# US 2014/0155027 A1 · Electronic device and a computer program product > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155027 A1 - Document ID: US20140155027A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/233,185 - Filed: 2011-08-09 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-08-09 - Assignees: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Priel; Evgeny Margolis; Anton Rozen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155027A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06F 21/554: {involving event detection and direct action} - G06F 21/81: by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations - H04W 12/08: Access security - G06F 1/3237: by disabling clock generation or distribution - G06F 1/3287: by switching off individual functional units in the computer system - G06F 1/3296: by lowering the supply or operating voltage - G06F 2221/2105: Dual mode as a secondary aspect - G06F 2221/2141: Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An electronic device comprises a secured module arranged to store secured data. A component outside the secured module has a normal operating mode with a normal mode operating voltage. An interface is arranged to provide access to the secured module. A voltage monitoring unit is connected to the component and arranged to monitor an operating voltage Vsup of the component. An interface control unit is connected to the voltage monitoring unit and the interface. The interface control unit is arranged to inhibit access to the secured module through the interface when the operating voltage is below a predetermined secure access voltage level, the secure access voltage being higher than the normal mode operating voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device, comprising: a secured module arranged to store secured data; a component outside the secured module, said component having a normal operating mode with a normal mode operating voltage; an interface arranged to access said secured module; a voltage monitoring unit connected said component, arranged to monitor an operating voltage of said component; an interface control unit connected to said voltage monitoring unit and said interface, arranged to inhibit access to said secured module through said interface when said operating voltage is below a predetermined secure access voltage level, said secure access voltage being higher than said normal mode operating voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said component has, in addition to said normal operating mode, non-normal operating modes with operating voltages below said normal mode operating voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, comprising: a mode control unit arranged to control the component to be in a selected operating mode selected out of a group comprising: said normal operating mode and a low-power mode; said mode control unit being connected to said secured module for transmitting, when said component is in said normal operating mode and said operating voltage is above the predetermined secure access voltage, to said secured module a low power mode signal indicating a change of said operating mode to said low power mode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a clock circuit arranged to provide a clock signal to said component and wherein said mode control unit is arranged to output said low power mode signal after said clock signal is stopped. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The electronic device of claim 3, wherein said low power mode is at least one of the group comprising of: sleep mode, drowsy mode, power gated mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a tampering monitoring unit arranged to monitor said secured module for tampering attempts and a connection which connects said monitoring unit to said secured module, said connection bypassing said interface, for transmitting an alarm signal generated by said tampering monitoring unit in case a tampering attempt is detected to said secured module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electronic device of claim 6, comprising a secured data protection unit connected to said tampering monitoring unit, arranged to take protective measures with said secured data in response to receiving said alarm signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the secured data protection unit is connected to the mode control unit, and said triggering of said protective measures as a reaction to selecting the low power mode is inhibited. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein said protective measures comprise erasing critical data stored in said secured module. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, implemented as one or more of the group consisting of: integrated circuit, system-on-a-chip, microprocessor, battery powered device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said component is a processor core. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said secure access voltage is below of a maximum operating voltage for said normal operating mode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, comprising an operating voltage control module arranged to control said operating voltage to be set to said secure access voltage in case access to said secured module through said interface is requested. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, comprising a dedicated voltage supply arranged to supply said secured module, and wherein said voltage monitoring unit is connected to said dedicated voltage supply, for supplying said voltage monitoring unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A computer program product stored in a medium readable by the electronic device of claim 1, comprising functional descriptive material that, when executed by the electronic device, causes the electronic device to perform actions comprising: setting said operating voltage to said secure access voltage level and allowing access to said secured module through said interface.