Patent · US Expired

Firmware encryption for microprocessor/microcomputer

US5386469A · kind A · utility

46Cited by
2References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1993
Grant dateJan 31, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2209/04
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A mask value generator is used to produce a mask value for deencrypting encrypted instructions from a memory. This encryption mask generator can produce a encryption mask value from a seed value and a program counter value. The seed value can stored in a memory outside the core microprocessor. The encryption mask value can be used to deencrypt instructions in an "exclusive or" logic section.

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