Encrypted IP Core Simulation via Truth-Table Obfuscation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing licensing models for intellectual property (IP) cores in integrated circuits either lack simulation capabilities due to hard-core licensing, which hides circuit details, or are too costly with soft-core licensing, limiting market applications where IP core simulation is required.
Innovation Solution
An encrypted functional description of IP cores is provided, using generic placeholder nodes with encrypted truth-tables that obscure the underlying circuit functions, allowing simulation while maintaining design confidentiality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hard-core licensing is used to protect intellectual property by hiding circuit details, then IP protection is improved, but simulation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces encrypted functional descriptions as an intermediary representation that sits between the proprietary circuit design and the simulation process. This encrypted description contains all necessary simulation information while maintaining IP protection through encryption, allowing simulation tools to operate without exposing the actual circuit details.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the circuit description from a human-readable format containing detailed circuit information into an encrypted format where the functional behavior is preserved but the structural details are obscured through encryption. This parameter change in the description format enables both IP protection and simulation capability.
2Ease of operation
If soft-core licensing is used to provide simulation capability with full circuit details, then simulation capability is improved, but IP protection deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encrypted functional description serves as a mediator that provides simulation capability without revealing the actual circuit implementation. Simulation tools can use this encrypted description for all simulation purposes while the proprietary circuit details remain protected from exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates an encrypted copy of the functional behavior that is sufficient for simulation purposes but does not reveal the original circuit structure. This copy enables simulation while the original IP remains protected.
3Manufacturing precision
If full circuit details are provided for simulation, then integration accuracy is improved, but risk of IP copying deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of the circuit description from plaintext to encrypted format, preserving all functional information needed for accurate integration simulation while eliminating the risk of IP copying through encryption.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If circuit details are hidden for IP protection, then risk of IP copying is reduced, but ability to identify faults deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The encrypted functional description acts as an intermediary that enables fault simulation and identification without exposing the actual circuit structure. Fault analysis can be performed on the encrypted representation, maintaining both IP protection and fault detection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for creating protected functional descriptions of integrated circuits provides an encrypted functional description that allows the integrated circuit to be simulated with respect to producing outputs for given sets of inputs without identification of the constituent components of the integrated circuit such as the logical gates making up the integrated circuit. The encrypted functional description may include encrypted truth-tables describing the generic gates of the integrated circuit, the encrypted truth-tables securing the function of each logical gate by including multiple redundant table entries mapped to alias values of Boolean logical states and erroneous table entries.