System and method for monitoring network devices incorporating authentication capable power supply modules

• US 10,073,990 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (Analog Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shieh, Sui, Dhanani, Suhel, Jones, Scott, Telikepalli, Anil
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Peter C
• Application Number:
  US14/672,646
• Time in Patent Office: 1,261 Days
• Field of Search: 726 84, 726 34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations

Abstract

A power supply module implemented within a first device and including a voltage regulator and an authentication module. The voltage regulator receives power from a power source and supplies the power to devices within the first device. The power source is separate from the power supply module. The authentication module includes a regulator module and a generation module. The regulator module controls operation of the voltage regulator based on operation in one of multiple operating modes. The generation module: receives an authentication request signal from a host device; in response to the authentication request signal, transmits an authentication response signal to the host device; and receives a notification signal from the host device based on the authentication response signal. The notification signal indicates whether the power supply module is an authorized device. The regulator module is configured to transition between the operating modes based on the notification signal.

Claims

1. A power supply module to be implemented within a first device, the power supply module comprising:

a voltage regulator configured to (i) receive power from a power source, and (ii) supply the power to a plurality of modules within the first device, wherein the power source is separate from the power supply module; and

an authentication module comprising

a regulator module configured to control operation of the voltage regulator based on operation in one of a plurality of operating modes, and

a generation module configured to (i) receive an authentication request signal from a host device, (ii) in response to the authentication request signal, transmit an authentication response signal to the host device, and (iii) receive a notification signal from the host device based on the authentication response signal, wherein the authentication response signal includes at least one of a password, a first key, a device identifier, a digital signature or an identification pin, wherein the notification signal is indicative of whether the power supply module is authorized for operation in the first device based on the at least one of the password, the first key, the device identifier, the digital signature, or the identification pin,

wherein the host device is separate from the first device, and

wherein the regulator module is configured to transition between the plurality of operating modes based on the notification signal.

2. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the power supply module is a system on chip.

3. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication module is a system on chip;

the power supply module is a system in package; and

the system in package includes the voltage regulator and the authentication module.

4. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of operating modes includes an OFF-mode, an ON-mode and a sleep-mode.

5. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication response signal include the password; and

the notification signal is indicative, based on the password, of whether the power supply module is an authorized module.

6. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication response signal includes the first key; and

the notification signal is indicative, based on the first key, of whether the power supply module is an authorized module.

7. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication response signal includes the device identifier;

the device identifier is of

the power supply module,

a memory in the authentication module, or

a control module in the first device; and

the notification signal is indicative, based on the identifier, of whether the power supply module is an authorized module.

8. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication response signal comprises the password, the identifier, and a plurality of keys, wherein the plurality of keys includes the first key;

the identifier identifies (i) the power supply module, (ii) a memory in the authentication module, or (iii) a control module in the first device; and

the notification signal is indicative, based on the password, the identifier, and the plurality of keys, of whether the power supply module is an authorized module.

9. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of modules comprise:

a plurality of sensing devices;

an analog-to-digital converter;

a control module; and

a physical layer module,

wherein the plurality of sensing devices, the analog-to-digital converter, the control module, and the physical layer module are separate from the power supply module.

10. A network device comprising:

the power supply module of claim 1;

a physical layer module configured to (i) receive the authentication request signal from the host device, (ii) receive the authentication response signal from the power supply module, and (iii) receive the notification signal from the host device;

a sensing element configured to generate an output signal, wherein the output signal is indicative of a parameter detected by the sensing element;

an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the output signal to a digital signal,

wherein the power supply module is configured to switch between the plurality of operating modes to prevent transmission of the digital signal to the host device; and

a control module configured to, based on operation in one of the plurality of operating modes, transmit the parameter to the host device via the physical layer module,

wherein the network device is the first device, and

wherein the plurality of modules comprise the analog-to-digital converter and the control module.

11. The network device of claim 10, wherein the physical layer module is configured to:

forward the authentication request signal received from the host device to the power supply module or the control module;

transmit the authentication response signal from the network device to the host device; and

transfer the notification signal received from the host device to the power supply module or the control module.

12. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the power supply module supplies power to only modules and circuit components in the first device.

13. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the regulator module is configured to supply power from the power source to the plurality of modules in the first device and not to the host device.

14. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the first device is a sensor, an actuator, or a radio frequency identification reader.

15. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the power supply module does not supply power to the host device.

16. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the authentication module is configured to

receive a request for information from the host device,

generate the information based on a physical quantity of the first device, and

transmit a response signal indicating the information to the host device; and

the notification signal is based on the information.

17. The power supply module of claim 16, wherein the physical quantity is a parameter detected by a sensor of the first device.

18. A system comprising:

the power supply module of claim 16;

the first device, wherein the first device comprises a sensor, and wherein the sensor is configured to generate the physical quantity; and

the host device,

wherein the host device is configured to

receive the physical quantity from the first device, and

generate the notification signal based on a comparison between the physical quantity and a reference value.

19. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein the regulator module is configured to transition to a sleep mode if the notification signal indicates that the power supply module is not authorized for operation in the first device.

20. The power supply module of claim 1, wherein:

the generation module is configured to (i) receive, via a physical layer module of the first device, the authentication request signal, (ii) transmit the authentication response signal to the host device via the physical layer module, and (iii) receive, via the physical layer module, the notification signal from the host device; and

the power supply module is separate from the physical layer module.

21. The network device of claim 10, wherein:

the power supply module is implemented as a system on chip; and

the power supply module is separate from the physical layer module.

22. The network device of claim 10, wherein the physical layer module, the sensing element, the analog-to-digital converter, and the control module receive power from the power supply module.

23. A host device comprising:

a plurality of line cards configured to route a plurality of signals to and from a plurality of network devices;

a gateway module configured to transfer the plurality of signals between the plurality of line cards and the plurality of network devices, wherein the plurality of network devices are separate from the host device; and

a first security module configured to

generate authentication request signals,

transmit the authentication request signals from the host device to a plurality of power supply modules respectively in the plurality of network devices,

in response to the authentication request signals, receive authentication response signals from the plurality of power supply modules, wherein each of the authentication response signals include at least one of password, a key, a device identifier, a digital signature or an identification pin, and

based on the authentication response signals, transmit a plurality of notification signals from the host device to the plurality of power supply modules, wherein each of the plurality of notification signals is indicative of whether a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply modules is authorized for operation in the respective one of the plurality of network devices based on the at least one of the password, the key, the device identifier, the digital signature, or the identification pin in the corresponding one of the authentication response signals.

24. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the security module is configured to, based on the authentication response signals, perform a countermeasure if one or more of the plurality of network devices is unauthorized; and

the countermeasure includes commanding the one or more of the plurality of network devices that are unauthorized to transition (i) from an ON-mode to a standby mode, (ii) from the ON-mode to an OFF-mode, or (iii) from the standby mode to the OFF-mode.

25. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the authentication response signals include respective passwords; and

the notification signals are indicative, based on the passwords, of whether the plurality of power supply modules are authorized modules.

26. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the authentication response signals include respective keys; and

the notification signals are indicative, based on the keys, of whether the plurality of power supply modules are authorized modules.

27. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the authentication response signals include respective identifiers of

the plurality of power supply modules,

memories in authentication modules respectively of the plurality of power supply modules, or

control modules in the plurality of network devices, and

the notification signals are indicative, based on the respective identifiers, of whether the plurality of power supply modules are authorized modules.

28. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the authentication response signals comprise respective passwords, respective identifiers, and a respective plurality of keys;

the respective identifiers identify (i) the plurality of power supply modules, (ii) memories in authentication modules of the plurality of power supply modules, or (iii) control modules in the plurality of network devices; and

the notification signal is indicative, based on the respective passwords, the respective identifiers, and the respective plurality of keys of the authentication response signals, of whether the plurality of power supply modules are authorized modules.

29. The host device of claim 23, wherein the gateway module comprises the security module.

30. The host device of claim 23, wherein:

the plurality of line cards comprises a first line card and a second line card;

the first line card comprises the first security module; and

the second line card comprises a second security module, wherein the second security module is configured to determine whether one or more of the plurality of power supply modules is an authorized module.

31. A system comprising:

the host device of claim 23; and

the plurality of network devices comprising the plurality of power supply modules.

32. The host device of claim 23, wherein each of the plurality of notification signals indicates whether a corresponding one of the plurality of power supply modules is authorized for operation in a respective one of the plurality of network devices.

33. The host device of claim 23, wherein the plurality of notification signals indicate whether the plurality of power supply modules are authorized for operation respectively in the plurality of network devices.