Use detecting circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsPierre-Yvan Liardet, Bruno Mussard
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit to detect the use of an element of an integrated circuit may include a non-volatile electrically programmable storage circuit and a programming circuit. The programming circuit may be used to partially program the storage circuit and gradually modify its programming level as the element is used so that the level represents the number of uses of the element.
Claims28
A use detection circuit to detect usage of at least one integrated circuit element comprising:
- a non-volatile electrically programmable storage circuit;
- a programming circuit for incrementally increasing a programming level of said storage circuit based upon usage of the at least one integrated circuit element so that the programming level corresponds to a number of uses of the at least one integrated circuit element;
- and measurement circuit connected to said storage circuit for reading the programming level and providing a warning signal if the programming level exceeds a threshold number of permitted uses of the at least one integrated circuit element.
A use detection circuit to detect usage of at least one integrated circuit element comprising:
- a non-volatile electrically programmable storage circuit comprising at least one programmable storage cell;
- a programming circuit for incrementally increasing a programming level of said at least one programmable storage cell based upon usage of the at least one integrated circuit element so that the programming level corresponds to a number of uses of the at least one integrated circuit element;
- and
- a measurement circuit connected to said storage circuit for reading the programming level and providing a warning signal if the programming level exceeds a threshold number of permitted uses of the at least one integrated circuit element.
A security device comprising:
- a substrate;
- an integrated circuit carried by said substrate and comprising at least one element;
- and
- a use detection circuit to detect usage of the at least one element and comprising
- a non-volatile electrically programmable storage circuit,
- a programming circuit for incrementally increasing a programming level of said storage circuit based upon usage of the at least one integrated circuit element so that the programming level corresponds to a number of uses of the at least one integrated circuit element, and measurement circuit connected to said storage circuit for reading the programming level and providing a warning signal if the programming level exceeds a threshold number of permitted uses of the at least one integrated circuit element.
A method for detecting usage of at least one integrated circuit element comprising:
- incrementally increasing a programming level of an electrically programmable non-volatile storage circuit based upon usage of the at least one integrated circuit element so that the programming level corresponds to a number of uses of the at least one integrated circuit;
- and measurement the programming level of the storage circuit and providing a warning signal if the programming level exceeds a threshold number of permitted uses of the element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.