System and method for cryptographic key generation
AssigneeMetrowerks Corporation
InventorsAaron Logue, Jess Roberts, Nikos Mouat
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Abstract
A system and method for generating a random, unpredictable cryptographic security key by the use of a memory device, such as a flash RAM memory chip, internal to a computing device. The system and method of the present invention allows for the generation of a cryptographic security key without the need for additional hardware that is specifically configured to generate key codes. One embodiment of the invention involves a method comprising the steps of executing a function on a flash memory device; timing the completion of the function executed on the flash memory device, thereby generating a time value; and deriving the key code from the generated time value.
Claims12
A method for generating a key code, wherein the method comprises:
- executing a function on a flash memory device;
- timing the function executed on the flash memory device, thereby generating a time value;
- and
- deriving the key code from the generated time value.
A method for generating a key code, wherein the method comprises:
- executing a function on a memory device;
- timing the function executed on the memory device, thereby generating a time value;
- deriving a seed from the generated time value;
- and
- deriving the key code by the use of a random number generator utilizing the seed.
A system for generating a key code, comprising:
- a memory device;
- a computer device operative to time a function executed on the memory device, thereby generating a time value;
- and
- the computer device further operative to derive the key code from the generated time value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.