Secure Element Trust Verification for Electronic Assemblies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Critical infrastructures such as medical technology, traffic technology, and food production require highly reliable and trustworthy electronics, but existing methods lack robust and reliable evidence of the trustworthiness of electronic assemblies and their components, especially in globalized production chains and transnational exchanges.
Innovation Solution
A method using a CPU, bus interface, and secure element to prove the trustworthiness of electronic assemblies by comparing actual and target state values, including cryptographic operations, to ensure the authenticity and integrity of components, with a secure element storing target state values and verifying them against actual state values using an evaluation algorithm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If globalized production chains are used to manufacture electronic assemblies, then productivity and manufacturing capability are improved, but the ability to verify trustworthiness and traceability of components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by creating a digital twin of the electronic assembly during manufacturing, storing the actual state values (serial numbers, component characteristics, assembly data) in a secure element before the product leaves the factory. This pre-established digital record enables later verification of trustworthiness without requiring physical inspection or disassembly of the assembled product, thus maintaining high productivity while ensuring verification capability.
2Reliability
If comprehensive tracking of all components is implemented, then trustworthiness verification is improved, but device complexity and data management burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies copying by creating a digital twin - a virtual copy of the electronic assembly that contains all necessary information about its components and assembly state. Instead of physically tracking each component through complex systems, the digital twin stores replicated data (serial numbers, component characteristics, assembly timestamps) that can be verified computationally. This reduces physical tracking complexity while maintaining comprehensive verification capability.
3Measurement precision
If strict verification of all assembly components is performed, then measurement precision of trustworthiness is improved, but productivity and manufacturing speed decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies self-service by implementing automatic verification systems that compare the stored digital twin data with the actual assembled product using machine learning algorithms and cryptographic validation. The system autonomously assesses trustworthiness without requiring manual inspection of each component, enabling high-speed automated verification that maintains precision while preserving manufacturing productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method and a secure element for detecting the trustworthiness of an electronic assembly (100). The secure element (200) comprises a control unit (210), a record storage device (230), and a secure storage device (220); the record storage device (230) comprises a target state value (235) of the assembly (100); the secure storage device (220) comprises a private key (226) of a proof of origin (222); the secure element (200) has a public key (224) of the proof of origin (222), said public key being output to a requesting processing unit; and the control unit (210) is designed to carry out the method in order to detect the trustworthiness. The method has the steps of ascertaining an actual state value (233) of the actual state of the assembly (100), reading the target state value (235) from the record storage device (230), verifying the authenticity of the secure element (200), processing the actual state value (233) and the target state value (235), and deciding whether the actual state is sufficiently similar to or compatible with or matches the target state such that a trust criterion is satisfied.