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US 9,870,489 B2Granted
Detection of the authenticity of an electronic circuit or of a product containing such a circuit
AssigneesSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS, Proton World International N.V.
InventorsJean-Louis Modave, Fabrice Marinet, Denis Farison
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of authenticating a slave device. The method includes initializing, by a host device, a charge retention circuit of the slave device, and receiving, by the host device, an indication of a discharge time of the charge retention circuit. The host device authenticates the slave device based on the received indication of the discharge time of the charge retention device.
Claims19
A method, comprising:
- initializing, by a host device, a charge retention circuit of a slave device, wherein initializing the charge retention circuit comprises switching off a power supply of the slave device;
- receiving, by the host device, an indication of a discharge time of the charge retention circuit;
- determining, by the host device, an authenticity of the slave device based on the received indication of the discharge time of the charge retention circuit;
- and
- controlling, by the host device, communication with the slave device based on the determined authenticity of the slave device, wherein the method includes:
- transmitting, by the host device to the slave device, a voltage representative of a charge level to be stored in the charge retention circuit;
- charging, by the slave device, of the charge retention circuit;
- switching off, by the host device, of the power supply of the slave device for a duration of time;
- measuring, by the slave device, a residual quantity of charge in the charge retention circuit at an expiration of the duration of time;
- transmitting, by the slave device to the host device, information representative of the residual quantity;
- and
- comparing, by the host device, said information with an expected value of said information.
9 more elements
A device, comprising:
- one or more memories;
- a slave-device interface;
- and
- circuitry, coupled to the slave-device interface, wherein the circuitry, in operation:
- initializes charge-retention circuits via the slave-device interface, wherein initializing a charge retention circuit of a slave device comprises switching off a power supply of the slave device associated with the charge-retention circuit for a duration of time;
- authenticates slave devices based on indications of discharge times of charge-retention circuits received via the slave-device interface;
- and
- controls communication with slave devices based on the authenticating of slave devices, wherein the circuitry, in operation:
- transmits, via the slave-device interface, a voltage representative of a charge level to be stored in the charge-retention circuit;
- and
- responds to receipt of an indication of a residual quantity of charges associated with the charge-retention circuit at an expiration of the duration of time by comparing said indication with an expected value.
8 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a charge-retention circuit;
- an interface to couple to a host device;
- circuitry, which, in operation, responds to an initialization signal, by:
- initializing the charge-retention circuit, wherein the initializing signal switches off of a power supply associated with the charge-retention circuit;
- generating an indication of a discharge time of the charge-retention circuit;
- and
- controlling communication with the host device based on the determined indication, wherein the initialization signal comprises a voltage representative of a charge level to be stored in the charge-retention circuit, and the circuitry, in operation:
- charges the charge retention circuit;
- measures a residual quantity of charges in the charge-retention circuit at an expiration of a duration of time;
- and
- transmits, to the host device via the interface, information representative of the residual quantity to be compared with an expected value.
8 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a host device having control circuitry;
- and
- a slave device having a charge-retention circuit, wherein the control circuitry of the host device, in operation:
- controls one or more signals to cause the slave device to initialize the charge-retention circuit, wherein initializing the charge retention circuit comprises switching off a power supply of the slave device;
- receives an indication of a discharge time of the charge-retention circuit;
- determines an authenticity of the slave device based on the received indication of the discharge time of the charge-retention circuit;
- and
- controls communications with the slave device based on the determined authenticity of the slave device, wherein the control circuitry of the host device, in operation:
- transmits to the slave device, a voltage representative of a charge level to be stored in the charge-retention circuit;
- switches off the power supply associated with the charge-retention circuit for a duration of time;
- and
- responds to receipt of an indication of a residual quantity of charges associated with the charge-retention circuit at an expiration of the duration of time by comparing said indication with an expected value.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.