Anti-tamper Assembly Using Radioactive Particle Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional electronic anti-tamper devices often increase weight, size, cost, complexity, and power consumption while failing to effectively prevent reverse engineering and physical tampering, and there is a need for improved protection against malware and unauthorized access.
Innovation Solution
An anti-tamper assembly featuring a printed circuit board with a uniform copper layer, a container with a quantum random source of radioactive particles, an image sensor, and a processor that captures and analyzes image frames for statistical changes to detect tampering, generating alerts and potentially erasing contents if unauthorized access is detected.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional electronic anti-tamper devices are used to protect integrated circuits, then security protection is provided, but weight, size, cost, complexity, and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple anti-tamper functions into a single integrated device. The housing encloses both the radioactive source and image sensor, merging radiation detection and random number generation into one compact unit that attaches directly to the circuit board, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining comprehensive security protection
Solution Approach 2:
The anti-tamper device performs multiple functions simultaneously: it detects tampering through radiation monitoring, generates random numbers for cryptographic operations, and provides physical protection through its enclosed housing. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate security components, thereby reducing device complexity
2Reliability
If conventional electronic anti-tamper devices are used to protect integrated circuits, then security protection is provided, but weight and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor is mounted within the housing that contains the radioactive source, creating a nested configuration. This nesting allows the detection mechanism to be housed within the same structure as the radiation source, minimizing the overall volume and weight of the anti-tamper device while maintaining effective security monitoring
Solution Approach 2:
The housing serves as a thin protective shell that encloses the radioactive source and image sensor. This shell provides structural protection and containment while adding minimal weight and volume, allowing the device to maintain compact dimensions suitable for attachment to circuit boards
3Reliability
If conventional electronic anti-tamper devices are used to protect integrated circuits, then security protection is provided, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor captures images at periodic intervals rather than continuously monitoring. This periodic operation significantly reduces power consumption compared to continuous monitoring, while still providing effective tamper detection by capturing snapshots of the radiation pattern at regular intervals
Solution Approach 2:
The radioactive source provides a constant radiation field that requires no external power, and the image sensor uses this existing radiation field to generate both security data and random numbers. The system leverages the inherent properties of the radioactive source rather than requiring additional powered components, thereby reducing overall power consumption
4Measurement precision
If a mesh coating with radioactivity is used to detect tampering, then tamper detection is provided, but reverse engineering protection is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The image sensor acts as an intermediary that captures images of the radioactive particles within the sealed housing. This indirect detection method through image capture provides both precise tamper detection and strong reverse engineering protection, as the actual radioactive source and sensor cannot be accessed or analyzed by would-be reverse engineers without compromising the sealed housing
5Adaptability or versatility
If the container is made larger to accommodate the quantum random source and image sensor, then random number generation capability is improved, but additional weight and size are added
Solution Approach 1:
The housing serves dual purposes: it contains the radioactive source and simultaneously houses the image sensor that detects radiation and generates random numbers. This merging of containment and detection functions into a single integrated structure eliminates the need for separate enclosures, minimizing the overall volume required to support random number generation capability
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
This invention relates to an anti-tamper assembly for a circuit board (15) comprising one or more electronic components (13), the assembly comprising: a container (10) having side walls, a first, closed end and a second, opposing, open end, the container being configured to be mounted on said circuit board (15) at said open end, over at least one of said electrical components (13), to form, in use, a sealed cavity around said at least one of said electrical components (13); a source (12) of radioactive particles mounted within said container (10); an image sensor (14) for capturing image frames within said sealed cavity, in use, wherein said image sensor (14) comprises a detector region defining an array of pixels; and a processor for receiving said captured image frames, monitoring said image frames for changes in the statistical distribution of active pixels and, in the event that statistical distribution of active pixels indicates the presence of a feature in an image frame, generating a tamper alert.