Tamper Resistant Electronic Device With Latent Battery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Physical access to internal components of secured devices, such as encryption modules, can bypass software protections, allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data, as these devices may be vulnerable to direct manipulation or tampering.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a latent battery within a casing surrounded by an activator material separated by a rupturable barrier, which activates the battery upon physical tampering, generating electrical power to trigger a security response, such as erasing data or activating an alarm.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If software protections are used to secure data, then data security is maintained under normal operation, but physical access to internal components can bypass these protections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-positioning a latent battery and activator material within the device housing, separated by a rupturable barrier. Before any tampering occurs, all necessary components are in place and prepared. When physical access is attempted, the barrier ruptures and the battery activates immediately, enabling instant security response without requiring external intervention or pre-existing active power sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful act of physical tampering into a beneficial security trigger. The very attempt to access internal components causes the rupturable barrier to break, which in turn activates the latent battery and triggers security responses such as data erasure or alarms. The tampering action itself becomes the mechanism that activates protection.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If a latent battery and activator material are incorporated into the device, then tamper detection capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the security mechanism into distinct functional components: a latent battery, an activator material, a rupturable barrier, and a security response system. Each component has a specific function and can be independently designed, manufactured, and positioned within the device. This modular approach simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining sophisticated tamper detection capabilities.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances physical security by ensuring that even if the device is physically accessed, the activation of the battery triggers a response that protects the data, preventing unauthorized access and tampering.
Implementation Method 1
The activator material is a material that causes the latent battery to output electrical power when contacting or interacting with the latent battery
Data Source
AI summary
A tamper resistant device comprises an internal component, such as an electronic device, and a latent battery that is connected to the internal component. An activator material is separated from the latent battery by a rupturable barrier that is adapted to rupture, shatter, or otherwise degrade in response to a stimulus associated with a physical tampering event. The activator material is a material that causes the latent battery to output electrical power when in contact with the latent battery. In some examples, the electrical power provided when the activator material contacts the latent battery is used to trigger a security response which can include transmission of an alarm signal and/or erasure of data stored by the internal component.