# US 2023/0273884 A1 · Memory controller, storage device including the same, and operating method of the memory controller

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- Number: US 2023/0273884 A1
- Document ID: US20230273884A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/314,330
- Filed: 2023-05-09
- Published: 2023-08-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-26
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Mingon SHIN; Seungjae Lee; Jisoo Kim
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230273884A1

## CPC

- G06F 12/1466: {Key-lock mechanism}
- G06F 12/1408: {by using cryptography (for digital transmission H04L9/00)}
- G06F 12/1483: {using an access-table, e.g. matrix or list}
- G06F 21/32: using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
- G06F 21/602: {Providing cryptographic facilities or services}
- G06F 21/79: in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories
- G06V 40/13: Sensors therefor
- G06F 21/107: {License processing; Key processing}
- G06F 2212/1052: Security improvement
- G06F 2212/7208: Multiple device management, e.g. distributing data over multiple flash devices
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

A memory controller for controlling a non-volatile memory device includes a key management unit configured to control an access right to a secure key based on a biometric authentication message and a unique value, which are received from an external device; and a data processing unit configured to encrypt data received from a host and decrypt data stored in the non-volatile memory device based on the secure key.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A storage system comprising:
a solid state drive including:
a non-volatile memory device including a secure area and a non-secure area, and
a memory controller is configured to write data to the non-volatile memory device and read data from the non-volatile memory device in response to the command from a host; and
a biometric module including a sensor, a controller, a storing unit, and an interface,
wherein the biometric module is configured to:
obtain biometric data through the sensor,
convert, the biometric data into first biometric information based on a predefined data format, and store the first biometric information in the storing unit during the first biometric information registration,
compare the first biometric information with second biometric information stored in the storing unit,
generate a unique value based on the first biometric information in response to the comparing result, and
transmit the unique value and a biometric authentication success message to the memory controller through the interface, and
wherein the memory controller is configured to:
store a plurality of encrypted secure keys, respectively generated based on the unique values, and
identify an encrypted secure key corresponding to the unique value received together with an index from the biometric module among the encrypted secure keys based on the index.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the solid state drive is a locked state in an initial state of the connection between the solid state drive and the host.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The storage system of claim 2, wherein the memory controller is configured to:
decrypt the encrypted secure key based on the unique value and set the solid state drive to a unlocked state in response to the biometric authentication success message.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the memory controller is configured to load a master boot record stored in the secure area in response to the unlocked state of the solid state drive.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The storage system of claim 4, wherein the memory controller is configured to relink the solid state drive to the host.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the biometric module is configured generate a plurality of unique values to perform biometric information registration with respect to a plurality of users.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The storage system of claim 6, wherein the solid state drive is configured to set each user authorities with respect to the plurality of users based on each unique values.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the interface in the biometric module is one of a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART) interface, an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI), or an embedded display port (eDP) interface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the unique value includes a plurality of bytes of hash data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the biometric authentication success message includes a biometric authentication success signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The storage system of claim 1, wherein the biometric module is configured to transmit the index indicating an item of the second biometric information matching the first biometric information among a plurality of registered items of biometric information.

### Claim 12

An operating method of a storage system comprising a non-volatile memory, a memory controller and a biometric module, the operating method comprising:
transmitting, by the memory controller, a biometric information registration trigger signal to the biometric module;
obtaining biometric data by a sensor of the biometric module;
converting, by the biometric module, the biometric data into first biometric information based on a predefined data format;
storing the first biometric information in a storing unit of the biometric module;
generating, by the biometric module, a unique value based on the first biometric information;
transmitting, by the biometric module, a biometric information registration message and the unique value to the memory controller;
encrypt, by the memory controller, a secure key based on the unique value received together with the biometric information registration message and store an encrypted secure key in response to receive the biometric information registration message;
setting, the memory controller, the solid state drive to a locked state;
transmitting a biometric authentication trigger signal to the biometric module in response to connecting to a host;
obtaining, by the biometric module, second biometric information;
performing, by the biometric module, a biometric authentication by comparing the second biometric information with the first biometric information stored in the storing unit of the biometric module;
generating, by the biometric module, a unique value based on the second biometric information when the second biometric information matches the first biometric information stored in the storing unit of the biometric module;
transmitting, by the biometric module, a biometric authentication success message and the unique value to the memory controller; and
setting the solid state drive to a unlocked state.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The operating method of claim 12, further comprising:
transmitting the biometric information registration trigger signal to the biometric module in response to a request of the host.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The operating method of claim 12, further comprising:
transmitting the biometric authentication trigger signal to the biometric module in response to a request of the host.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The operating method of claim 12, further comprising:
transmitting a biometric authentication failure message to the memory controller when the second biometric information does not match the first biometric information stored in the storing unit of the biometric module.