Hard-wired Security Circuit for Reliable Event Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices struggle to reliably store information about security events without software intervention, especially when external attacks force the killing of device functions.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device with a dedicated security monitoring circuit and memory, where the security circuit is hard-wired and cannot be intervened by software, detects external attacks, generates attack information, and stores encrypted event information in a security memory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software-based security functions are used to detect and respond to external attacks, then the device can respond to attacks, but the security information cannot be reliably stored when functions are forcibly killed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the security system into separate functional modules: detectors for attack detection, monitoring circuits for signal reception, security circuits for logic processing, and security memories for information storage. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in its function, with security memories dedicated solely to storing security event information independently of software-controlled functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces security memories as intermediary storage components between the monitoring circuits and the external environment. These security memories act as a trusted intermediary that can retain security information even when other device functions are killed, providing a reliable bridge for security data preservation.
2Reliability
If hard-wired security circuits are implemented to ensure reliable storage, then security information can be stored without software intervention, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple security functions (detection, monitoring, processing, and storage) into an integrated security system with hard-wired connections. The security circuits and security memories are combined in a way that ensures security information flows through dedicated hardware paths, eliminating software intervention points and enhancing reliability.
3Reliability
If security memories are dedicated and hard-wired, then software cannot intervene in security information storage, but the ease of operation and flexibility are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The security memories are designed to automatically store security event information without requiring software configuration or intervention. The hard-wired security circuits autonomously detect attacks, process security logic, and trigger storage operations, making the system self-sufficient and eliminating the need for complex software management.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is an electronic device with a security circuit. The electronic device includes one or more detectors that detect an external attack, a monitoring circuit that receives a detection signal from the one or more detectors in response to the external attack, and generates attack information about the attack from the detection signal, and a security circuit that is implemented with hard-wired logic and is activated in a security mode. The security circuit includes a controller that receives the attack information from the monitoring circuit and determines whether a security event has occurred by calculating an attack count from the attack information, and a security memory that encrypts and stores event information about the security event responsive to a determination from the controller that a security event has occurred.