Method of operating a security token, computer program product and security token

• US 10,609,012 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Suwald, Thomas, Burghardt, Arne
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelagay, Shewaye
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Carlton
• Application Number:
  US14/527,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20150121499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,980 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0229 where the received signal is a wanted signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/028 switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

There is provided a method of operating a security token, said security token comprising a secure element and a microcontroller unit being coupled to said secure element, wherein: the secure element receives an authentication command from a host device while the microcontroller unit is in a first sleep state; the secure element decodes the authentication command, sends a corresponding authentication request to the microcontroller unit and subsequently enters into a second sleep state; the microcontroller unit wakes up upon receiving the authentication request and subsequently determines an amount of available power; the microcontroller unit processes the authentication request only if the amount of available power exceeds a threshold. Furthermore, a corresponding computer program product and a corresponding security token are provided.

Claims

1. A method of operating a security token, said security token comprising a secure element and a microcontroller unit coupled to said secure element, wherein:

the secure element receives an authentication command from a host device while the microcontroller unit is in a first sleep state and the secure element is in a third sleep state prior to receiving the authentication command;

the secure element decodes the authentication command, sends a corresponding authentication request to the microcontroller unit, and subsequently enters into a second sleep state, wherein power is restricted, but not completely switched off, to the microcontroller unit in the first sleep state and the secure element in both the second sleep state and the third sleep state;

the microcontroller unit wakes up upon receiving the authentication request and subsequently determines an amount of available power from an antenna of the security token; and

the microcontroller unit processes the authentication request only after the amount of available power exceeds a threshold.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller unit processes the authentication request by controlling a user interface for capturing user credentials.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, when the microcontroller unit has captured the user credentials through said user interface, the microcontroller unit sends said user credentials to the secure element and subsequently returns to the first sleep state.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the secure element wakes up upon receiving the user credentials and verifies said user credentials in order to generate an authentication result.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the secure element, after having generated the authentication result, sends the authentication result to the host device and subsequently returns to the second sleep state.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller unit determines the amount of available power by measuring a voltage present on the antenna of said security token.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller unit, when the amount of available power does not exceed the threshold, further monitors said amount of available power and processes the authentication request after the amount of available power changes such that it exceeds the threshold.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secure element wakes up upon receiving said authentication command.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller unit is in a reset state prior to being in the first sleep state.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the threshold is predetermined.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein power is delivered from the antenna to the microcontroller unit through a bridge rectifier and a power converter.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when being executed by a secure element and a microcontroller unit, operate a security token, comprising:

instructions for receiving, in the secure element, an authentication command from a host device while the microcontroller unit is in a first sleep state and the secure element is in a third sleep state prior to receiving the authentication command;

instructions for decoding, in the secure element, the authentication command;

instructions for sending a corresponding authentication request from the secure element to the microcontroller unit and subsequently entering the secure element into a second sleep state, wherein power is restricted, but not completely switched off, to the microcontroller unit in the first sleep state and the secure element in both the second sleep state and the third sleep state;

instructions for waking up the microcontroller unit upon receiving the authentication request;

instructions for, in the microcontroller unit, subsequently determining an amount of available power from an antenna of the security token; and

instructions for, in the microcontroller unit, processing the authentication request only after the amount of available power exceeds a threshold.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, further comprising:

instructions for measuring a voltage present on the antenna of said security token.

14. A security token comprising a secure element and a microcontroller unit being coupled to said secure element, wherein:

the secure element is configured to receive an authentication command from a host device while the microcontroller unit is in a first sleep state and the secure element is in a third sleep state prior to receiving the authentication command;

the secure element is configured to decode the authentication command, to send a corresponding authentication request to the microcontroller unit and to subsequently enter into a second sleep state, wherein power is restricted, but not completely switched off, to the microcontroller unit in the first sleep state and the secure element in both the second sleep state and the third sleep state;

the microcontroller unit is configured to wake up upon receiving the authentication request and to subsequently determine an amount of available power from an antenna of the security token; and

the microcontroller unit is configured to process the authentication request only after the amount of available power exceeds a threshold.

15. The security token as claimed in claim 14, wherein said security token is a smart card.

16. The security token of claim 14, wherein the microcontroller unit determines the amount of available power by measuring a voltage present on the antenna of said security token.