Patent ID: 7600132

Claim:
A method for authenticating an embedded device on a motherboard of a computer system to enable the embedded device, comprising the operations of: generating a unique authentication code (UAC) database storing a plurality of motherboard serial numbers and a corresponding UAC generated for each motherboard serial number, wherein the generated UAC for each motherboard is unique to the particular motherboard serial number and the UAC database is maintained by an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the embedded device; receiving a motherboard serial number pre-defined for the motherboard from a user of the computer system to enable the embedded device by the OEM, wherein the embedded device is disabled before being enabled; providing a UAC to the user by the OEM by entering the motherboard serial number received from the user to look up the corresponding UAC in the generated UAC database maintained by the OEM to provide the UAC; determining whether the provided UAC is correct for the motherboard; setting a UAC approved bit of a non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM), wherein the UAC approved bit is set when the received UAC is correct for the motherboard to indicate that the embedded device is enabled for usage, otherwise not setting the UAC approved bit when the provided UAC is not correct for the motherboard; storing identification information of peripheral component interconnect (PCI) of the computer system in a memory of a controller of the embedded device when the UAC approved bit is set to allow controller of the embedded device to identify, to communicate with, and to control devices connected to the embedded device; and executing an option read only memory (ROM) basic input output system (BIOS) designed for the embedded device when the UAC approved bit is set, otherwise not executing the option ROM BIOS when the UAC approved is not set.