# US 10,872,172 B2 · Apparatus and method for processing digital value > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,872,172 B2 - Document ID: US10872172B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/109,317 - Filed: 2014-12-10 - Published: 2016-11-17 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-31 - Assignees: ICTK Holdings Co., Ltd. - Applicants: ICTK Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Dong Kyue Kim; Byong Deok Choi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872172B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/71: to assure secure computing or processing of information - G06F 21/73: by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers - G09C 1/00: Apparatus or methods whereby a given sequence of signs, e.g. an intelligible text, is transformed into an unintelligible sequence of signs by transposing the signs or groups of signs or by replacing them by others according to a predetermined system (cryptographic typewriters G09C3/00) - H04L 9/0866: {involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics} - H04L 9/3278: {using physically unclonable functions [PUF]} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G09C: CIPHERING OR DECIPHERING APPARATUS FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES INVOLVING THE NEED FOR SECRECY - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Provided is an apparatus for testing randomness of a digital value and processing the digital value. The digital value may include first bit sequences generated by a physically unclonable function (PUF). A grouping unit may generate a plurality of groups by segmenting the first bit sequence, and a processing unit may calculate a second bit sequence from the plurality of groups by performing a logical operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A digital value processing apparatus, comprising: a determining circuit to receive a first digital value having a first bit sequence including a first number of bits, the first digital value being based on a presence or absence of shorts between circuit elements in a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit, the determining circuit including a reading circuit to read the first bit sequence and calculate a ratio of bit values “1” and “0” included in the first bit sequence; a grouping circuit to generate a plurality of groups by segmenting the first bit sequence, a number of groups in the plurality of groups corresponding to a second number of bits in a second digital value, each group in the plurality of groups including a third number of bits; and a processing circuit to generate the second digital value from the plurality of groups by performing a logical operation, wherein the determining circuit determines the third number of the bits included in each group based on the ratio calculated by the reading circuit, the second number of bits in the second digital value, and a predesignated level of randomness. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The digital value processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logical operation is an eXclusive OR (XOR) operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The digital value processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining circuit determines whether a level of randomness of the first digital value exceeds a predesignated threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The digital value processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the level of randomness includes a P-value calculated for the first bit sequence. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The digital value processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the determining circuit determines the number of the groups in the plurality of groups, by reading the first bit sequence. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The digital value processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the determining circuit comprises: a calculating circuit to determine the third number of bits such that a P-value for the second digital value calculated based on the ratio exceeds a predesignated threshold. ### Claim 7 A digital value processing method, comprising: determining, by a determining circuit, a presence or absence of shorts between circuit elements in a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit; receiving, by the determining circuit, a first digital value having a first bit sequence including a first number of bits, the first digital value being based on the presence or the absence of the shorts; determining by a reading circuit a ratio of bit values “1” and “0” included in the first bit sequence; generating, by a grouping circuit, a plurality of groups by segmenting the first bit sequence, a number of groups in the plurality of groups corresponding to a second number of bits in a second digital value, each group in the plurality of groups including a third number of bits; and generating, by a processing circuit, the second digital value from the plurality of groups by performing a logical operation, wherein the determining circuit determines the third number of the bits included in each group based on the ratio calculated by the reading circuit, the second number of bits in the second digital value, and a predesignated level of randomness. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The digital value processing method of claim 7, wherein the logical operation is an eXclusive OR (XOR) operation. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The digital value processing method of claim 7, further comprising: reading, by a determining circuit, the first bit sequence, and determining whether a level of randomness of the first digital value exceeds a predesignated threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The digital value processing method of claim 9, wherein the level of randomness includes a P-value calculated for the first bit sequence. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The digital value processing method of claim 7, further comprising: determining, by the determining circuit, the number of groups in the plurality of groups, by reading the first bit sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The digital value processing method of claim 11, wherein the determining comprises: determining the third number of bits such that a P-value for the second bit sequence calculated based on the ratio exceeds a predesignated threshold.