System-Level Chip Identify Verification (Locking) Method with Authentication Chip

• US 20130222109A1
• Filed: 02/23/2012
• Published: 08/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Lim, Cheow Guan
• Granted Patent: US 8,797,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers

Abstract

A system for authenticating electronic devices, particularly chips or integrated circuits is described. This allows authenticating that the devices are authorized by the original manufacturer for operation in critical applications.

Claims

1. An electronic system comprising:

at least one authenticable electronic device having stored therein a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the electronic device, the electronic device being configured to communicate the unique identifier; and

an authentication device having stored therein at least the unique identifier of each authenticable electronic device and a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the authentication device, the authentication device being configured to communicate the unique identifiers.

2. The electronic system of claim 1, further comprising a host device, which is configured to communicate with the authentication device and each authenticable device of the system.

3. The electronic system of claim 2, wherein the host device is configured to store and increment a unidirectional counter.

4. The electronic system of claim 2, wherein the host device is configured to request the unique identifiers from the authentication device and from each authenticable device, and to compare the identity of the identifiers.

5. The electronic system of claim 2, wherein the host device and the authentication device are configured to establish a secure communication session.

6. The electronic system of claim 2, wherein at least one of an authenticable electronic device or the authentication device is configured to detect a malfunction and to communicate information related to the detected malfunction to the host device.

7. The electronic system of claim 6, wherein the host device is configured to receive and process a communication that comprises information about the detected malfunction.

8. The electronic system of claim 7, wherein the host device is configured to store information about the detected malfunction.

9. An electronic system comprising:

a plurality of authenticable devices, each having stored a unique identifier and each being configured to communicate the unique identifier;

an authentication device configured to store each unique identifier of each of the plurality of authenticable devices and a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the authentication device and to communicate the identifiers; and

a host device configured to receive the identifiers from the authentication device and from each of the authenticable devices individually, and to compare the identifiers received from the authentication device against the identifiers received from each authenticable device, wherein the host device is configured to prevent use of the full functionality of the electronic circuit when the identifiers do not match.

10. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the authentication device comprises a first unidirectional counter and wherein the host device comprises a second unidirectional counter.

11. The electronic system of claim 10, wherein the host device is configured to request a value of the first unidirectional counter from the authentication device and to compare the requested value with a value of the second unidirectional counter stored in the host device.

12. The electronic system of claim 10, wherein the host device is configured to control the authentication device to increment the second unidirectional counter to increment a counter value stored in the host device.

13. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein at least one of an authenticable electronic device or authentication device is configured to detect a malfunction and to communicate information indicating the detected malfunction to the host device.

14. The electronic system of claim 13, wherein the host device is configured to receive and process a communication from the at least one authentication or authenticable device, wherein the communication comprises information about the detected malfunction.

15. The electronic system of claim 14, wherein the host device is configured to store information about the detected malfunction.

16. A method for authenticating devices of an electronic system, the method comprising:

storing at least one unique identifier in an authentication device, wherein the unique identifier identifies an authenticable electronic device of the electronic system, storing the unique identifier in the at least one authenticable electronic device of the electronic circuit,

in a host device, requesting the at least one unique identifier from the authentication device and from the authenticable electronic device;

comparing the at least one unique identifier requested from the authentication device and from the authenticable electronic device; and

preventing use of the at least one authenticable electronic device if the compared identifiers do not match.

17. The authentication method of claim 16, further comprising establishing a secure communication session between the authentication device and the host device.

18. The authentication method of claim 16, further comprising:

requesting, by the host device, a counter value from the authentication device; and

comparing the requested counter value with a counter value stored in the host device.

19. The authentication method of claim 18, further comprising:

incrementing the counter value stored in the host device; and

controlling the authentication device to increment the value of the counter stored in the authentication device.

20. The authentication method of claim 18, further comprising controlling the authentication device to set a value of the counter stored therein to a predefined maximum value.

21. The authentication method of claim 16, wherein the host device and the authentication device are arranged on separate printed circuit boards.

22. The authentication method of claim 16 further comprising:

detecting a malfunction in at least an authenticable electronic device or the authentication device; and

communicating information about the detected malfunction to the host device.

23. The authentication method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving and processing a communication from one of an authenticable electronic device or the authentication device, the communication comprising information about the detected malfunction; and

storing information in the host device about the detected malfunction.

24. A device capable of authenticating an authenticable electronic device, the device comprising:

a first storage unit configured to store a unique identifier received from the authenticable electronic device;

a second storage unit configured to store a unique identifier received from an authentication device; and

a comparison circuit configured to compare the unique identifier from the authenticable electronic device with the unique identifier from the authentication device, whereby authentication of the authenticable electronic device can be based at least in part by a result from the comparison circuit.

25. The device of claim 24, further comprising a communication unit configured to establish a secure communication session.

26. The device of claim 24, further comprising a unidirectional counter, wherein the comparison circuit is further configured to compare a value stored in the unidirectional counter with a counter value from the authentication device.

27. The device of claim 24, further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive information related to a malfunction from the authentication device or the authenticable electronic device.