Security Processor Memory Use Efficiency in System on Chip
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing system-on-chip (SOC) and memory systems face inefficiencies in memory use and performance due to separate management of metadata and error correction code (ECC) data, leading to increased write/read times and power consumption during data encryption/decryption processes, especially in high-security and high-temperature environments like automotive systems.
Innovation Solution
A SOC with a security processor that integrates encryption/decryption and ECC operations, using an encryption/ECC encoding processor to generate ECC data from encrypted metadata, and a decryption/ECC decoding processor to recover data, along with an address controller to manage storage addresses for metadata and ECC data, allowing for simultaneous storage and retrieval, thereby reducing processing time and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ECC function and encryption/decryption function are performed separately, then security and error correction are ensured, but memory use efficiency deteriorates and write/read time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines ECC data and metadata into a single memory region, allowing both error correction and encryption functions to operate on the same data structure simultaneously. This merging eliminates the need for separate memory management for ECC and encryption operations, thereby improving memory use efficiency while maintaining both security and error correction capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory region is designed to serve multiple functions: storing encrypted data, ECC data, and metadata simultaneously. This universal storage approach allows the system to perform encryption, decryption, and error correction operations without requiring separate dedicated memory spaces, thus reducing write/read time and improving overall productivity.
2Reliability
If additional data (metadata and ECC data) is generated and stored separately, then security and error correction functions are applied, but processing time and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage of metadata and ECC data into a single memory region, allowing the system to process and access both types of data simultaneously. This reduces the number of separate memory access operations required during encryption and error correction processes, thereby decreasing processing time and power consumption while maintaining both security and error correction functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization of metadata and ECC data into a unified memory structure during the encryption process, so that both data types are ready for simultaneous access during subsequent decryption and error correction operations. This preliminary structuring eliminates the need for separate data retrieval operations, reducing overall processing time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If metadata and ECC data are separately managed, then individual functions can be optimized independently, but memory use efficiency and access speed deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines metadata and ECC data into a single memory region that can be accessed together, improving access speed by eliminating the need for separate memory reads. The unified structure allows the system to retrieve both metadata and ECC data in a single operation, thereby increasing access speed while maintaining the ability to perform both encryption and error correction functions.
Data Source
AI summary
An SOC includes a security processor. The security processor includes an encryption/ECC encoding processor configured to perform an encryption operation on data using Metadata and to generate ECC data by performing ECC encoding processing on encrypted data and the Metadata, a decryption/ECC decoding processor configured to extract the encrypted data and the Metadata by performing ECC decoding processing using the ECC data and to recover the data by performing a decryption operation on the encrypted data using the Metadata, and an address controller configured to receive a first address related to storage of the data, to generate a second address based on the first address, and to perform an address generating operation identifying a same region in memory for storing the Metadata and the ECC data based on the second address.