ENCRYPTION- AND DECRYPTION-ENABLED INTERFACES

• US 20100278339A1
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Human Interface Security Limited
• Inventors: Frenkel, Lior, Zilberstein, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 9,268,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

Decryption apparatus includes an input memory (48), which is coupled to receive encrypted data, and an output transducer (28), for presenting decrypted data to a user. A decryption processor (50) is coupled to read and decrypt the encrypted data from the input memory but is incapable of writing to the input memory, and is coupled to convey the decrypted data to the output transducer for presentation to the user.

Claims

1. Decryption apparatus, comprising:

an input memory, which is coupled to receive encrypted data;

an output transducer, for presenting decrypted data to a user; and

a decryption processor, which is coupled to read and decrypt the encrypted data from the input memory but is incapable of writing to the input memory, and which is coupled to convey the decrypted data to the output transducer for presentation to the user.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, and comprising an output memory, which is coupled to receive the decrypted data from the decryption processor and to output the decrypted data to the output transducer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the input memory is coupled to receive the encrypted data from a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer, and wherein the output memory is inaccessible to the CPU.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decryption processor has an output that is coupled to the output transducer, and

wherein the apparatus comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a communication interface, wherein the CPU is coupled to receive the encrypted data from the communication interface and to write the encrypted data to the input memory, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the output of the decryption processor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display, and wherein the CPU is arranged to define a window on the video display for presentation of the decrypted data, and wherein the decryption processor is arranged to write the decrypted data to the window.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the decryption processor is arranged to decrypt the encrypted data using a predetermined key, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the predetermined key.

7. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display.

8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the output transducer comprises an audio speaker.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the output transducer comprises a printer.

10. A method for decryption, comprising:

receiving encrypted data in an input memory;

reading and decrypting the encrypted data from the input memory using a decryption processor, which is incapable of writing to the input memory; and

conveying the decrypted data from the decryption processor to an output transducer for presentation to a user.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein conveying the decrypted data comprises writing the decrypted data to an output memory, which is coupled to output the decrypted data to the output transducer.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein receiving the encrypted data comprises writing the encrypted data from a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer to the input memory, wherein the output memory is inaccessible to the CPU.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein the decryption processor has an output that is coupled to the output transducer, and

wherein receiving the encrypted data comprises receiving the encrypted data via a communication interface using a central processing unit (CPU) and writing the encrypted data to the input memory using the CPU, wherein the CPU is unable to access the output of the decryption processor.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display, and wherein the method comprises defining, using the CPU, a window on the video display for presentation of the decrypted data, and wherein conveying the decrypted data comprises writing the decrypted data from the decryption processor to the window.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the decryption processor is arranged to decrypt the encrypted data using a predetermined key, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the predetermined key.

16. The method according to any of claims 10-15, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display.

17. The method according to any of claims 10-15, wherein the output transducer comprises an audio speaker.

18. The method according to any of claims 10-15, wherein the output transducer comprises a printer.

19. A computer input device for operation with a computer, comprising:

an input transducer, which is coupled to receive an input from a user and to generate a data signal responsively to the input;

an encryption processor, which is coupled to process the data signal so as to output data to the computer, and which has a first operational mode in which the encryption processor encrypts the data signal using an encryption key not accessible to the computer so that the data are unintelligible to the computer, and a second operational mode in which the data are intelligible to the computer; and

a mode switch, which is operable by a user so as to switch between the first and second operational modes of the encryption processor.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein the input transducer comprises a text input device.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the text input transducer comprises a keyboard.

22. The device according to claim 19, wherein the input transducer comprises an image capture device.

23. The device according to claim 19, wherein the input transducer comprises an audio input device.

24. The device according to any of claims 19-23, wherein the mode switch is manually operable by the user.

25. The device according to any of claims 19-23, wherein the data signal is not accessible to the computer except in the data output by the encryption processor.

26. A method for inputting data to a computer, comprising:

receiving a data signal from an input transducer responsively to an input by a user;

processing the data signal so as to generate data for output to the computer using an encryption processor, which has a first operational mode in which the encryption processor encrypts the data signal using an encryption key not accessible to the computer so that the data are unintelligible to the computer, and a second operational mode in which the data are intelligible to the computer;

setting a mode switch so as to select one of the first and second operational modes; and

outputting the data to the computer in accordance with the selected one of the operational modes.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the input transducer comprises a text input device.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the text input transducer comprises a keyboard.

29. The method according to claim 26, wherein the input transducer comprises an image capture device.

30. The method according to claim 26, wherein the input transducer comprises an audio input device.

31. The method according to any of claims 26-30, wherein the mode switch is manually operable by the user.

32. The method according to any of claims 26-30, wherein the data signal is not accessible to the computer except in the data output by the encryption processor.