Component Authentication Using Stored Cryptographic Output Chains
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Non-authentic components in electronic systems, particularly in printing systems, mimic authentic components to deceive authentication mechanisms, making it difficult to ensure correct operation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a supply item follower component and an imaging device leader component that perform iterative cryptographic functions using a seed stored in non-volatile memory, comparing outputs to determine authenticity, and optionally using threshold times to verify the component's legitimacy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If non-authentic components use firmware on programmable microcontrollers to replicate encryption, then it becomes easier to produce counterfeit components that pass authentication, but the reliability of the authentication system deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based encryption (firmware on microcontroller) with hardware-based cryptographic circuits. The authentic component uses dedicated cryptographic hardware that performs encryption/decryption operations, making it significantly more difficult to replicate than software implementations. This hardware substitution creates a physical barrier to counterfeiting while maintaining authentication reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of authentication from software-executable algorithms to hardware-enforced cryptographic operations. By transitioning from firmware-based encryption to dedicated cryptographic circuits, the system alters the complexity and replicability parameters, making counterfeiting substantially more difficult while preserving authentication functionality.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If authentication systems use complex cryptographic functions with iterative calculations, then the difficulty for counterfeiters increases, but the processing time and computational resources required increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary cryptographic calculations during manufacturing and stores the results in non-volatile memory. Instead of performing complex iterative cryptographic calculations during authentication, the system pre-computes cryptographic values (such as hash chains or encrypted seeds) and stores them. During authentication, only verification operations are needed, dramatically reducing processing time while maintaining high security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the authentication process into two distinct phases: a computationally intensive setup phase performed during manufacturing (preliminary action), and a lightweight verification phase performed during authentication. This segmentation separates the heavy computational burden from the time-critical authentication operation, resolving the contradiction between security complexity and processing speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the authenticity of a component in an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a seed by a component in the electronic device; storing the seed in a block of non-volatile memory in the component; calculating, by the component, the output of a cryptographic function with the input based on the seed and storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; iteratively calculating, by the component, the outputs of the cryptographic function wherein for each iteration the input for the cryptographic function is based on the seed and all previous outputs, and for each iteration storing the output in the block of non-volatile memory; and determining the authenticity of the component based on a selected output of the cryptographic function F, the selected output being one of the outputs stored in the block of non-volatile memory.