HIGH SECURITY FLASH MEMORY AND METHOD

• US 20020090117A1
• Filed: 12/22/1998
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: KRAMER, ALAN
• Granted Patent: US 6,442,286 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/124
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/10 Image acquisition document image scanning and transmission H04N1/00; control of digital cameras H04N23/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/1306 non-optical, e.g. ultrasonic or capacitive sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/40 Spoof detection, e.g. liveness detection
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 27/005 with non-volatile charge storage, e.g. on floating gate or MNOS

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a sensor that reads a fingerprint and provides data corresponding to the fingerprint to a computation engine coupled to the sensor. The computation engine compares the data to stored data and enables a smart card coupled to the computation engine when the data and the stored data match. The computation engine may include an array of flash memory cells arranged in pairs of rows, where flash memory cells in any one row have sources coupled to a common row line and a plurality of conductance mode neurons each having first and second inputs coupled to first and second row lines forming a respective pair of rows. The neurons are coupled to the flash memory cells through a buffer circuit sets a drain-source voltage of the flash memory cells in the row pair coupled to the neuron.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a sensor that reads a fingerprint and provides data corresponding to the fingerprint; and

a computation engine coupled to the sensor that compares the data to stored data, the computation engine enabling a smart card coupled to the computation engine when the data and the stored data match.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the computation engine comprises:

an array of flash memory cells arranged in pairs of rows, flash memory cells in any one row having sources coupled to a common row line;

a plurality of conductance mode neurons each having first and second inputs coupled to first and second row lines forming a respective pair of rows; and

a buffer circuit formed in each neuron that sets a drain-source voltage of the flash memory cells in the row pair coupled to the neuron.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the computation engine comprises:

an array of flash memory cells arranged in pairs of rows, flash memory cells in any one row having sources coupled to a common row line;

a plurality of conductance mode neurons each having first and second inputs coupled to first and second row lines forming a respective pair of rows; and

a buffer circuit formed in each neuron that sets a drain-source voltage to cause the flash memory cells in the row pair coupled to the neuron to operate in the triode region.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint sensor comprises:

a matrix of row conductors and column conductors;

a capacitor plate located at each intersection of the row and column conductors, the capacitor being coupled to the row conductor through a first transistor and to the column conductor through a second transistor; and

sensing circuitry coupled to the matrix.

5. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller that determines how many times the data and the stored data do not match; and

circuitry that disables the computation engine when the number of times that the data and the stored data do not match exceeds a predetermined threshold.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the computation engine disables the smart card when the data and the stored data do not match.

7. An instrument comprising:

a sensor that reads a fingerprint and provides data corresponding to the fingerprint;

a computation engine coupled to the sensor that compares the data to stored data; and

a smart card coupled to the computation engine that is enabled when the data and the stored data match.

8. The instrument of claim 7, wherein the sensor and the computation engine are formed on a single integrated circuit.

9. The instrument of claim 7, wherein the sensor and the computation engine are formed on separate integrated circuits.

10. The instrument of claim 7, wherein the computation engine comprises:

an array of flash memory cells arranged in pairs of rows, flash memory cells in any one row having sources coupled to a common row line;

a plurality of conductance mode neurons each having first and second inputs coupled to first and second row lines forming a respective pair of rows; and

a buffer circuit formed in each neuron that sets a drain-source voltage to cause the flash memory cells in the row pair coupled to the neuron to operate in the triode region.

11. A method of encoding data in a programmable memory comprising:

defining an input dataset;

writing the input dataset to memory cells in the programmable memory;

verifying that data stored in the memory cells corresponds to the input dataset; and

disabling write capability of circuitry carrying out the act of writing the input dataset when verifying determines that data in the memory cells corresponds to the input dataset.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the act of defining an input dataset comprises defining an input dataset including multiple fingerprints.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling an instrument including the memory to an interactive system;

providing a first dataset to the memory;

comparing the first dataset and the input dataset; and

enabling a transaction when the first dataset matches the input dataset.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the act of defining an input dataset comprises defining an input dataset including fingerprint data from a finger.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

coupling an instrument including the memory to an interactive system;

providing a first dataset to the memory;

comparing the first dataset and the input dataset; and

disabling a transaction when the first dataset does not match the input dataset.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the act of presenting authorization credentials comprises presenting a fingerprint to a fingerprint scanning device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the act of presenting authorization credentials includes presenting at least one of a pulse and a temperature.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the act of presenting authorization credentials comprises presenting a fingerprint to a fingerprint sensing device; and

the act of enabling a transaction includes;

comparing data from the fingerprint sensing device to data stored in a flash memory array by groups of conductance mode neurons; and

enabling the transaction when the act of comparing determines that data from the fingerprint sensing device match the data stored in the flash memory array.

16. A method of controlling access to data stored in a memory comprising:

presenting authorization credentials to an authorization mechanism having an output coupled to an enable input to the memory;

enabling a transaction external to the authorization mechanism when the authorization credentials are approved by the authorization mechanism;

entering a record relating to the transaction in a portion of the memory;

determining when a number of unsuccessful presentation attempts exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

disabling capability to read the memory when the number of unsuccessful presentation attempts exceeds a predetermined threshold.

20. A method of controlling access to data stored in a memory comprising:

presenting a fingerprint to a fingerprint sensing device contained in an instrument;

comparing data from the fingerprint sensing device to data stored in a flash memory array by groups of conductance mode neurons contained in the instrument;

enabling access to a memory when the act of comparing determines that the data from the fingerprint sensing device match the data stored in the flash memory array.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

enabling a transaction external to the instrument based on data from the memory when the act of comparing determines that the data from the fingerprint sensing device match data stored in the flash memory array; and

entering a record relating to the transaction in a portion of the memory.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising disabling a transaction external to the instrument when the data from the fingerprint sensing device do not match the data stored in the flash memory array.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

counting a number of times that a transaction has been disabled;

determining when the number of times that a transaction has been disabled exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

disabling capability to read the memory when the number exceeds the predetermined threshold.

24. The method of claim 20 further comprising disabling access to the memory when the act of comparing determines that the data from the fingerprint sensing device do not match the data stored in the flash memory array.

25. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

counting a number of times that a transaction has been disabled;

determining when the number of times that a transaction has been disabled exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

disabling capability to sense fingerprints when the act of determining determines that the number exceeds the predetermined threshold.

26. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

counting a number of times that a transaction has been disabled;

determining when the number of times that a transaction has been disabled exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

erasing records relating to financial transactions that are stored in the portion of the memory when the act of determining determines that the number exceeds the predetermined threshold.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

counting a number of times that transactions have been disabled;

determining when the number of times that transactions have been disabled exceeds a predetermined threshold; and

erasing data stored in the flash memory array when the act of determining determines that the number exceeds the predetermined threshold.