Patent · US Active

Secure IC with soft security countermeasures

US11321458B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

4References

18Claims

0Family size

Assignee

NUVOTON TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION · TW

Inventors

Ziv Hershman · Givat Shmuel, IL
Dan Morav · Herzliya, IL

Key dates

Filing date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	May 3, 2022
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Dec 19, 2040

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG06F2221/034
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An Integrated Circuit (IC) includes functional circuitry and protection circuitry. The protection circuitry is configured to maintain a counter value, which is indicative of a cumulative amount of hostile attacking attempted on the functional circuitry over a lifetime of the IC, to detect events indicative of suspected hostile attacks on the functional circuitry, to decide, responsively to a detected event, on an update of the counter value depending on a time difference between the detected event and a most recent power-up in the IC, and update the counter value in accordance with the decided update, and to disable at least part of the IC in response to the counter value crossing a threshold.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.