Device authentication system and method

• US 20030120922A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Alarcon, Veronica, Sun, NI, Connors, Collin, Hanjani, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US10/310,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20030120922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/81 by operating on the power supply, e.g. enabling or disabling power-on, sleep or resume operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user

Abstract

A system and method for device authentication are disclosed. In one embodiment, a random security code is generated during a boot operation to verify authenticity of a device. The random security code may comprise a rolling code based on a static number and a seed number, where the static number does not change between successive boots and the seed number changes between boots. A random number generator algorithm may provide the seed number.

Claims

1. An authenticating method, comprising:

storing a first number and a second number at a first device;

storing the first number and the second number at a second device;

generating a first code at the first device using the first and second numbers stored at the first device;

generating a second code at the second device using the first and second numbers stored at the second device;

determining whether the first code matches the second code;

generating a third number and storing the third number at the first and the second devices if the first code matches the second code.

2. The authenticating method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a third code at the first device using the first and third numbers stored at the first device;

generating a fourth code at the second device using the first and third numbers stored at the second device;

determining whether the third code matches the fourth code.

3. The authenticating method according to claim 1, wherein the third number comprises a random number.

4. The authenticating method according to claim 1, where the first device ceases to operate if the first code does not match the second code.

5. The authenticating method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether the first code matches the second code is performed at the first device.

6. The authenticating method according to claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a motherboard.

7. The authenticating method according to claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a voltage regulator driver.

8. The authenticating method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether the first code matches the second code is performed by a BIOS.

9. An authenticating method, comprising:

storing a first number at a first device;

storing the first number and a second number at a second device;

generating a first code at the first device using the first number stored at the first device and the second number stored at the second device;

generating a second code at the second device using the first and second numbers stored at the second device;

determining whether the first code matches the second code;

generating a third number and storing the third number at the second device if the first code matches the second code.

10. The authenticating method according to claim 10, further comprising ceasing a boot operation if the first code does not match the second code.

11. The authenticating method according to claim 10, wherein the first device reads the second number and the second code from the second device and performs the determining whether the first code matches the second code.

12. The authenticating method according to claim 10, wherein the determining whether the first code matches the second code is performed by a BIOS.

13. The authenticating method according to claim 10, wherein the second device comprises a voltage regulator driver.

14. An authenticating method, comprising:

generating a first code at a first device using first and second numbers stored at the first device;

generating a second code at the second device using the first and second numbers stored at the second device;

reading the second code from the second device by the first device;

determining at the first device whether the first code matches the second code;

generating a third number at the first device and storing the third number at the second device if the first code matches the second code.

15. The authenticating method according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating a third code at the first device using the first and third numbers;

generating a fourth code at the second device using the first and third numbers;

determining at the first device whether the third code matches the fourth code.

16. The authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein the third number comprises a random number.

17. The authenticating method according to claim 14, where the first device ceases to operate if the first code does not match the second code.

18. The authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein the determining whether the first code matches the second code is performed at the first device.

19. The authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein the first device comprises a motherboard.

20. The authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein the second device comprises a voltage regulator driver.

21. The authenticating method according to claim 14, wherein the determining whether the first code matches the second code is performed by a BIOS.