Charge Retention Circuit for Power-Independent Access Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic circuits face challenges in protecting sensitive information from fraud and unauthorized access, as current protection mechanisms increase processing time and are vulnerable to power disruptions, and encryption/decryption modules are difficult to protect, leading to system fragility and increased vulnerability with internet usage.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a charge retention circuit that stores access information independently of power supply, allowing for automatic counting of resource usage and temporary or permanent blocking of access when a threshold is exceeded, thereby limiting fraudulent use and maintaining security without constant power consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If protection mechanisms (countermeasures) are implemented to protect sensitive information, then security against fraud attempts is improved, but information processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity against fraudVSAvoidinformation processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements access counters that are preliminarily configured with threshold values before actual access occurs. The counters track resource usage in advance and automatically trigger access blocking when thresholds are exceeded, eliminating the need for real-time analysis decisions that would consume processing time. This preliminary setup of security parameters resolves the contradiction by pre-establishing protection rules that execute automatically without impacting processing speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If protection mechanisms are implemented to detect and block fraud, then security is improved, but the circuit requires continuous power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity protectionVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs self-service mechanisms where access counters automatically track resource usage and autonomously enforce access limits without requiring continuous monitoring or intervention from powered security processing units. The counters operate independently, accumulating access counts and automatically blocking resources when thresholds are reached, thereby maintaining security protection while eliminating the need for continuous power consumption by security circuits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Adaptability or versatility

If encryption/decryption modules are made available for multiple users, then system versatility is improved, but vulnerability to fraud increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemulti-user accessVSAvoidfraud vulnerability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the shared encryption/decryption resource into individually controllable access units, each with its own access counter. Instead of treating multi-user access as a single resource pool, the system divides it into discrete access tracks that can be independently monitored and limited. This segmentation allows versatile multi-user functionality while preventing fraud by enforcing individual usage thresholds on each access stream, thereby resolving the contradiction between versatility and security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

This solution effectively limits resource usage and prevents fraudulent access by automatically tracking and managing access to protected resources, enhancing security and reducing power consumption, while being compatible with existing systems and countermeasures.

Implementation Method 1

a charge retention circuit (100) whose charge level varies over time as a function of time, independently of any power supply to the circuit

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCharge retention: Capacitance

Data Source

PatentEP2108164B1Limitation of access to a resource of an electronic circuit
Publication Date: 2015.08.26 PROTON WORLD INT
  • EP2108164B1 patent drawingFigure 1~4
  • EP2108164B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6
  • EP2108164B1 patent drawingFigure 7

AI summary

The invention relates to a method and circuit for controlling access to at least one resource of an electronic circuit, in which access to the resource is determined following the testing (32) of the value of at least one bit of a counter (COUNT), said counter being automatically restarted at the end of a period of time independent of whether or not the circuit is powered.