Method and apparatus for use in securing an electronic device such as a cell phone

• US 7,454,169 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daoling Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Soerensen, Joern, Birk, Palle, Boutaud, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper; Vincent P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/208,965
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/410, 455/414.1, 455/551, 455/550.1, 455/419, 455/418, 455/26.1, 380247-250, 379/189, 379/161, 379/168, 726/26, 726/27
• US Class Current: 455/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus which may be used to help prevent electronic devices, including cell phones, from operating with software copied from (and only authorized for use by or on) another device. A further aspect is a device, including a cell phone, for example, that employs any of such methods and apparatus. Aspects of the present invention compare a program identifier (associated with software stored in a device) to a reference identifier for the device, so as to determine whether the software is authorized for use with that device. Some embodiments respond to the comparison substantially in hardware, so that the software being checked is less able to prevent the device from being disabled in the event that the program identifier and the reference identifier do not match one another.

Claims

1. A method for preventing the use of unauthorized software stored in memory of a device containing a processor core, the method comprising:

storing an identifier code in the processor core and generating a reference identifier from the identifier code, wherein the identifier code is not readable by simply executing a read instruction that specifies an address a which the identifier code may be stored;

receiving the reference identifier from within the processor core;

receiving a program identifier from the software;

comparing the reference identifier and the program identifier beyond the control of run-time software being checked for authorization; and

responding to the comparison beyond the control of the run-time software being checked by disabling an operating characteristic of the processor core unless the comparison indicates that the program identifier and the reference identifier have at least a specified measure of correspondence to one another.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises responding independently of software stored in memory of the device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises responding exclusively in hardware of the device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein responding comprises receiving a signal through a data path separate from the address/data bus.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting an identifier code stored in the processor core and generating the reference identifier from the encrypted identifier code.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein encrypting comprises encrypting the identifier code in response to an encryption strategy and a seed provided by the software stored in memory of the device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier code can only be accessed in encrypted form.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising determining the identifier code using decryption, generating the program identifier from the identifier code and an encryption strategy, and storing the program identifier with the software stored in memory of the device.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating the reference identifier during operation of the device from the identifier code and storing the reference identifier in memory of the device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling of an operating characteristic of the processor core occurs within a specified duration after the comparison.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein responding further comprises not disabling an operating characteristic of the processor core if an emulator is active.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein disabling comprises disabling refresh of a watchdog timer circuit within a specified duration from the comparison.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the watchdog timer circuit is disabled if an emulator is active.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a cell phone.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier code is accessible only by executing a predetermined, secret sequence of operations that includes a read operation.

16. A processor core of an electronic device comprising:

a comparator, which operates beyond the control of run-time software running on the processor core, that receives a reference identifier from within the processor core, receives a program identifier associated with software stored in a memory of the device, and generates a first signal indicating whether the reference identifier and the program identifier have at least a specified measure of correspondence to one another; and

a disable system, which operates beyond the control of run-time software running on the processor core, that receives the first signal from the comparator and generates a second signal to disable an operating characteristic of the processor core unless the first signal indicates that there is at least a specified measure of correspondence between the program identifier and the reference identifier.

17. The processor core of claim 16 further comprising a register to store the reference identifier and wherein the comparator is operatively coupled to the register by a data path separate from a data path that couples the processor core and memory of the device.

18. The processor core of claim 17 wherein the disable circuit receives the signal through a data path separate from the data path that couples the processor core and memory of the device.

19. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the disable circuit receives the signal through a data path separate from the data path that couples the processor core and memory of the device.

20. The processor core of claim 16 further comprising a digital circuit that encrypts an identifier code stored in the processor core and generates the reference identifier from the encrypted identifier code.

21. The processor core of claim 20 wherein the processor core does not allow the identifier code to be read by simply executing a read instruction that specifies an address at which the identifier code may be stored.

22. The processor core of claim 20 wherein the processor core allows access to the identifier code only in encrypted form.

23. The processor core of claim 20 wherein the processor core allows access to the identifier code only by executing a predetermined, secret sequence of operations that includes a read operation.

24. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the disable system does not generate the signal to disable if an emulator is active.

25. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the disable system comprises a circuit to disable refresh of a watchdog timer circuit.

26. The processor core of claim 25 wherein the watchdog timer circuit is disabled if an emulator is active.

27. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the comparator is a digital circuit.

28. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the disable system is a circuit.

29. The processor core of claim 16 wherein the reference identifier is not accessible through an external terminal of the processor core.

30. An electronic device comprising:

a memory;

software that is stored in the memory and includes a program identifier;

a processor core coupled to the memory through a data path, the processor core including a comparator that operates beyond the control of run-time software and receives a reference identifier from within the processor core and the program identifier, and in response thereto, generates a signal indicative of a measure of correspondence between the reference identifier and the program identifier, the processor core further including a disable system that operates beyond the control of run-time software and is responsive to the signal generated by the comparator and configured to disable an operating characteristic of the electronic device unless the signal indicates that there is at least a specified measure of correspondence between the reference identifier and the program identifier.

31. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the comparator and the disable system are circuits.

32. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the electronic device is a cell phone.

33. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the processor core further comprises a register to store the reference identifier and wherein the comparator is operatively coupled to the register by a data path separate from the data path that couples the processor core and the memory.

34. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the disable system receives the data through a data path separate from the data path that couples the processor core and the memory.

35. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the processor core further comprises a digital circuit that encrypts an identifier code stored in the processor core and generates the reference identifier in response to the encrypted identifier code.

36. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the processor core provides indirect access to a form of the identifier code from outside the processor core.

37. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the processor core provides indirect access to an encrypted form of the identifier code.

38. The electronic device of claim 35 wherein the processor core prevents direct access to the identifier code from outside the processor core.

39. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the disable system does not generate the signal to disable if an emulator is active.

40. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the disable system comprises a circuit to disable refresh of a watchdog timer circuit.

41. The electronic device of claim 40 wherein the disable system comprises a circuit to disable a watchdog timer circuit if an emulator is active.

42. The electronic device of claim 30 wherein the reference identifier is not accessible through an external terminal of the processor core.

43. A cell phone for mobile communication, the cell phone having a processor that includes a processor core and a memory, the processor core being coupled to the memory through a data path, the memory being usable to store software that includes a run-time program and an identifier associated with the software, wherein the improvement comprises:

a comparator, within the processor core, that operates beyond the control of run-time software and receives a reference identifier from within the processor core and a program identifier associated with software stored in a system memory, and generates data that signifies receipt, or lack thereof, of a reference identifier and a program identifier having at least a specified measure of correspondence to one another; and

a disable system, within the processor core and responsive to the data indicative of a measure of correspondence, that operates beyond the control of run-time software and generates a signal to disable an operating characteristic of the processor core unless the data indicates that there is at least a specified measure of correspondence between the program identifier and the reference identifier.