Electronic component classification

• US 10,416,219 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2018
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Original Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute
• Inventors: House, Larry J., Engelhart, Dale C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan M
• Application Number:
  US16/057,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20180348278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 405 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/26 Measuring noise figure; Measuring signal-to-noise ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/24147 Distances to closest patterns, e.g. nearest neighbour classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/12 Classification; Matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/80 Recognising image objects characterised by unique random patterns

Abstract

A system and method of electronic component authentication or component classification can reduce the vulnerability of systems (e.g., satellites, weapons, critical infrastructure, aerospace, automotive, medical systems) to counterfeits. Intrinsic deterministically random property data can be obtained from a set of authentic electronic components, processed, and clustered to create a classifier that can distinguish whether an unknown electronic component is authentic or counterfeit.

Claims

1. An electronic component classification system for classifying a plurality of electronic components, the electronic component classification system comprising:

an electronic component interface to electrically interface with the plurality of electronic components;

a sensor configured to measure a power consumption signal of each of the plurality of electronic components via the electronic component interface and store information regarding the power consumption signal of each of the plurality of electronic components in memory;

a destructive classification system configured to destructively classify at least one of the plurality of electronic components, the destructive classification system storing information regarding the classification of the at least one of the plurality of electronic components in memory associated with the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of the at least one of the plurality of electronic components; and

a control unit configured to non-destructively classify the remaining plurality of electronic components by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of the at least one destructively classified electronic component to the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of each of the remaining plurality of electronic components.

2. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to classify the remaining plurality of electronic components by building a classifier based on the information regarding the power consumption signal of the at least one destructively classified electronic component stored in memory and classifying the remaining plurality of electronic component using the classifier and the power consumption signals of each of the plurality of electronic components.

3. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to identify unauthentic components for quarantine.

4. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components belong to a purported component class and wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as belonging to the purported component class.

5. The electronic component classification system of claim 4 wherein the control unit is configured to classify additional electronic components that purport to belong to the purported component class by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of the plurality of electronic components to information regarding the power consumption signal of each of the additional electronic components.

6. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components are a purported type of component and wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as the purported type of component.

7. The electronic component classification system of claim 6 wherein the control unit is configured to classify additional electronic components that purport to be the purported type of component by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of the plurality of electronic components to information regarding the power consumption signal of each of the additional electronic components that purport to be the purported type of component.

8. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the electronic component interface is configured such that the plurality of electronic components are temporarily and sequentially installable one at a time into the electronic component interface.

9. The electronic component classification system of claim 1 wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as authentic and wherein the control unit is configured to non-destructively classify the remaining plurality of electronic components as authentic by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of the at least one destructively classified authentic electronic component to the previously-stored information regarding the power consumption signal of each of the remaining plurality of electronic components.

10. An electronic component classification system for classifying a plurality of electronic components, the electronic component classification system comprising:

an electronic component interface to electrically interface with the plurality of electronic components;

a sensor configured to measure a noise signal of each of the plurality of electronic components via the electronic component interface and store information regarding the noise signal of each of the plurality of electronic components in memory;

a destructive classification system configured to destructively classify at least one of the plurality of electronic components, the destructive classification system storing information regarding the classification of the at least one electronic component in memory associated with the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of the at least one electronic component; and

a control unit configured to non-destructively classify the remaining plurality of electronic components by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of the at least one destructively classified electronic component to the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of each of the remaining plurality of electronic components.

11. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is configured to classify the remaining plurality of electronic components by building a classifier based on the information regarding the noise signal of the at least one destructively classified electronic component stored in memory and classifying the remaining plurality of electronic component using the classifier and the noise signals of each of the plurality of electronic components.

12. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the control unit is configured to identify unauthentic components for quarantine.

13. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of electronic components belong to a purported component class and wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as belonging to the purported component class.

14. The electronic component classification system of claim 13 wherein the control unit is configured to classify additional electronic components that purport to belong to the purported component class by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of the plurality of electronic components to information regarding the noise signal of each of the additional electronic components.

15. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the plurality of electronic components are a purported type of component and wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as the purported type of component.

16. The electronic component classification system of claim 15 wherein the control unit is configured to classify additional electronic components that purport to be the purported type of component by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of the plurality of electronic components to information regarding the noise signal of each of the additional electronic components that purport to be the purported type of component.

17. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the electronic component interface is configured such that the plurality of electronic components are temporarily and sequentially installable one at a time into the electronic component interface.

18. The electronic component classification system of claim 10 wherein the destructive classification system is configured to destructively classify the at least one electronic component as authentic and wherein the control unit is configured to non-destructively classify the remaining plurality of electronic components as authentic by comparing the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of the at least one destructively classified authentic electronic component to the previously-stored information regarding the noise signal of each of the remaining plurality of electronic components.

19. A method of electronic component classification comprising:

receiving a plurality of electronic components purporting to be a purported component class;

determining whether the purported component class is an enrolled component class;

in response to determining the purported component class is an unenrolled component class, enrolling the purported component class with an enrollment process including;

selecting one or more unenrolled electronic components from among the plurality of electronic components purporting to be the unenrolled component class;

obtaining, non-destructively with a sensor, intrinsic property information from the selected one or more unenrolled electronic components by measuring a power draw signal of each;

classifying the selected one or more unenrolled electronic component via destructive classification;

associating in memory the intrinsic property information from the selected one or more unenrolled electronic components with results of the destructive classification;

in response to determining the purported component class is enrolled, classifying the plurality of electronic components with a non-destructive classification process including;

obtaining, non-destructively with a sensor, intrinsic property information from each of the electronic components purporting to be the enrolled component class by measuring a power draw signal; and

classifying each of the electronic components purporting to be the enrolled component class by comparing the intrinsic property information from each of the electronic components purporting to be the enrolled component class with the intrinsic property information from the enrolled component class previously stored in memory.

20. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 wherein classifying the selected one or more unenrolled electronic component via destructive classification includes classifying the selected one or more unenrolled electronic component as authentic.

21. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 wherein classifying the selected one or more unenrolled electronic component via destructive classification includes classifying the selected one or more unenrolled electronic component as unauthentic and wherein the method further includes quarantining the one or more unauthentic electronic component.

22. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 wherein the classifying each of the electronic components purporting to be the enrolled component class includes building a classifier based on the intrinsic property data previously-stored in memory regarding the enrolled component class and classifying each of the electronic components purporting to be the enrolled component class using the classifier.

23. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 wherein the enrolled component class includes at least one of a plurality of chip classes that share similar functionality but have different performance characteristics.

24. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 wherein the enrolled component class includes at least one of a plurality of component classes having different functionality.

25. The method of electronic component classification of claim 19 further including temporarily and sequentially installing the plurality of electronic components one at a time into an electronic component interface.