Patent · US Expired

Monolithic semiconductor device for preventing external access to an encryption key

US7165180B1 · kind B1 · utility

39Cited by
47References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateNov 27, 2001
Grant dateJan 16, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 31, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04L2209/60
  • WIPO fieldDigital communication
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A monolithic semiconductor device having an encryption engine and encryption key register to store one or more encryption keys, where the contents of the encryption key register are observable, or can be made observable, only to internal components of the device is disclosed herein. The encryption key register can be implemented as an integrated or non-integrated volatile or non-volatile memory location. The monolithic semiconductor device can also include means for temporarily externally accessing and/or defining the contents of the key register during the manufacturing process and/or for a limited number of times after the manufacture and/or testing of the monolithic semiconductor device is completed.

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