Securely field configurable device

• US 7,702,927 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verayo, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Verayo, Inc.
• Inventors: Ziola, Thomas J., Devadas, Srinivas
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami; Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): POGMORE, TRAVIS D
• Application Number:
  US11/272,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 713/194, 713/191, 717/168
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/76 in application-specific integrated circuits [ASIC] or field-programmable devices, e.g. field-programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/20 Initialising; Data preset; Chip identification
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/22 Safety or protection circuits preventing unauthorised or accidental access to memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/4402 Internal storage of test result, quality data, chip identification, repair information
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/5002 Characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/24 Memory cell safety or protection circuits, e.g. arrangements for preventing inadvertent reading or writing; Status cells; Test cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0877 using additional device, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard, USB or hardware security module [HSM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/304 based on error correction codes, e.g. McEliece
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3278 using physically unclonable functions [PUF]

Abstract

A field configurable device, such as an FPGA, supports secure field configuration without using non-volatile storage for cryptographic keys on the device and without requiring a continuous or ongoing power source to maintain a volatile storage on the device. The approach can be used to secure the configuration data such that it can in general be used on a single or a selected set of devices and/or encryption of the configuration data so that the encrypted configuration data can be exposed without compromising information encoded in the configuration data.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an electronic device comprising:

forming first configuration data for the device, the first configuration data including data for forming a first module for generating a volatile response that depends on fabrication variation among like devices configured according to the configuration data;

configuring the device using the first configuration data and using the configured device to generate a first volatile response from the first module and outputting a signal from the device that depends on the volatile response; and

forming second configuration data for the device based on the outputted signal, the second configuration data including data for forming the first module and data for implementing a comparison of the first volatile response and a volatile response generated by the first module according to the second configuration data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the device using the second configuration data.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

operating the device configured using the second configuration data, including a comparing the first volatile response and a volatile response generated by the first module and selectively inhibiting operation of functionality specified in the second configuration data depending on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second configuration data includes data for inhibiting operation of functionality specified in the second configuration data depending on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second configuration data includes data representing a value determined from the outputted signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the device includes a programmable gate array.