Semiconductor device and method for operating the same

• US 20090129593A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ishii, Masato
• Application Number:
  US11/921,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129593A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

It is an object of the present invention to provide a wireless chip in which a hardware thereof is not required to be modified in each time that encryption algorithm with higher security is developed. In a wireless chip, a circuit capable of communicating information by wireless communication, a CPU, and a memory are included. In the memory, two or more regions, of each a region to which an encryption program is assigned and a region to which a decryption is assigned, are included. Accordingly, a wireless chip in which an encryption/decryption program can be rewritten without modifying a hardware structure can be provided.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a circuit capable of communicating information by wireless communication;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory comprises a plurality of regions to which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is assigned.

8. A semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the memory includes a memory that has a structure capable of being rewritten.

9. A semiconductor device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the memory includes a write-once memory.

2. A semiconductor device comprising:

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory comprises a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption program that is recorded in the memory in a case of writing encryption information into the control resistor, and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

3. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonance circuit having an antenna and a resonance capacitor;

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory comprises a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded,

wherein the resonance circuit has a function for receiving an electric wave and generating an alternating current signal on both sides of the antenna, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption program that is recorded in the memory in a case of writing encryption information into the control resistor, and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

4. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonance circuit having an antenna and a resonance capacitor;

an electric power generation circuit;

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory has a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded,

wherein the resonance circuit has a function for receiving an electric wave and generating an alternating current signal on both sides of the antenna,

wherein the electric power generation circuit has a function for rectifying the alternating current signal by a diode and smoothing the alternating current signal with the use of a capacitor to generate an electric power, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption program that is recorded in the memory in a case of writing encryption information in to the control resistor, and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonance circuit having an antenna and a resonance capacitor;

an electric power generation circuit;

a clock generation circuit;

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory has a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded,

wherein the resonance circuit has a function for receiving an electric wave and generating an alternating current signal on both sides of the antenna,

wherein the electric generation circuit has a function for rectifying the alternating current circuit by a diode and smoothing the alternating current circuit with the use of the capacitor to generate an electric power,

wherein the clock generation circuit has a function for generating a clock signal based on the alternating current signal, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption program that is recorded in the memory in a case of writing encryption information into the control resistor and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonance circuit having an antenna and a resonance capacitor;

an electric power generation circuit;

a clock generation circuit;

a demodulation circuit;

a data extraction circuit;

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory has a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded,

wherein the resonance circuit has a function for receiving an electric wave and generating an alternating current signal on both sides of the antenna;

wherein the electric power generation circuit has a function for rectifying the alternating current signal by a diode and smoothing the alternating current signal with the use of a capacitor to generate an electric power,

wherein the clock generation circuit has a function for generating a clock signal based on the alternating current signal,

wherein the demodulation circuit has a function for demodulating the alternating current signal and transmitting demodulated data to the data extraction circuit, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption circuit that is recorded in the memory in a case of writing encryption information into the control resistor, and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

7. A semiconductor device comprising:

a resonance circuit having an antenna and a resonance capacitor;

an electric generation circuit;

a clock generation circuit;

a demodulation circuit;

a modulation circuit;

a data extraction circuit;

a control resistor;

a CPU; and

a memory,

wherein the memory has a plurality of regions in which at least one of an encryption program and a decryption program is recorded,

wherein the resonance circuit has a function for receiving an electric wave and generating an alternating current signal on both sides of the antenna,

wherein the electric power generation circuit has a function for rectifying the alternating current signal by a diode and smoothing the alternating current signal with the use of a capacitor to generate an electric power,

wherein the clock generation circuit has a function for generating a clock signal based on the alternating current signal,

wherein the demodulation circuit has a function for demodulating the alternating current signal and transmitting demodulated data to the data extraction circuit,

wherein the data extraction circuit has a function for extracting encryption information from the demodulated data and writing the extracted encryption information into the control resistor,

wherein the modulation circuit has a function for modulating a coded signal in which information of the control resistor is coded and outputting modulated data to the resonance circuit, and

wherein the CPU activates the decryption program that is recorded in the memory in case of writing encryption information into the control resistor, and decrypts the encryption information that is written into the control resistor.

10. A method for operating a semiconductor device, which includes a circuit capable of communicating information by wireless communication, a CPU, and a memory, comprising the steps of:

writing a first encryption program into a first region of the memory;

writing a second encryption program into a second region of the memory; and

writing a third encryption program into a third region of the memory.

14. A method for operating a semiconductor device according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the memory includes a memory that has a structure capable of being rewritten.

15. A method for operating a semiconductor device according to any one of claims 10 to 11, wherein the memory includes a write-once memory.

11. A method for operating a semiconductor device, which includes a circuit capable of communicating information by a wireless communication, a CPU, and a memory, comprising the steps of:

writing a first decryption program into a first region of the memory;

writing a second decryption program into a second region of the memory; and

writing a third decryption program into a third region of the memory.

12. A method for operating a semiconductor device, which includes a circuit capable of communicating information by wireless communication, a CPU, and a memory, comprising the steps of:

writing a first encryption program into a first region of the memory;

writing a second encryption program into a second region of the memory; and

writing a third encryption program into the first region of the memory.

13. A method for operating a semiconductor device, which includes a circuit capable of communicating information by wireless communication, a CPU, and a memory, comprising the steps of:

writing a first decryption program into a first region of the memory;

writing a second decryption program into a second region of the memory; and

writing a third decryption region into the first region of the memory.