Boot Device Controls Unidirectional State Transition for Secure IC Diagnosis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuit devices deployed with proprietary or confidential software face challenges in diagnosis and repair, as enabling access to programming circuitry for diagnosis risks unauthorized access and security vulnerabilities, such as 'break once, read everywhere' attacks.
Innovation Solution
A programmable integrated circuit device with a one-time programmable memory module and a boot device that controls life cycle states, allowing authorized unidirectional advancement from an operational state to an inspection state, using authenticated credentials and unique identifiers to prevent unauthorized access, and employing a secure boot mechanism to lock and unlock access during specific time intervals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If access to programming circuitry is enabled for diagnosis, then diagnostic capability is improved, but security is worsened due to risk of unauthorized access and 'break once, read everywhere' attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions before enabling diagnostic access. The boot device verifies credentials and authorizes state transitions in advance, ensuring that only authenticated entities can access programming resources during the inspection state.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a boot device as an intermediary between the diagnostic entity and the programming resources. This boot device controls the life cycle state transitions and mediates access requests, preventing direct unauthorized access to programming circuitry while enabling controlled diagnostic access.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If programming resources are locked in operational state, then security is improved, but diagnostic access is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically transitions between operational state and inspection state based on authenticated requests. The lock control circuit responds to control signals from the boot device to authorize unidirectional advancement from operational to inspection state, providing conditional access rather than static locking.
Solution Approach 2:
The boot device outputs control signals during specific time intervals (boot cycles) to authorize state transitions. The time interval may be coterminous with the boot cycle or offset by predetermined times, creating periodic windows for authorized diagnostic access.
3Ease of repair
If unidirectional state advancement is authorized, then diagnostic access is improved, but permanent state change risk is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The lock control circuit provides feedback by monitoring control signals from the boot device and responding by authorizing or denying state transitions. This feedback mechanism ensures that state advancements are properly authorized and tracked, maintaining reliability while enabling inspection access.
Data Source
AI summary
A programmable integrated circuit device includes a programmable core, a boot device configured to boot up the programmable core, and a one-time programmable memory module controlling life cycle states of the programmable integrated circuit device, including (i) an operational state during which programming resources of the programmable device are locked, and (ii) an inspection state in which the programming resources of the programmable device are accessible. The one-time programmable memory module is configured to allow unidirectional advance from the operational state to the inspection state, when authorized by a lock control circuit responsive to control signals from the boot device to authorize the unidirectional advance from the operational state to the inspection state. Authorization of the unidirectional advance may be limited to a time interval during a boot cycle of the programmable device. The unidirectional advance may be based on receipt of an authenticated request from a requester.