Patent ID: 7827326
Filing Date: 2010-11-02
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method of delegating an access privilege from a processor to a peripheral in a processing system, the method comprising the steps of: storing in a secure portion of the peripheral state information indicative of the processor being in a secure operating mode; utilizing the stored state information to allow the peripheral to access at least one resource that is accessible to the processor in the secure operating mode but is not otherwise accessible to the peripheral; and clearing the stored state information upon completion of a corresponding task wherein the task is performed by the peripheral at the request of a secure software agent running on the processor in the secure operating mode; wherein the stored state information comprises the access privilege delegated from the processor to the peripheral and allows the peripheral to access said at least one resource that it would not otherwise be able to access absent the delegated access privilege, thereby permitting the peripheral to share, under conditions controlled by the processor, the access privilege of the processor.