Fluid Cartridge Memory Encryption via Bit Scrambling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ink cartridges for imaging devices are vulnerable to reverse-engineering, allowing unauthorized cartridges to be created, which undermines authentication and verification processes.
Innovation Solution
A scrambling technique is applied to the bit sequence of the cartridge's memory, shifting and rearranging non-static bits based on predefined scrambling bits, while static bits remain unchanged, to prevent unauthorized access and ensure authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a bit sequence is used for cartridge verification, then authentication can be performed, but the cartridge becomes vulnerable to reverse-engineering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies encryption to the bit sequence before it is written to the cartridge memory during manufacturing. This preliminary encryption action ensures that when the cartridge is later verified by the imaging device, the encrypted data cannot be easily reverse-engineered, thus preventing the vulnerability while maintaining authentication capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the bit sequence by applying encryption algorithms that change the data representation. The imaging device possesses the decryption key or algorithm to verify the encrypted bit sequence, while third parties without this key cannot reverse-engineer the cartridge, thus changing the security parameter while preserving authentication function
Data Source
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AI summary
Encryption of fluid cartridges for use with imaging devices is disclosed herein. One disclosed apparatus includes a memory of a fluid cartridge comprising a plurality of sequential bits, where the plurality of sequential bits are written to the memory after the plurality of sequential bits are transformed based on scrambling bits of the plurality of sequential bits, and a memory interface of the fluid cartridge to enable access to the memory to authenticate the fluid cartridge.