METHOD FOR MANAGING THE ACCESS TO A MEMORY, BY USING PASSWORDS

• US 20070157029A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stmicroelectronics France (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Mani, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 7,987,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1425 the protection being physical, e.g. cell, word, block
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1433 for a module or a part of a module
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism

Abstract

A method for managing the access to a memory space shareable by several users, by using passwords, comprises: defining a maximum number of passwords, providing a password storage zone, dividing the shareable memory space into a plurality of blocks greater in number than the maximum number of passwords, providing in each block a parameterization field for parameterizing the protection of the block, providing in each parameterization field a binary index smaller in size than a password and designating a password assigned to the protection of the block, and allocating, to each block, access rights requiring a password to be presented corresponding to the password designated by the index present in the block parameterization field. Application is provided particularly but not exclusively to multi-user integrated circuits.

Claims

1. A method for managing access to a memory space shareable by several users, by using a plurality of passwords, the method comprising:

defining a maximum number of passwords;

providing a password storage zone;

dividing the shareable memory space into a plurality of blocks greater in number than the maximum number of passwords;

providing, in each block, a parameterization field to parameterize protection of the block;

providing, in each parameterization field, a binary index smaller in size than the password and designating a password assigned to the protection of the block, a same password possibly being used to protect several blocks; and

allocating, to each block, access rights requiring a password to be presented that corresponds to the password designated by the index present in the block parameterization field.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing, in the parameterization field of each block, a first binary parameter defining the access rights to the block after presentation of a password corresponding to the password designated by the index, distinguishing between read- and write-access rights to the block.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the first binary parameter also defines access rights to the block without presentation of the password.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising providing, in the parameterization field of each block, a second binary parameter having a first value that authorizes the read- and write-access to the block whatever a value of the first binary parameter, and a second value that validates effects of the first binary parameter on the access rights to the block.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein a value of the index means that no password is allocated to the block.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the block is write-locked when the second binary parameter has the second value and when the index indicates that no password is allocated to the block.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein a total size of the parameterization field of a block is smaller than the size of a password.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein write-access rights given to the parameterization field of a block are identical to the write-access rights that the parameterization field gives to the block in which it is situated.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the password storage zone comprises a plurality of password blocks each comprising a password field and a parameterization field defining the access rights to the password block.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the password storage zone is only accessible by using specific write commands to write the passwords.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the blocks of the shareable memory space are accessed by session, an opening of the session comprising:

presenting, from a user, a user password;

at least one comparing the password presented with at least one password present in the password storage zone; and

storing a result of the comparison, at least if this result is positive.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the session is interrupted if a a new password is presented or if the memory space is switched off.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein:

storing of the result of the comparison of the passwords includes loading into a reference register a binary value equal to an index designating a password block; and

a processing of a request for read- or write-access to a block of the shareable memory space includes comparing the index present in the parameterization field of a targeted block with content of the reference register, the password of the block targeted by the request for access being considered to have been validly presented if a result of the comparison is positive.

14. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a memory and a control circuit to control access to the memory, the memory including a memory space shareable by several users, the control circuit including means for comparing passwords supplied by users and passwords present in the memory, wherein;

the memory includes a password storage zone defining a maximum number of passwords;

the memory space is divided into a plurality of blocks greater in number than the maximum number of passwords;

each block includes a parameterization field to parameterize protection of the block;

each parameterization field of a block includes a binary index smaller in size than a password and designating a password assigned to the protection of the block, a same password possibly being used to protect several blocks; and

the control circuit is arranged to allocate, to each block, access rights requiring a password to be presented that corresponds to the password designated by the index present in the block parameterization field.

15. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein the parameterization field of each block further includes a first binary parameter defining the access rights to the block after presentation of a password corresponding to the password designated by the index, and distinguishing between read- and write-access rights to the block.

16. The integrated circuit according to claim 15 wherein the first binary parameter also defines access rights to the block without presentation of any password.

17. The integrated circuit according to claim 15 wherein the parameterization field of each block includes a second binary parameter having a first value that authorizes the read- and write-access to the block whatever a value of the first binary parameter, and a second value that validates effects of the first binary parameter on the access rights to the block.

18. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein the index of each block can be taken to a value meaning that no password is allocated to the block.

19. The integrated circuit according to claim 17 wherein a block is write-locked if the second binary parameter has the second value and if the index indicates that no password is allocated to the block.

20. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein a total size of the parameterization field of a block is smaller than the size of a password.

21. The integrated circuit according to claim 15 wherein write-access rights of the parameterization field of a block are identical to the write-access rights that the parameterization field gives to the block in which it is situated.

22. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein the password storage zone includes a plurality of blocks each receiving a password and each including a parameterization field defining the access rights to the block.

23. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein the password storage zone is arranged in a system area of the memory, and is only accessible to users by based on specific write commands to write the passwords.

24. The integrated circuit according to claim 14 wherein the blocks of the shareable memory space are accessed by session, the control circuit being arranged to execute a command to present a user password, and if the user password is identical to a password present in the password storage zone, to authorize the user to access the blocks, the index of which designates this password for an entire duration of the session, without requiring the password to be presented at each access to the blocks.

25. The integrated circuit according to claim 24 wherein the control circuit is arranged to interrupt a session if a new password is presented or if the integrated circuit is switched off.

26. The integrated circuit according to claim 24 wherein the control circuit is arranged to:

upon receiving the command to present a password, compare the user password with a password present in a password block, and if the result of the comparison is positive, load into a reference register a binary value equal to an index designating the password block; and

upon receiving a read or write command to read or write a block of the shareable memory space, compare the index present in the block targeted by the read or write command with content of the reference register, and consider that the password of the block targeted by the command has been validly presented if a result of the comparison is positive.

27. A system, comprising:

a memory having a memory space that is shareable by several users and that can be divided into a plurality of blocks; and

a control circuit coupled to the memory to control access to the memory, the control circuit including comparison circuitry to compare passwords supplied by users and passwords present in the memory, wherein;

the memory includes a password storage zone that defines a maximum number of passwords that is less than a number of said blocks;

each of said blocks including a respective parameterization field to parameterize protection of the respective block;

each parameterization field of each respective block including a binary index that designates a password assigned to the protection of the respective block, a same password usable to protect several blocks; and

the control circuit is arranged to allocate, to each block, access rights requiring a password to be presented that corresponds to the password designated by the index present in the parameterization field of each block.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

an antenna to receive said passwords wirelessly supplied by said users; and

an interface circuit coupled to the antenna and to the control circuit to communicate the received passwords to the control circuit to allow the comparison circuitry to compare the received passwords with the passwords present in the memory.

29. The system of claim 27 wherein the parameterization of each block includes:

a first binary parameter that defines the access rights to the block after presentation of a password corresponding to the password designated by the index, and distinguishing between read- and write-access rights to the block; and

a second binary parameter having a first value that authorizes read- and write-access to the block, and a second value that validates effects of the first binary parameter on the access rights to the block, wherein the block is write-locked if the second binary parameter has the second value and if the index indicates that no password is allocated to the block.

30. The system of claim 27 wherein the blocks of the shareable memory space are accessible by session, the control circuit being arranged to execute a command to present a user password, and if the user password is identical to a password present in the password storage zone, to authorize user access to at least one of said blocks, the index of said at least one block designating this password for an entire duration of the session, without requiring the password to be presented at each access to the blocks.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the control circuit is adapted to:

upon receiving the command for presenting a password, compare the user password with a password present in a password block, and if the result of the comparison is positive, load into a reference register a binary value equal to an index designating the password block; and

upon receiving a read or write command to read or write a block of the shareable memory space, compare the index present in the block targeted by the read or write command content of the reference register, and consider that the password of the block targeted by the command has been validly presented if a result of the comparison is positive.

32. A system for managing access to a memory space shareable by several users, by using a plurality of passwords, the system comprising:

means for dividing the shareable memory space into a plurality of blocks greater in number than a maximum number of said passwords;

means for providing, in each block, a parameterization field having a binary index present therein that designates a password assigned to the protection of the block, wherein a same one of said passwords password may be used to protect several blocks; and

means for allocating, to each block, access rights requiring a password to be presented that corresponds to the password designated by the index present in the parameterization field of the block.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein the parameterization of each block includes:

first binary parameter means for defining the access rights to the block after presentation of a password corresponding to the password designated by the index, and means for distinguishing between read- and write-access rights to the block; and

second binary parameter means having a first value for authorizing read- and write-access to the block, and a second value for validating effects of the first binary parameter means on the access rights to the block.

34. The system of claim 32 wherein the blocks of the shareable memory space are accessed by session, the system further comprising:

means presenting, from a user, a user password;

means for performing at least one comparison of the password presented with at least one password present in a password storage zone of the memory; and

means for storing a result of the comparison, at least if this result is positive.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said means for storing the result of the comparison of the passwords includes means for loading into a reference register a binary value equal to an index designating a password block, the system further comprising:

means for processing of a request for read- or write-access to a block of the shareable memory space, including means for comparing the index present in the parameterization field of a targeted block with content of the reference register, the password of the block targeted by the request for access being considered to have been validly presented if a result of the comparison is positive.