Equipment which included electronics
First Claim
1. Equipment having electronic circuitry for operation and a circuit module connected thereto comprising a Read Only Memory means having a substantially unique equipment identification means stored therein in such a manner that said Read Only Memory means cannot be altered after said equipment is manufactured and said equipment identification means is stored therein, said equipment identification means being substantially permanently associated with said equipment;
- said circuit module further comprising an algorithm using said equipment identification means as data input to generate a unique first number and said equipment also comprising numeric input means for entry of a second number;
said circuit module further comprising comparing means for comparing said second number entered by said numeric input means to said unique first number such that matching between said unique first number and said second number allows said electronic circuitry of said equipment to be operated and lack of matching renders said electronic circuitry of said equipment inoperable.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
To enable control to be exercised over the use of equipment, a chip is built into the electronic circuitry of the equipment which chip has stored therein a series of pseudo-random numbers. When a crypto unit of the chip receives a first number generated by a controlling computer the pseudo-random number sequence is generated on the basis of an algorithm which is stored in the crypto unit of the chip. The first number is generated when data, including the serial number of the equipment, is entered into the controlling computer. The serial number of the equipment is entered in a read only memory of the chip so that the serial number of the equipment is a permanent and unalterable part of the electronic circuitry. Various uses to which equipment having its serial number entered in a chap thereof are also disclosed.
110 Citations
17 Claims
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1. Equipment having electronic circuitry for operation and a circuit module connected thereto comprising a Read Only Memory means having a substantially unique equipment identification means stored therein in such a manner that said Read Only Memory means cannot be altered after said equipment is manufactured and said equipment identification means is stored therein, said equipment identification means being substantially permanently associated with said equipment;
- said circuit module further comprising an algorithm using said equipment identification means as data input to generate a unique first number and said equipment also comprising numeric input means for entry of a second number;
said circuit module further comprising comparing means for comparing said second number entered by said numeric input means to said unique first number such that matching between said unique first number and said second number allows said electronic circuitry of said equipment to be operated and lack of matching renders said electronic circuitry of said equipment inoperable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
- said circuit module further comprising an algorithm using said equipment identification means as data input to generate a unique first number and said equipment also comprising numeric input means for entry of a second number;
Specification