Hardware protection of files in an integrated-circuit device
AssigneeNordic Semiconductor ASA
InventorsJouko Holopainen, Marko Winblad
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the protection of files is performed on an integrated-circuit device that comprises a hardware memory protection module, which controls access to regions of the memory depending on region-specific settings. A new file is created in the memory by storing metadata and content data for the new file in a common memory region. An access condition is set for the common memory region in the configuration settings of the hardware memory protection module. A file is retrieved from the memory by searching the memory to identify a file meeting a search criterion. The searching involves comparing the metadata of files from the memory against the search criterion in order to identify a file from the memory that meets the search criterion.
Claims16
A method for the protection of files, performed on an integrated-circuit device, the integrated-circuit device comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory;
- a hardware memory protection module configured to control access to a plurality of regions of the memory in dependence on respective region-specific configuration settings;
- and
- a bus system, to which the processor and the hardware memory protection module are connected;
- wherein the method comprises:
- creating a new file in the memory by storing metadata for the new file and content data for the new file in a common memory region of said plurality of memory regions, wherein the metadata comprises one or more of:
- a filename, a timestamp, and a file type;
- setting an access condition for the common memory region in the configuration settings of the hardware memory protection module, wherein the access condition specifies a type of memory access request that is granted access to the memory region, wherein said type of memory access request is one of a read request, a write request or an instruction fetch;
- and
- retrieving a file from the memory by searching the memory to identify a file meeting a search criterion, wherein the search criterion specifies one or more of:
- a filename, a timestamp, and a file type, the searching comprising reading the metadata of a set of one or more files from the memory and comparing the metadata against the search criterion to identify a file from the set that meets the search criterion.
An integrated-circuit device comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory;
- a hardware memory protection module configured to control access to a plurality of regions of the memory in dependence on respective region-specific configuration settings;
- and
- a bus system, to which the processor and the hardware memory protection module are connected;
- wherein the memory stores file creation software, which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to:
- create, in the memory, a new file by storing metadata for the new file and content data for the new file in a common memory region of said plurality of memory regions, wherein the metadata comprises one or more of:
- a filename, a timestamp, and a file type;
- and
- set an access condition for the memory region in the configuration settings of the hardware memory protection module, wherein the access condition specifies a type of memory access request that is granted access to the memory region, wherein said type of memory access request is one of a read request, a write request or an instruction fetch;
- and
- wherein the memory stores file retrieval software, which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to search the memory to identify a file meeting a search criterion by reading the metadata of a set of one or more files from the memory and comparing the metadata against the search criterion to identify a file from the set that meets the search criterion, wherein the search criterion specifies one or more of;
- a file name, a timestamp, and a file type.
An integrated-circuit device comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory;
- a hardware memory protection module configured to control access to a plurality of regions of the memory in dependence on respective region-specific configuration settings;
- and
- a bus system, to which the processor and the hardware memory protection module are connected;
- wherein:
- the memory stores a file comprising metadata and content data, wherein the metadata comprises one or more of:
- a filename, a timestamp, and a file type, wherein the metadata and the content data are stored in a common memory region and said plurality of memory regions, and wherein the configuration settings specify an access condition for the common memory region, wherein the access condition specifies a type of memory access request that is granted access to the memory region, wherein said type of memory access request is one of a read request, a write request or an instruction fetch;
- and
- the memory stores file retrieval software, which, when executed on the processor, causes the processor to search the memory to identify a file meeting a search criterion by reading the metadata of a set of one or more files from the memory and comparing the metadata against the search criterion to identify a file from the set that meets the search criterion, wherein the search criterion specifies one or more of:
- a filename, a timestamp, and a file type.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.