Patents by Inventor Kai Yau
Kai Yau has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10869176Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2019Date of Patent: December 15, 2020Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLCInventor: Kai Yau
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Patent number: 10838470Abstract: A monitoring system may include a sensor configured to be mounted inside a computer chassis and generate sensor signals representative of a temperature associated with at least one computer component inside the computer chassis. The monitoring system may also include a sensor processor configured to receive the sensor signals and determine the temperature associated with the at least one computer component based at least in part on the sensor signals. The sensor processor may also be configured to compare the determined temperature with an expected temperature associated with the at least one computer component, and initiate a response when the determined temperature differs from the expected temperature by an amount equal to or greater than a threshold amount.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2017Date of Patent: November 17, 2020Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLCInventor: Kai Yau
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Patent number: 10805802Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for near field communication (“NFC”) enhanced firmware security. Using an implementation of the technologies disclosed herein, an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device can be utilized to access an NFC-equipped server computer. The server computer reads a login key from an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device. Based upon the login key, a firmware executing on the server computer can determine whether a user is to have administrator access rights, non-administrator user access rights, or no access rights at all to a firmware setup menu provided by the server computer. Based upon the login key, the firmware executing in the NFC-equipped server computer can also identify an operating system to be booted by the server computer. In some configurations, an NFC-equipped mobile device contacts an authorization server to obtain the login key based upon a user's access credentials.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2019Date of Patent: October 13, 2020Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLCInventors: Kai Yau, Santhosh K. Betha, Sai Kiran Talamudupula
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Patent number: 10599848Abstract: A system may be configured to receive via a user interface a user-initiated prompt to begin start-up of a computer system firmware via access to a firmware start-up utility. The system may also generate a request for user authentication, and detect a private key for user authentication. The system may also determine whether the private key corresponds to a public key previously registered with the computer system firmware, and initiate, when the private key corresponds to the public key, completion of the start-up of the computer system firmware and allowance of operation of the computer system firmware via access to the firmware start-up utility. When the private key does not correspond to the public key, the system may prevent at least one aspect of an operation associated with the start-up of the computer system firmware.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2017Date of Patent: March 24, 2020Assignee: American Megatrends International, LLCInventors: Kai Yau, William Gysin, Eric Law
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Patent number: 10592438Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein that allow configuration of firmware by a firmware configuration device connected to a target computer. The firmware configuration device may emulate keystroke and/or mouse movement data to transmit firmware configuration data to the target computer. The target computer can also transmit status information and/or commands through keyboard status light signals.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2015Date of Patent: March 17, 2020Assignee: AMERICAN MEGATRENDS INTERNATIONAL, LLCInventors: Kai Yau, Muthu Kumar Sathiyanesan
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Patent number: 10321317Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for near field communication (“NFC”) enhanced firmware security. Using an implementation of the technologies disclosed herein, an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device can be utilized to access an NFC-equipped server computer. The server computer reads a login key from an NFC card or an NFC-equipped mobile device. Based upon the login key, a firmware executing on the server computer can determine whether a user is to have administrator access rights, non-administrator user access rights, or no access rights at all to a firmware setup menu provided by the server computer. Based upon the login key, the firmware executing in the NFC-equipped server computer can also identify an operating system to be booted by the server computer. In some configurations, an NFC-equipped mobile device contacts an authorization server to obtain the login key based upon a user's access credentials.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2015Date of Patent: June 11, 2019Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventors: Kai Yau, Santhosh K. Betha, Sai Kiran Talamudupula
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Patent number: 10219135Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2017Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventor: Kai Yau
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Patent number: 10212272Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 17, 2018Date of Patent: February 19, 2019Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventor: Kai Yau
