Electro-active cradle circuits for the detection of access or penetration
First Claim
1. An electronic device comprising an electronic circuit with data to be protected from hardware hacking, a polymeric transducer substantially enveloping the electronic circuit for generating a voltage when the device is tampered with beyond a predetermined limit, means for detecting said voltage, and means for protecting the data upon detection of said voltage by one of altering and destroying the data.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic circuit or device is protected from tamper and/or theft of data contained therein by encapsulation in a hosing and a polymer cradle. The cradle comprises a transducer capable of generating a voltage, detection means to detect said voltage, and protection means associated therewith to destroy and/or alter said circuit, device and/or information and/or record said voltage, characterized in that said transducer is a polymeric pressure/voltage and/or temperature/voltage transducer associated with said detection means such that on alteration of pressure or temperature applied to said transducer beyond pre-set limits, said voltage is sensed by said detection means thereby activating said protection means.
138 Citations
29 Claims
- 1. An electronic device comprising an electronic circuit with data to be protected from hardware hacking, a polymeric transducer substantially enveloping the electronic circuit for generating a voltage when the device is tampered with beyond a predetermined limit, means for detecting said voltage, and means for protecting the data upon detection of said voltage by one of altering and destroying the data.
- 19. A method of protecting an electronic apparatus from hardware hacking intended to gain access to confidential information contained in the electronic apparatus, the method comprising enveloping the apparatus with a polymeric transducer adapted to output a voltage to the apparatus when hardware hacking is attempted to gain access to the apparatus, wherein the voltage acts upon the apparatus to alter the apparatus, thereby preventing disclosure of the confidential information.
- 24. A protection system for protecting confidential information retained in an electronic circuit, the system comprising a polymeric transducer means for detecting a hardware hacking attempt on the circuit which envelopes at least the circuit, wherein the means for detecting is passive and only enabled upon a hardware hacking attempt.
Specification