Encryption-and decryption-enabled interfaces

• US 9,268,957 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2007
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Waterfall Security Solutions Ltd.
• Inventors: Frenkel, Lior, Zilberstein, Amir
• Primary Examiner(s): Homayounmehr, Farid
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEBNATH, SUMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/518,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20100278339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,996 Days
• Field of Search: 380/210, 380/216, 380/231, 713/169, 713/171, 713/182, 713/189, 713/193
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

Decryption apparatus includes an input memory (48), which is coupled to receive encrypted data, and an output transducer (28), for presenting decrypted data to a user. A decryption processor (50) is coupled to read and decrypt the encrypted data from the input memory but is incapable of writing to the input memory, and is coupled to convey the decrypted data to the output transducer for presentation to the user.

Claims

1. Decryption apparatus, comprising:

an input memory, which is coupled to receive encrypted data that have been transmitted to the apparatus over a network and written to the input memory;

an output transducer, for presenting decrypted data to a user;

a decryption processor, which is coupled to read and decrypt the encrypted data from the input memory but is incapable of writing to the input memory, due to lack of a hardware connection between a write output of the decryption processor and the input memory, and which decryption processor is coupled to convey the decrypted data to the output transducer for presentation to the user; and

an output memory, which is coupled to receive the decrypted data from the decryption processor and to output the decrypted data to the output transducer,

wherein the input memory is coupled to receive the encrypted data from a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer, and wherein the output memory is inaccessible to the CPU, due to lack of a hardware connection between the output memory and the CPU.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the decryption processor has an output that is coupled to the output transducer, and

wherein the apparatus comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a communication interface, wherein the CPU is coupled to receive the encrypted data from the communication interface and to write the encrypted data to the input memory, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the output of the decryption processor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display, and wherein the CPU is arranged to define a window on the video display for presentation of the decrypted data, and wherein the decryption processor is arranged to write the decrypted data to the window.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the decryption processor is arranged to decrypt the encrypted data using a predetermined key, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the predetermined key.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output transducer comprises an audio speaker.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output transducer comprises a printer.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the write output of the decryption processor is coupled to the output transducer, but not to the input memory.

19. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the CPU is unable to access the output of the decryption processor, due to lack of a hardware connection between the CPU and the output of the decryption processor.

8. A method for decryption, comprising:

receiving encrypted data that have been transmitted over a network from a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer and writing the received encrypted data to an input memory;

reading and decrypting the encrypted data from the input memory using a decryption processor, which is incapable of writing to the input memory, due to lack of a hardware connection between a write output of the decryption processor and the input memory; and

conveying the decrypted data from the decryption processor to an output transducer for presentation to a user, through an output memory, which is coupled to receive the decrypted data from the decryption processor and to output the decrypted data to the output transducer,

wherein the output memory is inaccessible to the CPU, due to lack of a hardware connection between the output memory and the CPU.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein conveying the decrypted data comprises writing the decrypted data to an output memory, which is coupled to output the decrypted data to the output transducer.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein receiving the encrypted data comprises writing the encrypted data from a central processing unit (CPU) of a computer to the input memory, wherein the output memory is inaccessible to the CPU.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the decryption processor has an output that is coupled to the output transducer, and

wherein receiving the encrypted data comprises receiving the encrypted data via a communication interface using a central processing unit (CPU) and writing the encrypted data to the input memory using the CPU, wherein the CPU is unable to access the output of the decryption processor.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display, and wherein the method comprises defining, using the CPU, a window on the video display for presentation of the decrypted data, and wherein conveying the decrypted data comprises writing the decrypted data from the decryption processor to the window.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the decryption processor is arranged to decrypt the encrypted data using a predetermined key, and wherein the CPU is unable to access the predetermined key.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output transducer comprises a video display.

15. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output transducer comprises an audio speaker.

16. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the output transducer comprises a printer.

18. The method according to claim 8, wherein the write output of the decryption processor is coupled to the output transducer, but not to the input memory.