US 9,177,119 B2Granted

Usage metering based upon hardware aging

AssigneeEmpire Technology Development LLC

InventorMiodrag Potkonjak

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Abstract

Techniques are generally disclosed for using an operating entity, including a method, apparatus, and/or system to control usage of the operating entity. In various embodiments, an in-use signal generator may be configured to generate at least one in-use signal, with the at least one in-use signal having a signal duration representative of at least one usage episode of the operating entity. An aging circuit may be coupled to the in-use signal generator and configured to output at least one age-affected signal in response to the at least one in-use signal. A metering module may be coupled to the aging circuit and, in response to the at least one age-affected signal, and configured to measure a signal characteristic of the at least one age-affected signal and translate the signal characteristic into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit.

Claims22

Dependent claims

An apparatus arranged to meter usage of a hardware unit, the apparatus comprising:

a signal generator effective to generate at least one signal, the at least one signal having a variable signal duration representative of at least a duration of one usage episode of the hardware unit;
an aging circuit, coupled to the signal generator, the aging circuit configured to receive the at least one signal, and generate at least one age-affected signal based at least in part on the at least one signal, the aging circuit including at least one circuit path having at least one circuit component with a component parameter, wherein the component parameter is subjected to aging effects caused by the at least one signal, and wherein the component parameter is increased delay through the aging circuit due to the aging effects;
a metering circuit coupled to the aging circuit, the metering circuit including at least one preset delay element and at least one programmable delay element, the preset delay element effective to provide a first signal delay, wherein the first signal delay is based on non-age related gate delays of the at least one circuit path, the programmable delay element effective to provide a second signal delay, wherein the second signal delay is based on age-related gate delays of the at least one circuit path, the metering circuit configured to:
receive the at least one age-affected signal;
measure the component parameter of the at least one age-affected signal;
and
translate the measured component parameter into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit based at least in part on the first signal delay and the second signal delay, to indicate a quantity of usage of the hardware unit;
and
a control circuit, coupled to the metering circuit, configured to selectively disable the hardware unit in response to the generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit indicating a preselected quantity of accumulative usage of the hardware unit.

6 more elements

A method to meter usage of a hardware unit, the method comprising:

generating at least one signal having variable signal duration representative of at least a duration of one usage episode of the hardware unit;
applying the at least one signal to an aging circuit to generate at least one age-affected signal, wherein the aging circuit includes at least one circuit path with at least one circuit component that has a parameter performance dependent on an accumulative usage of the aging circuit, and wherein the parameter performance is increased delay through the aging circuit due to the aging effects;
measuring the parameter performance of the at least one age-affected signal;
translating the measured parameter performance into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit, to indicate an quantity of usage of the hardware unit, wherein the translation is based on non-age related gate delays of the at least one circuit path simulated by at least one preset delay element and age-related gate delays of the at least one circuit path simulated by at least one programmable delay element, wherein translating is performed using a first signal delay and a second signal delay, wherein the first signal delay is based on the non-age related gate delays and wherein the second signal delay is based on the age-related gate delays;
and
selectively disabling the hardware unit in response to the generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit indicating a preselected quantity of accumulative usage of the hardware unit.

3 more elements

One or more tangible computer readable non-transitory storage media comprising a plurality of programming instructions stored therein, wherein the programming instructions, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform a method of metering usage of a hardware unit, the method comprising:

generating at least one signal using a signal generator on the apparatus, the at least one signal having a variable signal duration representative of at least one usage episode of a hardware unit of the apparatus;
receiving the at least one signal using an aging circuit on the apparatus;
generating at least one age-affected signal using the aging circuit, the aging circuit having at least one circuit path that includes at least one circuit component with a parameter performance dependent on an accumulative usage of the aging circuit, wherein the parameter performance is increased delay through the aging circuit due to the aging effects;
measuring the parameter performance of the at least one age-affected signal;
translating the measured parameter performance into a generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit, to indicate a quantity of usage of the hardware unit, wherein the translation is based on non-age related gate delays of the at least one circuit path simulated by at least one preset delay element and age-related gate delays of the at least one circuit path simulated by at least one programmable delay element, wherein translating is performed using a first signal delay and a second signal delay, wherein the first signal delay is based on the non-age related gate delays and wherein the second signal delay is based on the age-related gate delays;
and
selectively disabling the hardware unit in response to the generated quantity of accumulative usage of the aging circuit indicating a preselected quantity of accumulative usage of the hardware unit.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/547,194Filed 12 Jul 2012 · division
Priority: 17 Apr 2009
Published: US 2012/0274480 A11 Nov 2012
Granted: 3 Nov 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification2 codes

G06F 21/10
Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity: protecting distributed…
G06F
Computing and data processing

Family

Application12/426,141Parent of this division · filed 17 Apr 2009
US 2012/0274480 A1Pre-grant publication · published 1 Nov 2012
US 8,260,708 B2Parent of this division
US 2010/0269150 A1Published application
US 9,177,119 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.