Tamper-respondent assemblies with pressure connector assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11765816-B2
Application number	US-202117399302-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2021
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

Tamper-respondent assemblies are provided which include an enclosure mounted to a circuit board and enclosing one or more components to be protected within a secure volume. A tamper-respondent sensor covers, at least in part, an inner surface of the enclosure, and includes at least one tamper-detect circuit. A monitor circuit is disposed within the secure volume to monitor the tamper-detect circuit(s) for a tamper event. A pressure connector assembly is also disposed within the secure volume, between the tamper-respondent sensor and the circuit board. The pressure connector assembly includes a conductive pressure connector electrically connecting, at least in part, the monitor circuit and the tamper-detect circuit(s) of the tamper-respondent assembly, and a spring-biasing mechanism to facilitate breaking electrical connection of the conductive pressure connector to the tamper-detect circuit(s) with a tamper event.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
an enclosure mounted to a circuit board and enclosing one or more components to be protected within a secure volume;
a tamper-respondent sensor covering, at least in part, an inner surface of the enclosure, the tamper-respondent sensor comprising at least one tamper-detect circuit;
a monitor circuit disposed within the secure volume to monitor the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor for tampering; and
a pressure connector assembly disposed within the secure volume, between the tamper-respondent sensor and the circuit board, the pressure connector assembly comprising:
a conductive pressure connector within the secure volume, and electrically connecting the circuit board and the tamper-respondent sensor of the tamper-respondent assembly; and
a spring-biasing mechanism within the secure volume to facilitate breaking electrical connection of the conductive pressure connector to the tamper-respondent sensor with a tamper event.

2. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pressure connector assembly further comprises an alignment feature, the alignment feature facilitating aligning the conductive pressure connector to a contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor.

3. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the spring-biasing mechanism comprises a spring disposed within the alignment feature, the spring biasing the tamper-respondent sensor away from the conductive pressure connector with removal of the enclosure from over the tamper-respondent sensor above the conductive pressure connector.

4. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the alignment feature comprises:
a base alignment feature secured to the circuit board within the secure volume; and
a circuit alignment feature coupled to the tamper-respondent sensor within the secure volume, the circuit alignment feature mating with the base alignment feature with mounting of the enclosure to the circuit board to facilitate aligning the conductive pressure connector to the contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit.

5. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the spring-biasing mechanism comprises a spring residing between the base alignment feature and the tamper-respondent sensor.

6. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the base alignment feature has a central alignment opening, and the circuit alignment feature projects into the central alignment opening of the base alignment feature with mounting of the enclosure to the circuit board to facilitate aligning the conductive pressure connector to the contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit.

7. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 6 , wherein the circuit alignment feature comprises a conical-shaped alignment feature, and the conductive pressure connector extends through a central opening in the conical-shaped alignment feature to contact the contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit.

8. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the conductive pressure connector resides within a central opening in the alignment feature of the pressure connector assembly.

9. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 8 , wherein the conductive pressure connector further resides, at least in part, within a central opening in the spring-biasing mechanism.

10. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising multiple pressure connector assemblies disposed within the secure volume, between the tamper-respondent sensor and the circuit board, the pressure connector assembly being one pressure connector assembly of the multiple pressure connector assemblies, and wherein the one pressure connector assembly further comprises an alignment feature, the alignment feature facilitating aligning the conductive pressure connector to a contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor, and comprising a base alignment feature, and the spring-biasing mechanism comprising a spring disposed between the base alignment feature and the tamper-respondent sensor.

11. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
an enclosure mounted to a circuit board and enclosing one or more components to be protected within a secure volume;
a tamper-respondent sensor covering, at least in part, an inner surface of the enclosure, the tamper-respondent sensor comprising at least one tamper-detect circuit;
a monitor circuit disposed within the secure volume to monitor the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor for tampering; and
multiple pressure connector assemblies disposed within the secure volume, between the tamper-respondent sensor and the circuit board, a pressure connector assembly of the multiple pressure connector assemblies comprising:
a conductive pressure connector within the secure volume, and electrically connecting the circuit board to the tamper-respondent sensor of the tamper-respondent assembly; and
a spring-biasing mechanism within the secure volume to facilitate breaking electrical connection of the conductive pressure connector to the tamper-respondent sensor with a tamper event.

12. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 11 , wherein the pressure connector assembly further comprises an alignment feature, the alignment feature facilitating aligning the conductive pressure connector to a contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor.

13. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , wherein the spring-biasing mechanism comprises a spring disposed within the alignment feature, the spring biasing the tamper-respondent sensor away from the conductive pressure connector with removal of the enclosure from over the tamper-respondent sensor above the conductive pressure connector.

14. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , wherein the alignment feature comprises:
a base alignment feature secured to the circuit board within the secure volume; and
a circuit alignment feature coupled to the tamper-respondent sensor within the secure volume, the circuit alignment feature mating with the base alignment feature with mounting of the enclosure to the circuit board to facilitate aligning the conductive pressure connector to the contact pad of the at least one tamper-detect circuit.

15. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 14 , wherein the spring-biasing mechanism comprises a spring residing between the base alignment feature and the tamper-respondent sensor.

16. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , wherein the conductive pressure connector resides within a central opening in the alignment feature of the pressure connector assembly.

17. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the conductive pressure connector further resides, at least in part, within a central opening in the spring-biasing mechanism.

18. A method of fabricating a tamper-respondent assembly, the method comprising:
obtaining a circuit board, the circuit board including one or more electronic components to be protected;
mounting an enclosure to the circuit board to enclose the one or more electronic components within a secure volume;
providing a tamper-respondent sensor covering, at least in part, an inner surface of the enclosure, the tamper-respondent sensor comprising at least one tamper-detect circuit;
providing a monitor circuit disposed within the secure volume to monitor the at least one tamper-detect circuit of the tamper-respondent sensor for tampering

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Higby Arthur J
• Brodsky William L
• Campbell Levi
• Long David Clifford
• Busby James
• Buchling Rego Philipp K

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W42/405

  using active circuits · CPC title

• H10W70/611

  for connecting multiple chips together · CPC title

• H10W70/685

  comprising multiple insulating layers · CPC title

• H10W40/10

  Arrangements for heating · CPC title