Apparatus for Clock-Frequency Variation in Electronic Circuitry and Associated Methods
AssigneeSilicon Laboratories Inc.
InventorJavier Elenes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of providing access to a resource in an integrated circuit (IC) includes determining whether an attempt is made to access the resource. The method also includes obtaining a random number, and setting a frequency of a clock signal to a new value based on a value of the random number. The method further includes authenticating cryptographically a command for accessing the resource using the new value of the frequency of the clock signal.
Claims20
A method of providing access to a resource in an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
- determining whether an attempt is made to access the resource;
- obtaining a random number;
- setting a frequency of a clock signal to a new value based on a value of the random number;
- authenticating cryptographically a command for accessing the resource using the new value of the frequency of the clock signal.
A method of providing access to a resource in an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising:
- determining whether an attempt is made to access the resource;
- authenticating cryptographically a command for accessing the resource by repeating at least once:
- (a) obtaining first and second random numbers;
- (b) setting a duration of a wait period based on a value of the first random number;
- and
- (c) setting a frequency of a clock signal to a new value based on a value of the second random number for the duration of the wait period.
An integrated circuit (IC), comprising:
- a clock generator circuit to provide a countermeasure against an attempt to access a resource in the IC, the clock generator circuit providing at least one clock signal having a frequency derived from a first random number, wherein the at least one clock signal is used to authenticate a command used to attempt to access the resource in the IC.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.