Random number generator

• US 9,405,510 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2014
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Karpinskyy, Bohdan, Vasyltsov, Ihor
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H
• Application Number:
  US14/184,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20140244702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/588 Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes

Abstract

A random number generator includes oscillating units configured to generate entropy sources and amplify the generated entropy sources, an entropy source combination unit configured to receive the entropy sources output from the oscillating units and combine the entropy sources to increase entropy, a sampling unit configured to sample a signal output from the entropy source combination unit in response to a sampling clock, and a clock generator and control unit configured to control the oscillating units and generate the sampling clock.

Claims

1. A random number generator, comprising:

oscillating units configured to generate entropy sources, amplify the generated entropy sources, and output the amplified entropy sources;

an entropy source combination unit configured to receive the entropy sources output from the oscillating units and combine the entropy sources to increase entropy;

a sampling unit configured to sample a signal output from the entropy source combination unit in response to a sampling clock; and

a clock generator and control unit configured to control the oscillating units and generate the sampling clock,

wherein at least one of the oscillating units comprises;

a source unit configured to converge to a level of a meta-stability state and generate a noise source in a meta-stability mode; and

an amplification unit comprising a plurality of inverters connected in series to amplify the generated noise source in the meta-stability mode,

wherein an output of the amplification unit is connected to the source unit to form a ring oscillator in an oscillation mode.

2. The random number generator of claim 1, wherein the source unit comprises:

an inverter; and

a switch configured to connect an input of the inverter to an output of the inverter in the meta-stability mode or the input of the inverter to the output of the amplification unit in the oscillation mode.

3. The random number generator of claim 2, wherein a total number of the inverter of the source unit and the plurality of inverters of the amplification unit is an odd number.

4. The random number generator of claim 1, wherein the entropy source combination unit increases entropy when the entropy sources are changed from ‘

0’

to ‘

1’

.

5. The random number generator of claim 4, wherein the entropy source combination unit comprises cross-coupled NAND logic circuits configured to receive entropy sources from at least two of the oscillating units and perform a NAND operation on the received entropy sources.

6. The random number generator of claim 5, further comprising a mod-2 counter configured to receive an output of at least one of the NAND logic circuits and accumulate entropy.

7. The random number generator of claim 6, wherein the mod-2 counter comprises a flip-flop.

8. The random number generator of claim 1, wherein the entropy source combination unit increases entropy when the entropy sources are changed from ‘

2’

to ‘

0’

.

9. The random number generator of claim 8, wherein the entropy source combination unit comprises cross-coupled NOR logic circuits configured to receive entropy sources from at least two of the oscillating units and perform a NOR operation on the received entropy sources.

10. The random number generator of claim 1, wherein the entropy source combination unit increases entropy when the entropy sources are changed from ‘

0’

to ‘

1’

or from ‘

1’

to ‘

0’

.

11. The random number generator of claim 10, wherein the entropy source combination unit comprises:

cross-coupled NAND logic circuits configured to receive entropy sources from at least two of the oscillating units and perform a NAND operation on the received entropy sources;

cross-coupled NOR logic circuits configured to perform a NOR operation on the received entropy sources;

a switch configured to output an output of one of the NAND logic circuits or an output of one of the NOR logic circuits in response to a selection signal; and

an AND logic circuit configured to perform an AND operation on the received entropy sources and generate the selection signal.

12. A random number generator, comprising:

first and second oscillating units configured to generate entropy sources in a meta stability mode, amplify the generated entropy sources in an oscillation mode, and output the amplified entropy sources;

an entropy source combination unit configured to receive the entropy sources output from the first and second oscillating units, configure the first and second oscillating units as a ring oscillator in the oscillation mode, and combine the entropy sources to increase entropy;

a sampling unit configured to sample a signal output from the second oscillating unit in response to a sampling clock; and

a clock generator and control unit configured to generate the sampling clock, and to generate a mode signal for indicating the meta-stability mode or the oscillation mode and a connection signal for configuring the ring oscillator,

wherein the first oscillating unit comprises;

a first inverter;

a first multiplexer configured to input an output of the first inverter to the first inverter in response to the mode signal; and

a plurality of first inverters configured to receive and amplify the output of the first inverter, and

the second oscillating unit comprises;

a second inverter;

a second multiplexer configured to input an output of the second inverter to the second inverter in response to the mode signal; and

a plurality of second inverters configured to receive and amplify the output of the second inverter,

wherein the entropy source combination unit comprises;

a first connection multiplexer configured to output an output of the first oscillating unit or an output of the second oscillating unit to the first multiplexer in response to the connection signal;

a second connection multiplexer configured to output an inverted signal obtained by inverting the output of the first oscillating unit or the output of the second oscillating unit to the second multiplexer in response to the connection signal;

a connection inverter configured to output the inverted signal; and

a demultiplexer configured to output the output of the first oscillating unit to the first connection multiplexer or the connection inverter in response to the connection signal.

13. A random number generator, comprising:

a first oscillating unit configured to output a first noise source signal in response to a mode signal;

a second oscillating unit configured to output a second noise source signal in response to the mode signal;

an entropy source combination unit configured to receive the first and second noise source signals from the first and second oscillating units and accumulate entropy of the first and second noise source signals,

wherein in a first mode the first oscillating unit selects an output of the first oscillating unit as an input to the first oscillating unit, and in a second mode the first oscillating unit selects an output of a first inverter of an inverter chain as the input to the first oscillating unit, wherein the inverter chain is connected to an output terminal of the first oscillating unit.

14. The random number generator of claim 13, further comprising:

a clock generator and control unit configured to generate the mode signal and a sampling clock; and

a sampling unit configured to receive an output of the entropy source combination unit and the sampling clock.

15. The random number generator of claim 13, wherein the first oscillating unit includes a meta-oscillator.

16. The random number generator of claim 13, wherein the first oscillating unit is configured as a ring oscillator in the first mode.

17. The random number generator of claim 13, wherein the entropy is accumulated by the entropy source combination unit when the first and second noise source signals are different from each other.