IC chip package disabling device

• US 9,189,656 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Baker, Brian A., Megarity, William M., Remis, Luke D., Wood, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Luan C
• Application Number:
  US14/553,183
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• 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 21/87 by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A chip package comprises: an IC substrate, wherein the IC substrate comprises at least one electronic device; a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell generates an electrical current when exposed to light; a light blocking shield, wherein the light blocking shield prevents light from striking the photovoltaic cell only while the chip package is mounted on a circuit board, and wherein the light blocking shield ceases to prevent light from striking the photovoltaic cell upon the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board; and a disabling logic, wherein the electrical current, which is generated by the photovoltaic cell in response to the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board, causes the disabling logic to disable the IC substrate.

Claims

1. A chip package comprising:

an IC substrate, wherein the IC substrate comprises at least one electronic device;

a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell generates an electrical current when exposed to light;

a light blocking shield, wherein the light blocking shield prevents light from striking the photovoltaic cell only while the chip package is mounted on a circuit board, and wherein the light blocking shield ceases to prevent light from striking the photovoltaic cell upon the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board; and

a disabling logic, wherein the electrical current, which is generated by the photovoltaic cell in response to the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board, causes the disabling logic to disable the IC substrate.

2. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the IC substrate is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and wherein the chip package further comprises:

a memory erasing logic, wherein the memory erasing logic sets a protection bit in the EEPROM, wherein the protection bit, upon the chip package subsequently being powered up after being dismounted from the circuit board, directs the EEPROM to be erased.

3. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the IC substrate is a processor, and wherein the chip package further comprises:

a system disabling logic, wherein the system disabling logic prevents the processor from operating.

4. The chip package of claim 3, wherein the system disabling logic is a power switch to the processor.

5. The chip package of claim 3, wherein the system disabling logic drives a voltage spike through the processor, wherein the voltage spike permanently disables the processor by permanently damaging circuitry within the processor.

6. The chip package of claim 3, wherein the IC substrate is a memory, and wherein the system disabling logic drives a voltage spike through the memory, wherein the voltage spike permanently disables the memory by permanently damaging circuitry within the memory.

7. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the light blocking shield is a cap mounted to the circuit board, and wherein the cap remains mounted on the circuit board upon the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board.

8. The chip package of claim 1, wherein the light blocking shield is created by a close proximity of the chip package to the circuit board while the chip package is mounted on the circuit board.

9. A computer system comprising:

a system bus;

a chip package electrically coupled to the system bus, wherein the chip package comprises;

an IC substrate, wherein the IC substrate comprises at least one electronic device;

a photovoltaic cell, wherein the photovoltaic cell generates an electrical current when exposed to light;

a light blocking shield, wherein the light blocking shield prevents light from striking the photovoltaic cell only while the chip package is mounted on a circuit board, and wherein the light blocking shield ceases to prevent light from striking the photovoltaic cell upon the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board; and

a disabling logic, wherein the electrical current, which is generated by the photovoltaic cell in response to the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board, causes the disabling logic to disable the IC substrate.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the IC substrate is an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), and wherein the chip package further comprises:

a memory erasing logic, wherein the memory erasing logic sets a protection bit in the EEPROM, wherein the protection bit, upon the chip package subsequently being powered up after being dismounted from the circuit board, directs the EEPROM to be erased.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the IC substrate is a processor, and wherein the chip package further comprises:

a system disabling logic, wherein the system disabling logic prevents the processor from operating.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system disabling logic is a power switch with the processor.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the system disabling logic drives a voltage spike through the processor, wherein the voltage spike permanently disables the processor by permanently damaging circuitry within the processor.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the IC substrate is a memory, and wherein the system disabling logic drives a voltage spike through the memory, wherein the voltage spike permanently disables the memory by permanently damaging circuitry within the memory.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the light blocking shield is a cap mounted to the circuit board, and wherein the cap remains mounted on the circuit board upon the chip package being dismounted from the circuit board.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the light blocking shield is created by a close proximity of the chip package to the circuit board while the chip package is mounted on the circuit board.

17. A chip package comprising:

an IC substrate, wherein the IC substrate comprises at least one electronic device;

a disabling post assembly, wherein the disabling post assembly comprises;

a post cap;

a post connected to the post cap, wherein the post cap is connected to a first end of the post, wherein the post traverses through a post channel in the IC substrate, and wherein the post cap is initially positioned above the IC substrate;

a post base connected to a second end of the post, wherein the post base is connected to a surface of a circuit board to which the chip package is electrically connected, wherein the post cap is physically pulled through the IC substrate while the chip package is subsequently removed from the circuit board, and wherein removing the chip package causes the post cap to physically destroy the IC substrate.

18. The chip package of claim 17, wherein the post base is connected to the surface of the circuit board by an adhesive.

19. The chip package of claim 17, wherein the IC substrate is a processor.

20. The chip package of claim 17, wherein the IC substrate is a memory.