Patent · US Active

Method and system for protection of customer secrets in a secure reprogrammable system

US8528102B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
23References
33Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 24, 2007
Grant dateSep 3, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 25, 2029

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/818
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods and systems for protection of customer secrets in a secure reprogrammable system are disclosed, and may include controlling, via hardware logic and firmware, access to customer specific functions. The firmware may comprise trusted code, and may comprise boot code, stored in non-volatile memory, which may comprise read only memory, or a locked flash memory. A customer mode may be checked via the trusted code prior to allowing downloading of code written by a customer to the reprogrammable system. Access to customer specific functions may be restricted via commands from a trusted source. The hardware logic may be latched at startup in a disabled mode by the firmware, determined by the customer mode stored in a one time programmable memory. The customer mode may be re-checked utilizing the firmware, and may disallow the use of code other than trusted code in the reprogrammable system when the re-checking fails.

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