Security Element Power Management via External Memory Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing system-on-chip devices face wear and tear issues due to frequent write cycles in non-volatile memory during idle state operations, leading to reduced service life and inefficient energy management.
Innovation Solution
The method involves transferring the current program configuration of the security element from volatile memory to an external memory within the system-on-chip device, allowing the energy supply to be switched off, and using a separate energy and communication manager module with volatile memory to manage energy and communication, reducing wear and enabling quicker hibernation and resumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the program configuration is transferred to non-volatile memory within the security element for sleep mode, then the security element can be completely powered down, but the non-volatile memory experiences wear and tear reducing its lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the memory system into two separate components: volatile memory within the security element for storing program configuration during operation, and external non-volatile memory within the system-on-chip device for storing data during sleep mode. This segmentation allows the security element to be completely powered down without writing to its internal non-volatile memory, thus avoiding wear and tear while maintaining energy efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the system-on-chip device's external memory serves as a temporary storage location for the program configuration during sleep mode. This intermediary approach prevents direct write operations to the security element's non-volatile memory, eliminating wear and tear while enabling complete power-down of the security element for energy savings.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the security element is completely powered down for energy saving, then energy efficiency is improved, but the reactivation process becomes slower
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by transferring the program configuration from the security element's volatile memory to the system-on-chip device's external non-volatile memory before the security element is completely powered down. This pre-transfer ensures that upon reactivation, the configuration is already available in external memory, enabling fast restoration without delaying the power-down process or extending the wake-up time.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method for energy-saving operation of a security element (2) of a single-chip system device (1), in which the following steps are performed: a) receiving an energy-saving command by the security element (2); b) transferring at least one current program configuration (11) of the security element (2) from a volatile memory (3) of the security element (2) to a memory external to the security element depending on the energy-saving command; c) adjusting a power supply of at least the volatile memory (3) of the security element (2); and d) energy-saving operation of the security element (2) after the transfer, wherein the current program configuration (11) is transferred to a module (4, 5, 6) of the single-chip system device (1) that is designed separately from the security element (2) and comprises the memory external to the security element (7).