Method and apparatus for supporting self-destruction function in baseband modem

• US 9,172,380 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kwon, Yun Ju, Kang, In Yup
• Primary Examiner(s): WHITE, DYLAN C
• Application Number:
  US14/322,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20150008955A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 326/8, 710/200, 711/164, 711/163
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/76 in application-specific integrated circuits [ASIC] or field-programmable devices, e.g. field-programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/526 Mutual exclusion algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17768 for security

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for supporting a self-destruction function in a baseband modem are provided. Aspects of the present disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a self-destruction method and apparatus in which a self-impossible state is autonomously entered if the baseband modem of a receiving terminal which supports mobile communication is necessary. Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method and apparatus for deleting information stored in memory when a command is received over a mobile communication network in which a baseband modem has been constructed and then entering a self-impossible state so that the terminal is not recovered although it is booted up again.

Claims

1. A self-destruction method of a baseband modem, the method comprising:

sending a request for supplying power to a self-destruction unit to a power management unit when a command for performing self-destruction is received from a base station; and

controlling the self-destruction unit to output a signal corresponding to a specific bit value,

wherein the signal output by the self-destruction unit is used to block a clock, supplied from a Temperature-Compensated crystal Oscillator (TCXO) to the baseband modem, through a logical operation with a signal output by the TCXO.

2. The self-destruction method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an output signal, formed by a logical operation of the signal output by the TCXO and the signal output by the self-destruction unit, from a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL).

3. The self-destruction method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the request for supplying power to the self-destruction unit to the power management unit comprises sending a command for sending the request to the power management unit to an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C).

4. The self-destruction method of claim 1, wherein the sending of the request for supplying power to the self-destruction unit to the power management unit comprises sending the request to the power management unit to control an LDO_eFuse to supply power to the self-destruction unit.

5. The self-destruction method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the self-destruction unit comprises controlling an eFuse writer included in the self-destruction unit, the eFuse writer writing the specific bit value in the eFuse cell, and

wherein the eFuse cell outputs the signal corresponding to the written specific bit value.

6. The self-destruction method of claim 1, wherein the controlling of the self-destruction unit comprises controlling the self-destruction unit to output the signal to a self-destruction logic circuit unit configured to perform the logical operation of the signal output by the TCXO and the signal output by the self-destruction unit.

7. The self-destruction method of claim 6, wherein the controlling of the self-destruction unit comprises controlling the self-destruction unit to perform a first AND operation based on a signal output by an eFuse ENA and the signal output by the self-destruction unit, to perform a NOT operation based on an output signal according to a result of the first AND operation, performs a second AND operation based on an output signal according to a result of the NOT operation and the signal output by the TCXO, and to output an output signal according to a result of the second AND operation.

8. The self-destruction method of claim 6, wherein the self-destruction logic circuit unit receives the signal output by an eFuse ENA configured to output a signal corresponding to an on or off state of the self-destruction.

9. The self-destruction method of claim 1, further comprising deleting data stored in a memory unit.

10. The self-destruction method of claim 9, wherein the deleting of the data stored in the memory unit comprises sending a control command to a Static Memory Controller (SMC) to delete the data stored in the memory unit.

11. The self-destruction method of claim 1, wherein the command for performing the self-destruction is received through a HUNT character.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a baseband modem configured to support self-destruction;

a power management unit configured to supply power to the baseband modem; and

a Temperature-Compensated crystal Oscillator (TCXO) configured to supply a clock to the baseband modem,

wherein the baseband modem comprises;

a self-destruction unit configured to output a signal corresponding to a specific bit value for blocking the clock through a logical operation with a signal output by the TCXO; and

a control unit configured to control to send a request for supplying power to the self-destruction unit to the power management unit when a command for performing the self-destruction is received from a base station and to control the self-destruction unit to output a signal corresponding to the specific bit value.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseband modem further comprises a Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) configured to send an output signal, formed by a logical operation of the signal output by the TCXO and the signal output by the self-destruction unit, to the control unit.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseband modem further comprises an Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) configured to send the request to the power management unit.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the power management unit comprises an LDO_eFuse configured to supply power to the self-destruction unit.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the self-destruction unit comprises:

an eFuse cell configured to output a signal corresponding to the specific bit value; and

an eFuse writer configured to write the specific bit value in the eFuse cell.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific bit value set in the eFuse cell is a one-off value that is only set once in the apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseband modem further comprises:

an eFuse ENA configured to output a signal corresponding to an on or off state of the self-destruction; and

a self-destruction logic circuit unit configured to perform a logical operation based on the signal output by the self-destruction unit, the signal output by the TCXO, and the signal output by the eFuse ENA.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the self-destruction logic circuit unit comprises:

a first AND gate configured to perform a first AND operation based on the signal output by the eFuse ENA and the signal output by the self-destruction unit;

a NOT gate configured to perform a NOT operation based on a signal output by the first AND gate; and

a second AND gate configured to perform a second AND operation based on a signal output by the NOT gate and the signal output by the TCXO and send the output signal to the control unit.

20. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a memory unit configured to store data, wherein the control unit controls the memory unit to delete data stored in the memory unit if the command is received.

21. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the baseband modem further comprises a HUNT character configured to send an interrupt signal to the control unit if a command for performing the self-destruction is received.