TECHNOLOGIES FOR PROVIDING HARDWARE SUBSCRIPTION MODELS USING PRE-BOOT UPDATE MECHANISM

摘要

Technologies to enable, disable and control hardware subscription features. Computing devices communicate over a network to a subscription server to provide hardware platform information for each of the computing devices. As the subscription server receives hardware platform information, the subscription server determines the hardware features that are enabled, and further determines what hardware subscription options are available for each of the computing devices. When a hardware subscription option is selected/purchased by a computing device, subscription server provides a pre-boot update mechanism, such as a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) capsule, to act as a boot level program that enables hardware features on the computing device. Hardware subscription features are also securely protected using cryptographic engine modules.

主权项

1. A computing device for subscription-based usage of a hardware component on the computing device comprising:
a subscription module to transmit a device key to a network, wherein the device key comprises hardware configuration data for the computing device and wherein the subscription module receives a hardware subscription authorization in response to the transmitted device key, wherein the hardware subscription authorization comprises a boot capsule usable by the computing device to enable or modify operation of the hardware component of the computing device; and an authentication module communicatively coupled to the subscription module to authenticate the boot capsule, wherein the subscription module installs the authenticated boot capsule in a secure memory of the computing device to authorize use of the hardware component defined by the hardware subscription authorization data.