PROCESSING SYSTEM WITH APPLICATION SECURITY AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20100161975A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ducharme, Paul, Yang, Xinhui (Philip), Leung, Lewis
• Application Number:
  US12/339,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20100161975A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/164
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability

Abstract

A processing system includes an interface for receiving application data at the processing system corresponding to an application, the application data including authentication data. A one-time programmable memory stores at least one application key. A processing module executes an operating system that includes a security routine to authenticate the application data based on the authentication data and the at least one application key. The security routine permits the execution of the application by the processing module when the authentication data is authenticated, and prevents the execution of the application by the processing system when the authentication data is not authenticated.

Claims

1. A processing system comprising:

an interface for receiving application data at the processing system corresponding to an application, the application data including authentication data;

a one-time programmable memory that stores at least one application key;

a processing module, coupled to the interface and the one-time programmable memory, that executes an operating system that includes a security routine to authenticate the application data based on the authentication data and the at least one application key, wherein the security routine permits the execution of the application by the processing module when the authentication data is authenticated, and that prevents the execution of the application by the processing system when the authentication data is not authenticated.

2. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the at least one application key includes a first application key that is particular to the processing system.

3. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the at least one application key includes a first application key that is particular to the application.

4. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the at least one application key includes a plurality of application keys and wherein executing the security routine includes authenticating the application data when the authentication data is authenticated to one of the plurality of application keys.

5. The processing system of claim 4 wherein executing the security routine includes attempting to authenticate the application data based on selected ones of the plurality of application keys.

6. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the operating system is a Linux operating system.

7. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the application is a video processing application;

wherein, when the video processing application is executed by the processing module, the interface further receives a video signal and outputs a processed video signal generated by the video processing application based on at least one of;

an encoding of the video signal;

a decoding of the video signal; and

a transcoding of the video signal.

8. The processing system of claim 7 further comprising at least of:

an encoding engine, coupled to the processing module, for encoding the video signal; and

an decoding engine, coupled to the processing module, for decoding of the video signal.

9. The processing system of claim 1 wherein the application data includes at least one of:

a static encryption key, and a dynamic encryption key.

10. A method for use in an operating system executed by a processing system, the method comprising:

receiving application data at the processing system corresponding to an application, the application data including authentication data;

retrieving at least one application key from a one-time programmable memory of the processing system;

executing a security routine to authenticate the application data based on the authentication data and the at least one application key;

executing the application by the processing system when the authentication data is authenticated; and

preventing the execution of the application by the processing system when the authentication data is not authenticated.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the at least one application key includes a plurality of application keys and wherein executing the security routine includes authenticating the application data when the authentication data is authenticated to one of the plurality of application keys.

13. A method for use in manufacturing a processing system, the method comprising:

storing an operating system in a memory of the processing system; and

storing at least one application key in a one-time programmable memory of the processing system, the application key for use in by the operating system for authenticating at least one application received by the processing system prior to execution by the processing system.

12. The method of claim 13 wherein executing the security routine includes attempting to authenticate the application data based on selected ones of the plurality of application keys.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one application key includes a first application key that is particular to the processing system.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one application key includes a first application key that is particular to the application.