# US 10,481,871 B2 · Semiconductor-junction-derived random number generation with triggering mechanism

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,481,871 B2
- Document ID: US10481871B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/387,745
- Filed: 2016-12-22
- Published: 2019-07-04
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2014-10-15
- Assignees: The Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Army
- Applicants: The Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Army
- Inventors: John Suarez; Moses Mingle
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10481871B2

## CPC

- G06F 7/588: {Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Various embodiments are described that relate to random number generation. When a desire arises for a random number a circuit can be completed with a reverse biased semiconductor-junction element. When the circuit is completed an analog voltage spike can be produced that is random due to properties of the reverse biased semiconductor-junction element. This analog voltage spike can be converted into a digital value that serves as the random number. The digital value can be outputted and used as the random number.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a measurement component that measures a voltage for an electrical hardware element;
a generation component that generates a number based on the voltage;
a monitor component that monitors an event external to a circuit to produce a monitor result, the circuit comprises the electrical hardware element;
an analysis component that analyzes the monitor result to produce an analysis result; and
a causation component that causes the voltage to be available in response to the analysis result being that the voltage should be available,
where the number is outputted to a computer structure and
where the measurement component, the generation component, or a combination thereof is implemented, at least in part, by way of hardware.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the voltage is produced from transmission of wireless power.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1,
where a circuit comprises the electrical hardware element and a resistor,
where the voltage is measured from across the resistor,
where the circuit is non-functional prior to generation of the number, and
where the circuit is functional for generation of the number.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the event is a command of a computer program.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, where the event is a non-first-in-time command of the computer program when the computer program proactively implements a series of commands that comprises the non-first-in-time command.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, where the electrical hardware element is a diode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, where the electrical hardware element is a transistor.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The system of claim 3, where after the generation of the number, the circuit is non-functional again.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the event external to the circuit is a timing sequence event.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the event external to the circuit is an interrupt of a microcontroller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, where the generation component generates the number by conversion of the voltage, which is an analog voltage, to a digital floating point number.

### Claim 12

A system, comprising:
a trigger component configured to trigger a circuit to produce a voltage spike in response to a request for a randomly-generated number;
a spike component configured to read the voltage spike;
an analog to digital converter configured to convert the voltage spike from an analog input to a floating point number output; and
a number component configured to cause an output of the floating point number output as the randomly-generated number.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, where the circuit is triggered in response to a computer program sending an instruction as the request.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, where the request is a manual request.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, where the voltage spike results from transmission of wireless energy.

### Claim 16 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12,
where the circuit is non-functional before the triggering from the instance,
where the circuit is functional after the triggering from the instance, and
where the circuit is non-functional after the reading of the voltage spike.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12,
where the circuit comprises a reverse biased semiconductor-junction element and
where the voltage spike is a spike of the reverse biased semiconductor-junction element.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, where the reverse biased semiconductor-junction element is a diode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, where the reverse biased semiconductor-junction element is a NPN transistor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The system of claim 17, where the reverse biased semiconductor-junction element is a PNP transistor.