Secure Circuit Power Gating for Sensor Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices often include recording sensors like cameras and microphones that can be undesirable in secure or private contexts, but permanently disabling them can interfere with device functionality.
Innovation Solution
A secure circuit controls a gating circuit to enable or disable input sensors, such as through power, clock, or control signal management, ensuring that other device elements cannot re-enable the sensors once disabled, and integrating user authentication mechanisms to manage sensor access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If recording sensors are permanently disabled, then security and privacy are improved, but device functionality is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of sensor enabling/disabling through a secure circuit that can change the state of sensors based on security conditions. The sensor is not permanently disabled but rather its operational state is dynamically adjusted by the secure circuit based on authentication status and security policies, allowing the system to adapt between security and functionality needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The secure circuit acts as an intermediary between the processor and the sensor. It controls whether the sensor can be enabled or disabled by other device elements through a gating circuit. This intermediary layer ensures that security requirements are met while allowing legitimate access to the sensor when needed, thus resolving the contradiction between security and functionality.
2Reliability
If sensors are disabled by secure circuit, then illicit recording is reduced, but sensor accessibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The secure circuit serves as an intermediary that manages sensor accessibility. It receives requests from other device elements to enable or disable the sensor and makes authorization decisions based on security conditions and authentication status. This intermediary approach maintains privacy by controlling access while preserving ease of operation for authorized users who can request sensor access through proper authentication channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the secure circuit monitors security conditions and authentication status to dynamically adjust sensor accessibility. When authentication succeeds or security conditions are met, the secure circuit enables the sensor; when security conditions are not met, it disables the sensor. This feedback loop ensures privacy protection while maintaining operational ease for legitimate use cases.
3Reliability
If other elements cannot enable disabled sensors, then security control is improved, but device flexibility is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The secure circuit acts as a gatekeeper intermediary that controls whether other device elements can enable the sensor. When the secure circuit determines that security conditions are not met, it prevents other elements from enabling the sensor through the gating circuit. When security conditions are satisfied, it allows authorized elements to enable the sensor. This intermediary control mechanism maintains strong security control while preserving device flexibility for legitimate operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the level of control over sensor enabling based on security conditions. The secure circuit can transition between states where it strictly prevents sensor enabling and states where it allows authorized enabling. This dynamic control approach ensures that security control is maintained when needed while allowing device flexibility when security conditions permit, thus resolving the contradiction between security control and device flexibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are disclosed in which a secure circuit controls a gating circuit to enable or disable other circuity of a device (e.g., one or more input sensors). For example, the gating circuit may be a power gating circuit and the secure circuit may be configured to disable power to an input sensor in certain situations. As another example, the gating circuit may be a clock gating circuit and the secure circuit may be configured to disable the clock to an input sensor. As yet another example, the gating circuit may be configured to gate a control bus and the secure circuit may be configured to disable control signals to an input sensor. In some embodiments, hardware resources included in or controlled by the secure circuit are not accessible by other elements of the device, other than by sending requests to a predetermined set of memory locations (e.g., a secure mailbox).