Device and method for protecting an electronic system against unauthorized access
AssigneeCompagnie Industrielle et Financiere D'Ingenierie "Ingenico"
InventorPierre Lacroix
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to an electronic system comprising a printed circuit contained in a package. The system comprises a protection device comprising conducting tracks carried by the printed circuit and each having a free end; a first integrated circuit connected to the conducting tracks and adapted for detecting a variation in the capacitance seen by each conducting track; and a second integrated circuit, optionally merged with the first integrated circuit, comprising a configurable memory for selecting certain of the conducting tracks. The second integrated circuit is adapted for determining that an authorized or unauthorized access has occurred on the basis of the detection of the variation of the capacitance seen by at least one of the selected conducting tracks.
Claims12
An electronic system comprising a printed circuit contained in a package and a protection device comprising:
- conductive tracks supported by the printed circuit and each of the conductive tracks having a free end;
- a first integrated circuit connected to the conductive tracks and the first integrated circuit capable of detecting a variation of the capacitance seen by each conductive track;
- and
- a second integrated circuit, confounded with the first integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit comprising a memory configurable to select some of the conductive tracks, the second integrated circuit being capable of determining that an authorized or unauthorized access is occurring from the detection of the variation of the capacitance seen by at least one of the selected conductive tracks,
- wherein the printed circuit is rigid, the electronic system comprising an electronic component connected to the printed circuit by a flexible printed circuit, at least one of said conductive tracks extending to the flexible printed circuit.
A method for determining an unauthorized access to a printed circuit contained in a package of an electronic system, comprising the steps of:
- providing conductive tracks, each conductive track having a free end and each conductive track extending at least to the printed circuit, a first integrated circuit connected to the conductive tracks, and a second integrated circuit, confounded with the first integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit comprising a memory, wherein the printed circuit is rigid, the electronic system comprising an electronic component connected to the printed circuit by a flexible printed circuit, at least one of said conductive tracks extending to the flexible printed circuit;
- storing into the memory parameters for selecting some of the conductive tracks;
- having the first integrated circuit detect, for each conductive track, whether the capacitance seen by the conductive track varies;
- and
- having the second integrated circuit determine that an authorized or unauthorized access is occurring from the detection of the variation of the capacitance seen by at least one of the selected conductive tracks.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.