Integrated circuit for preventing chip swapping and/or device cloning in a host device
US8650633B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 30, 2011 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 3, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K2005/00058
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An integrated circuit is disclosed that can be included in a host electronic device that can be commonly manufactured, where the integrated circuit can be designated (“locked”) for a specific manufacturer, thereby substantially reducing the likelihood that a third party will be able to successfully clone a host electronic device manufactured by the specific manufacturer and/or swap the chip containing the integrated circuit for one having more enabled features. The integrated circuit includes an ID module that can be programmed after fabrication. Components within the integrated circuit designate manufacturer-specific configurations (e.g., address mapping, pin routing and/or vital function releasing) based on the programmed manufacturer ID. As a result, once the integrated circuit has been programmed with the manufacturer ID, the integrated circuit will function correctly only within a host device manufactured by the manufacturer associated with the programmed manufacturer ID.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.