Method and system for generating random numbers
AssigneeUniversity of Windsor
InventorsRichard Caron, Michael Lee
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for generating true random numbers is provided which is hardware based, and which uses unpredictable physical noise produced by an optoisolator. Specifically, the noises resulting from one or more of quantum shot, thermal noise, flicker, and the photoelectric effect are used as variable energy sources for subsequent conversion into a bitstream used for random number selection. The apparatus is preferably provided with a through hole prototype design and construction which requires minimal number of components reducing overall costs.
Claims20
An apparatus for generating random numbers comprising,
- an optoisolator including,
- a light source operable to output electromagnetic energy,
- a sensor for sensing electromagnetic energy output by the light source, an optical transmission path for propagating the output electromagnetic energy generated by the light source to the sensor, the sensor being electrically isolated from the light source and operable to convert said sensed electromagnetic energy to electric signals, and wherein
- the sensing of said electromagnetic energy by said sensor produces electronic noise signals selected from at least one of the group consisting of flicker, thermal noise, quantum shot noise and photoelectric noise,
- a digital converter for digitally converting the produced noise signals into a bitstream, and
- a processor electronically communicating with the digital converter, the processor having programme instructions operable to process input bits from the bitstream and generate output bits based thereon a representative of a random number.
The apparatus as claimed in claimed 1, wherein the optical transmission path comprises a solid state transmission path which is provided as a non-conductive insulator.
A random number generation apparatus comprising:
- an optoisolator including,
- an electromagnetic energy source operable to output electromagnetic energy,
- a sensor for sensing output electromagnetic energy, and
- an optical transmission path optically coupling said electromagnetic energy source and said sensor, the sensor comprising at least one of a phototransducer and a photodiode which on receiving at least part of the output electromagnetic energy is operable to produce electric noise signals from each of the group consisting of thermal noise, flicker noise, quantum shot noise and photoelectric noise,
- a digitizer for receiving and digitally converting said noise signals into a bitstream, and
- a processor electronically communicating with the digitized for receiving said bitstream, the processor including program instructions for processing pairs of bits from the bitstream using a Von Neumann correction, and for generating output bits in the event of a transition in the input bitstream.
A random number generation apparatus comprising:
- an optic coupler comprising a light source operable to output electromagnetic energy, a light sensor and an optical transmission path for propagating the output electromagnetic energy to the light sensor for sensing,
- the light sensor being operable to convert sensed electromagnetic energy to electric signals, and wherein the propagation of said output electromagnetic energy along said optical transmission path and/or the sensing of electromagnetic energy by the light sensor produces noise signals selected from two or more of the group consisting of thermal noise, quantum shot noise, flicker and photoelectric noise,
- an amplifier for receiving and amplifying said noise signals,
- a digitizer for receiving and digitally converting said amplified noise signals into a bitstream, and
- a processor electronically communicating with said digitizer and having stored thereon program instructions for processing input bits from the bitstream, and generated an output variable bit rate based thereon representative of a random number.
The apparatus as claimed in claimed 19, wherein the optical transmission path comprises a solid state transmission path which is provided as a non-conductive insulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.