microphone of the information handling system, monitored usage of a Bluetooth connection port of the information handling system, monitored usage of a near field communication (NFC) connection port of the information handling system, monitored usage of a fingerprint reader (FPR) of the information handling system, or monitored usage of a touchpad of the information handling system.

4 . The method of claim 1 , where using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to provide the message to the user of the information handling system comprises providing a recommendation to the user of the information handling system to change the current pre-boot interface configuration to the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration.

5 . The method of claim 1 , where using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to provide the message to the user of the information handling system comprises displaying an interactive pop-up window on a display device of the information handling system, the displayed interactive pop-up window including one or more recommended unique system pre-boot interface configuration actions that change the current pre-boot interface configuration for one or more system devices of the information handling system; and where the method further comprises:
using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to accept input from the user entered on the displayed interactive pop-up window to select to implement one or more of the displayed recommended unique system pre-boot interface configuration actions.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to update the current pre-boot interface configuration to implement the selected one or more displayed recommended unique system pre-boot interface configuration actions at the next system boot so as to change the current pre-boot interface configuration to the determined unique pre-boot interface configuration for the one or more system devices at the next system boot.

7 . The method of claim 1 , where using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to provide the message to the user of the information handling system comprises providing the message to the user of the information handling system at the end of the OS runtime user session; and where the method further comprises using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to:
accept input from the user before the end of the OS runtime session to select at least a determined unique system pre-boot interface configuration for at least one system device of the information handling system; and then change the current pre-boot interface configuration for the at least one system device to the selected determined unique pre-boot interface configuration for the at least one system device at the next system boot.

8 . The method of claim 1 , where the predefined pre-boot interface configuration risk context data is stored on non-volatile memory of the information handling system; and where the method further comprises using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to add the monitored usage characteristics to cumulative monitored usage characteristic information that includes usage characteristics monitored during previous OS runtime sessions that is stored on a non-volatile memory of the information handling system; and where using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to evaluate the monitored usage characteristics comprises:
then using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to retrieve the cumulative monitored usage characteristic information from the non-volatile memory and to retrieve the predefined pre-boot interface configuration risk context data from the non-volatile memory, and using the at least one programmable integrated circuit to compare the cumulative monitored usage characteristics against the predefined pre-boot interface configuration risk context data to determine the unique pre-boot interface configuration.

9 . The method of claim 1 , where the predefined pre-boot interface configuration risk context data comprises a look up table stored on non-volatile memory of the information handling system, the look up table including configuration actions that are defined as a function of usage level and risk level defined for each one of a number of system devices of the information handling system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , where the configuration actions defined in the look up table for each given system device comprise enable and disable; and where the risk level defined in the look up table for each given system device is defined based at least in part on a hierarchical privilege level assigned to the given system device by the OS.

11 . The method of claim 10 , where there are multiple usage levels defined in the look up table for each given system device, the defined multiple usage levels comprising a first usage level corresponding to a system device that has never been used on the individual information handling system since the system was first activated by the user of the information handling system user, a second usage level corresponding to a system device that has been used at least one time but that has not been used for greater than or equal to a predefined threshold time period length, and a third usage level corresponding to a system device that has been used within a preceding time period that is less than the predefined threshold time period.

12 . An information handling system, comprising:
at least one programmable integrated circuit executing a runtime session of an operating system (OS), the at least one programmable integrated circuit bei

Assignees

• Dell Products Lp

Inventors

• Martinez Ricardo L
• Bhuiyan Ruhull A
• Aurongzeb Deeder M

Classifications

• G06F9/4418

  Suspend and resume; Hibernate and awake · CPC title

• G06F9/441

  Multiboot arrangements, i.e. selecting an operating system to be loaded · CPC title

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F9/4406

  Loading of operating system · CPC title

• G06F11/3006

  where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems (multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50) · CPC title