Ambient Light Random Number Generator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing random number generators based on light require a light emitter, which increases costs, complexity, energy consumption, and space requirements, making them difficult to integrate into smaller devices, and introduces reliability issues due to the potential failure of the light emitter.
Innovation Solution
A random number generator that utilizes a light sensor with multiple pixels to generate digital signals based on ambient light, allowing for the reuse of existing light sensors without additional hardware, and employs a controller to select and combine digital signals for entropy-based random number generation, even in low illumination conditions, while ensuring privacy through data processing and subset transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a light emitter is used in the random number generator, then random numbers can be generated based on light entropy, but the device complexity, cost, energy consumption, and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the light emitter component from the random number generator system, utilizing only the light sensor to detect ambient light for entropy generation. This eliminates the complexity, cost, and energy requirements associated with the light emitter while maintaining the core functionality of generating random numbers from light entropy.
Solution Approach 2:
The light sensor serves multiple functions: it acts as both the entropy source detector for random number generation and can potentially serve other sensing functions in the device. By making the light sensor multi-functional, the patent avoids adding dedicated hardware while maintaining random number generation capability.
2Reliability
If a light emitter is used in the random number generator, then random numbers can be generated, but the energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitter is completely removed from the system, eliminating its energy consumption entirely. The random number generator now relies solely on detecting ambient light energy that would otherwise be wasted, converting environmental energy into useful entropy without requiring additional power input for light emission.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes ambient light that is already present in the environment, making the random number generator self-sufficient regarding energy input. The ambient light serves as a free entropy source, eliminating the need for active energy consumption to generate the light required for entropy extraction.
3Reliability
If a light emitter is used in the random number generator, then random numbers can be generated, but the space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitter component is removed from the device, eliminating the physical space it would occupy. The random number generator is reduced to essentially the light sensor component plus control logic, significantly reducing the volume required for the random number generation subsystem.
Solution Approach 2:
The light sensor, which would exist anyway for other device functions, is made multi-functional by also serving as the entropy source for random number generation. This eliminates the need for additional dedicated space for random number generation hardware.
4Reliability
If a light emitter is used in the random number generator, then random numbers can be generated, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitter is removed from the bill of materials, eliminating its cost. The random number generator can be manufactured using only the light sensor component that would already be present in most modern electronic devices, significantly reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The light sensor serves dual purposes: its primary function in the device and as the entropy source for random number generation. This eliminates the need to purchase and install separate light emitter components, reducing both component costs and assembly costs.
5Device complexity
If a light emitter is used in the random number generator, then random numbers can be generated, but the reliability decreases due to potential light emitter failure
Solution Approach 1:
The light emitter is removed from the system, eliminating the failure mode associated with light emitter malfunction. The random number generator now depends only on the light sensor, which has higher reliability and longer operational life, thereby improving the overall reliability of the random number generation function.
6Device complexity
If ambient light is used for random number generation, then no additional hardware is needed, but the entropy quality may be insufficient in low light conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts to varying ambient light conditions by adjusting its operation. In low light conditions, the controller can modify the entropy extraction process or combine data from multiple sources to maintain sufficient entropy quality, ensuring reliable random number generation across different environmental conditions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the generation of random numbers in smaller devices without additional hardware, improves reliability by using ambient light, and enhances privacy by processing and transmitting only a subset of data, reducing the risk of image reconstruction.
Implementation Method 1
a light sensor, comprising a plurality of pixels configured to output a corresponding plurality of digital signals, each digital signal encoding a digital value representative of an amount of light reaching the respective pixel
Data Source
Figure 1A~2
Figure 3~5
Figure 6~8
AI summary
The present invention generally relates to a random number generator (100, 400, 500, 600, 800) comprising a light sensor (110, 310, 710, 810), comprising a plurality of pixels (111, 311, P0-Pn) configured to output a corresponding plurality of digital signals (S0-Sn), each digital signal encoding a digital value representative of an amount of light reaching the respective pixel (111, 311, P0-Pn, P'0-P'n), and a controller (120), configured to generate (S240) a random number (RN) based on at least part of at least one of the plurality of digital signals (S0-Sn).