Organic keyed encryption
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorsHoward J. Schantz, Rick C. Stevens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An encryption technique that creates a unique encryption key or fingerprint based on unique physical and electrical characteristics of a target electronic assembly to be protected. The encryption key can be constructed by exploiting the manufacturing variances present in all electronic elements including active elements and passive elements. Active elements include, for example: oscillators/clocks, internal I/O controllers, external I/O controllers, memory, processors, and digital power converters. Passive elements include, for example: internal I/O interconnects, external I/O interconnects, memory buses, and power buses. The encryption key can also include one or more environmental condition thresholds.
Claims12
A method of creating an encryption key of an electronic assembly, comprising:
- measuring a plurality of active and/or passive electronic performance factors of one or more elements of the electronic assembly;
- and
- creating the encryption key from the measured electronic performance factors.
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6-14. (canceled)
A method of creating an encryption key of an electronic assembly composed of a plurality of active electronic elements and a plurality of passive electronic elements, comprising:
- measuring an electronic performance factor of one of the active electronic elements;
- and
- creating the encryption key from the measured electronic performance factor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.