Detecting counterfeit products

• US 8,476,920 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2009
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, David A., Attisani, Dominick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DON P
• Application Number:
  US12/655,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: 326/8, 326/9, 326/37, 326/38
• US Class Current: 326/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers

Abstract

In some embodiments an indication of an intended use of a logic device is stored in a register of the logic device, and any further programming of the register is prevented. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing in a device an encrypted indication of whether the device is an authentic device, the indication providing information regarding the legitimacy of the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored indication is to be used to determine whether or not the device is a counterfeit device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the device is a counterfeit device in response to the stored indication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentic device is an authentic branded device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes an integrated circuit to store the encrypted indication.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises an

integrated circuit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is an indication of an intended use of the device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intended use includes one or more of an indication that the device is to be sold individually and an indication that the device is to be included in a branded product.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the intended use includes one or more of an indication that the device is to be included in a board-level product and an indication that the device is to be sold individually.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is addressable as a read-only location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication does not impact or control any other functional features of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decrypting the indication; and

determining whether the device is a counterfeit device in response to the decrypted indication.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the device includes a memory device to store the encrypted indication.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a memory device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the memory device is a register.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a device to store an encrypted indication of whether the device is an authentic device, the indication providing information regarding the legitimacy of the device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the stored indication is to be used to determine whether or not the device is a counterfeit device.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, the device further to help determine whether the device is a counterfeit device in response to the stored indication.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the authentic device is an authentic branded device.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising an integrated circuit to store the encrypted indication.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the device comprises an integrated circuit.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication is an indication of an intended use of the device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the intended use includes one or more of an indication that the device is to be sold individually and an indication that the device is to be included in a branded product.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the intended use includes one or more of an indication that the device is to be included in a board-level product and an indication that the device is to be sold individually.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication is addressable as a read-only location.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication does not impact or control any other functional features of the device.

27. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the indication may be decrypted to help determine whether the device is a counterfeit device.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the device includes a memory device to store the encrypted indication.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the device is a memory device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the memory device is a register.