Method and apparatus for securing programming data of a programmable logic device
US5768372A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 13, 1996 |
| Grant date | Jun 16, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 13, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F2221/2113
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An SRAM-based programmable logic device having decompression and decryption circuits between its EPROM nonvolatile programming data storage and its SRAM programming registers is secured against copying of the programming data because a would-be copyist would need to know the compression and encryption used. In a system and method for programming the device, a user station preferably contains a plurality of possible encryptions and a plurality of possible compression schemes. An encryption and compression scheme are selected, preferably at random, by the user or by the programming software in the user station. Data indicating which encryption and compression scheme were chosen are included in the programming data to allow decompression and decryption.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.