Counterfeit integrated circuit detector based on blockchain technology

A device for indicating whether an integrated circuit is authentic, the device comprising:

• a processor circuit;
• a first data communications circuit coupled to the processor circuit and configured to receive data from, and transmit data to, a server;
• a second data communications circuit coupled to the processor circuit and configured to receive data from, and transmit data to, the integrated circuit;
• and
• an indicator;
• wherein the processor circuit is configured to authenticate the integrated circuit by:
• receiving, from a server using the first data communications circuit, a first cryptographic hash contained in a blockchain;
• transmitting, to the integrated circuit using the second data communications circuit, an authentication request including the first cryptographic hash;
• receiving, from the integrated circuit using the second data communications circuit, an authentication response including a second cryptographic hash of a combination of the first cryptographic hash and a serial number unique to the integrated circuit;
• transmitting the second cryptographic hash to the server using the first data communications circuit;
• receiving, from the server using the first data communications circuit, data that indicate whether the second cryptographic hash equals an expected cryptographic hash;
• and
• causing the indicator to indicate whether the integrated circuit is authentic according to the received data.

A method of indicating whether an integrated circuit is authentic, the method comprising:

• receiving, from a server using a first data communications circuit, a first cryptographic hash contained in a blockchain;
• transmitting, to the integrated circuit using a second data communications circuit, an authentication request including the first cryptographic hash;
• receiving, from the integrated circuit using the second data communications circuit, an authentication response including a second cryptographic hash of a combination of the first cryptographic hash and a serial number unique to the integrated circuit;
• transmitting the second cryptographic hash to the server using the first data communications circuit;
• receiving, from the server using the first data communications circuit, data that indicate whether the second cryptographic hash equals an expected cryptographic hash;
• and
• indicating whether the integrated circuit is authentic according to the received data.