Smart cards including separate clocks for key processing and non-volatile memory interface communications and methods of operating the same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorKeon-Han Sohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory controller for a smart card including a non-volatile memory can include an internal circuit that is configured to perform cryptographic key processing responsive to a first clock and a non-volatile memory interface circuit for transferring/receiving a signal to/from the internal circuit in synchronization with the first clock and transferring/receiving the signal to/from an external device in synchronization with a second clock that is asynchronous relative to the first clock.
Claims30
1 A memory controller for a smart card including a non-volatile memory, comprising:
- an internal circuit configured to perform cryptographic key processing responsive to a first clock;
- and
- a non-volatile memory interface circuit for transferring/receiving a signal to/from the internal circuit in synchronization with the first clock and transferring/receiving the signal to/from an external device in synchronization with a second clock that is asynchronous relative to the first clock.
The memory controller of claim 1, wherein the signal includes a control signal and data.
The memory controller of claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a memory.
The memory controller of claim 1, wherein the second clock has a variable period.
A memory controller comprising:
- a memory;
- and
- a controller for controlling the memory, the controller comprising:
- an internal circuit configured to perform cryptographic key processing in synchronization with a first clock;
- and
- a non-volatile memory interface circuit for transferring/receiving a signal to/from the internal circuit in synchronization with the first clock and transferring/receiving the signal to/from an external device in synchronization with a second clock that is asynchronous relative to the first clock.
A memory controller comprising:
- a first clock;
- a second clock asynchronous relative to the first clock;
- and
- a buffer configured to store a control signal of the memory controller in synchronization with the first clock and configured to transfer the control signal to an external memory in synchronization with the second clock, and configured to receive/store data from the external memory in synchronization with the second clock.
A method for transferring data via a memory controller in a smart card including a non-volatile memory, comprising:
- storing a control signal of the memory controller in a buffer in synchronization with a first clock used for cryptographic key processing;
- transferring the control signal stored in the buffer to an external memory in synchronization with a second clock that is asynchronous relative to the first clock;
- and
- storing data to/from the external memory in the buffer in synchronization with the second clock.
A smart card comprising:
- a NAND flash memory;
- and
- a memory controller for controlling the NAND flash memory, the clock domain of the memory controller being divided into a system clock domain and a flash interface clock domain, wherein the system clock domain and the flash interface clock domain are asynchronous relative to one another.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.