# US 2021/0278978 A1 · Computing system and operating method thereof

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- Number: US 2021/0278978 A1
- Document ID: US20210278978A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/943,597
- Filed: 2020-07-30
- Published: 2021-09-09
- Earliest claimed: 2020-03-09
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Gun Wook LEE
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210278978A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/0622: {in relation to access}
- G06F 21/445: {by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs}
- G06F 3/0611: {in relation to response time}
- G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks}
- G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling}
- G06F 3/0673: {Single storage device}
- G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]}
- G06F 21/44: Program or device authentication
- G06F 21/62: Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
- G06F 21/78: to assure secure storage of data (address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00)
- H04L 9/3242: {involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC}
- H04L 63/126: {the source of the received data}
- H04L 63/1466: {Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks}
- G06F 2221/2103: Challenge-response
- H04L 63/0435: {wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06)}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

An electronic device is provided. A storage device includes a memory device and a memory controller. The memory device includes a write protection area. The memory controller controls the memory device to perform a read operation on the write protection area, in response to a series of requests regarding security read that are received from a host, provides read data received from the memory device to the host, and generates a device authentication code based on the read data. The memory controller performs generation of the device authentication code in parallel with provision of the read data to the host.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A storage device, comprising:
a memory device including a write protection area; and
a memory controller configured to control the memory device to perform a read operation on the write protection area, in response to a series of requests regarding security read that are received from a host, provide read data received from the memory device to the host, and generate a device authentication code based on the read data,
wherein the memory controller generates the device authentication code in parallel with providing the read data to the host.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory controller comprises:
an authenticated read controller configured to control the memory device to perform the read operation based on read information received from the host, in response to a first request among the series of requests, and providing the device authentication code to the host, in response to a second request among the series of requests; and
a buffer configured to store the read data received from the memory device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The storage device of claim 2, wherein the authenticated read controller provides a first response, which indicates whether the first request has been received, to the host in response to the first request, and provides a second response, which includes the device authentication code, to the host in response to the second request.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The storage device of claim 3, wherein the authenticated read controller provides the first response to the host after providing the read data to the host, in response to the first request.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The storage device of claim 3, wherein the authenticated read controller provides the second response to the host after providing the read data to the host, in response to the second request.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The storage device of claim 2, wherein the authenticated read controller generates the device authentication code based on a key shared with the host and the read data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The storage device of claim 2, wherein the first request instructs that the read operation be performed on the write protection area, and
wherein the second request is for collecting a result of the read operation.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The storage device of claim 2, wherein the read information includes a nonce value generated by the host for security of the series of requests, a start address value of a target area to be read within the write protection area, and a block count value which is a number of blocks in the target area.

### Claim 9

A method of operating a storage device, the method comprising:
receiving a first request among a series of requests regarding security read and read information from a host;
reading data stored in a write protection area based on the read information;
generating a device authentication code based on the read data; and
providing the read data to the host,
wherein the generating of the device authentication code is performed in parallel with the providing of the read data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising providing a first response, which indicates whether the first request has been received, to the host in response to the first request.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising,
receiving a second request among the series of requests from the host; and
providing a second response, which includes the device authentication code, to the host in response to the second request.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the read data is provided to the host in response to the first request.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the read data is provided to the host in response to the second request.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the read information includes a nonce value generated by the host for security of the series of requests, a start address value of a target area to be read among the write protection area, and a block count value which is a number of blocks in the target area.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the generating of the device authentication code includes generating the device authentication code based on a key shared with the host and the read data.

### Claim 16

A computing system, comprising:
a host; and
a storage device, including a write protection area, configured to receive a first request among a series of first and second requests regarding security read and read information from the host, read data stored in the write protection area based on the read information, and provide the read data to the host in parallel with generation of a device authentication code based on the read data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The computing system of claim 16, wherein the storage device provides a first response, which indicates whether the first request has been received, and the read data to the host in response to the first request, and provides a second response, which includes the device authentication code, to the host in response to the second request received from the host.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The computing system of claim 16, wherein the storage device provides a first response, which indicates whether the first request has been received, to the host in response to the first request, and provides a second response, which includes the device authentication code, and the read data to the host in response to the second request.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The computing system of claim 16, wherein the read information includes a nonce value generated by the host for security of the series of first and second requests, a start address value of a target area to be read among the write protection area, and a block count value which is a number of blocks in the target area.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The computing system of claim 16, wherein the storage device generates the device authentication code based on a key shared with the host and the read data.