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Patent number: 10069962Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein for utilizing near field communication (“NFC”) to improve the security, performance, and configuration of computing systems. In particular, NFC can be utilized to power an NFC-equipped server computer on or off, to log directly into an operating system executing on the NFC-equipped server computer, to stream firmware debugging data from an NFC-equipped server computer to an NFC-equipped mobile device, to initiate the update or recovery of firmware, to provide hardware inventory data, or to pair hardware devices. Firmware debugging data can also be streamed from a firmware to an NFC-equipped mobile device. NFC can also be utilized to disable functionality provided by a mobile device while the device is in motion, such as when a user of the mobile device is operating a motor vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: March 17, 2017Date of Patent: September 4, 2018Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventor: Kai Yau
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Patent number: 9817909Abstract: A firmware setup utility executing on a computing system is configured to display a two-dimensional barcode, such as a Quick Response (“QR”) code. The two-dimensional barcode may be encoded with data about the computing system and/or a hyperlink specifying a location from which additional information may be retrieved. Another device, such as a mobile device, may be utilized to scan the two-dimensional barcode, decode the information contained therein, and present the data. If a hyperlink is encoded in the two-dimensional barcode, the device may retrieve the additional information from the specified location and present the retrieved data.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2016Date of Patent: November 14, 2017Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventors: William Gysin, Kai Yau
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Publication number: 20170124004Abstract: Technologies are disclosed herein that allow configuration of firmware by a firmware configuration device connected to a target computer. The firmware configuration device may emulate keystroke and/or mouse movement data to transmit firmware configuration data to the target computer. The target computer can also transmit status information and/or commands through keyboard status light signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Kai Yau, Muthu Kumar Sathiyanesan
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Patent number: 9292611Abstract: A firmware setup utility executing on a computing system is configured to display a two-dimensional barcode, such as a Quick Response (“QR”) code. The two-dimensional barcode may be encoded with data about the computing system and/or a hyperlink specifying a location from which additional information may be retrieved. Another device, such as a mobile device, may be utilized to scan the two-dimensional barcode, decode the information contained therein, and present the data. If a hyperlink is encoded in the two-dimensional barcode, the device may retrieve the additional information from the specified location and present the retrieved data.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2014Date of Patent: March 22, 2016Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventors: William Gysin, Kai Yau
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Patent number: 9213825Abstract: A login interface provided by a firmware setup utility is configured to display a two-dimensional barcode, such as a quick response (“QR”) code. The barcode is scanned by a mobile device configured to retrieve a timestamp encrypted within the barcode. The mobile device creates a passcode by re-encrypting the timestamp using a firmware setup password and a master key. The passcode is provided to the firmware setup utility, which retrieves the timestamp and compares it to a stored timestamp. If the timestamp values match, access to the firmware setup utility is permitted.Type: GrantFiled: February 21, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: American Megatrends, Inc.Inventors: William Gysin, Kai Yau
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Patent number: 8526752Abstract: An imaging system may include an image sensor and an image encoder that encodes images from the image sensor with fixed output sizes and frame rates. The image encoder may encode images from the image sensor into an image format such as a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format. The image encoder may insert padding data between image blocks in the encoded data to compensate in real time for variations in the encoded size of an image. The amount of padding data inserted by the encoder may be calculated to ensure the encoded image has a file size close to, but not greater than, the required fixed output size. If needed, the encoder may add additional padding data after the image blocks are encoded in a blanking period before a subsequent image is encoded so that the final size of the encoded image is equal to the required output size.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2010Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Assignee: Aptina Imaging CorporationInventors: Sheng Lin, Adam Zerwick, Kai Yau Mok, Chi-Wen Chang
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Publication number: 20120044375Abstract: An imaging system may include an image sensor and an image encoder that encodes images from the image sensor with fixed output sizes and frame rates. The image encoder may encode images from the image sensor into an image format such as a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format. The image encoder may insert padding data between image blocks in the encoded data to compensate in real time for variations in the encoded size of an image. The amount of padding data inserted by the encoder may be calculated to ensure the encoded image has a file size close to, but not greater than, the required fixed output size. If needed, the encoder may add additional padding data after the image blocks are encoded in a blanking period before a subsequent image is encoded so that the final size of the encoded image is equal to the required output size.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2010Publication date: February 23, 2012Inventors: Sheng Lin, Adam Zerwick, Kai Yau Mok, Chi-Wen Chang