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US 7,015,823 B1Granted
Tamper resistant circuit boards
AssigneeSystran Federal Corporation
InventorsRobert Joseph Gillen, Todd Scott Grimes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A physical barrier for a circuit board also functions as a tampering sensor or sensors monitored by electrical circuitry that generates a tamper signal for erasing information critical for the operation of the circuit board in the event of sensed tampering. One or more routing matrices configured in at least one programmable device is programmed to interconnect operating as well as optional dummy components on the board so that routing information is erased in the event of sensed tampering.
Claims15
A tamper resistant circuit board comprising:
- a circuit board having electrically conducting paths formed thereon;
- at least one programmable logic component mounted on said circuit board;
- electronic components mounted on said circuit board and interconnected by said electrically conducting paths and by programmed paths through said at least one programmable logic component;
- a physical barrier coating said at least one programmable logic component, said electronic components and said circuit board, said physical barrier having a plurality of layers which are alternately electrically insulating and electrically conducting;
- electrical circuitry mounted on said circuit board and connected to at least one electrically conducting layer for sensing a tamperer seeking to determine construction or operation of said circuit board and for generating a tamper signal indicative of tampering;
- and
- security circuitry responsive to said tamper signal for erasing said programmed paths through said at least one programmable logic chip.
4 more elements
A tamper resistant circuit board comprising:
- a circuit board having electrically conducting paths formed thereon;
- at least one programmable logic component mounted on said circuit board;
- electronic components mounted on said circuit board, said at least one programmable logic circuit and said electronic components being interconnected by said electrically conducting paths, and said at least one programmable logic component being programmed to define interconnection paths for said electronic components;
- a physical barrier coating said at least one programmable logic component, said electronic components and said circuit board, said physical barrier having a plurality of layers which are alternately electrically insulating and electrically conducting;
- electrical circuitry mounted on said circuit board and connected to at least one electrically conducting layer for sensing a tamperer seeking to determine construction or operation of said circuit board and for generating a tamper signal indicative of tampering;
- and
- security circuitry responsive to said tamper signal for erasing a program contained in said at least one programmable logic chip.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.