Electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12554897-B2
Application number	US-202217746049-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2022
Priority date	Aug 23, 2021
Publication date	Feb 17, 2026
Grant date	Feb 17, 2026

Abstract

An electronic device which operates in a normal mode or a low power mode includes a system on chip (SOC), a first non-volatile memory (NVM), and a security device including a second NVM and a memory processor. The first NVM includes a security region and a non-security region. The SOC includes a main processor a memory controller and a security processor connected to the main processor and the memory controller. The security processor generates a write request signal and first security data. In the normal mode, the security processor stores the first security data in the security region of the first NVM in response to the main processor of the SOC being activated and stores the first security data in the second NVM in response to the memory processor of the security device being activated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electronic device selectively operable in a normal mode and a low power mode, the electronic device comprising:
a first non-volatile memory (NVM) including a security region in which security data is stored and a non-security region in which data different from the security data is stored; a security device including a second NVM, a second memory controller connected to the second NVM, and a memory processor connected to the second memory controller; and a system on chip (SOC) connected to the first NVM through a communication channel and the security device through a security channel, the SOC including: a main processor: a first memory controller connected to the first NVM through the communication channel and the main processor through a bus; and a security processor connected to the main processor and the first memory controller through the bus, and the security processor configured to: generate a write request signal and first security data, provide the write request signal and the first security data to the main processor of the SOC in the normal mode, provide the write request signal and the first security data to the memory processor of the security device in the low power mode, and in the normal mode, store the first security data in the security region of the first NVM in response to the write request signal and the first security data being provided to the main processor of the SOC, and store the first security data in the second NVM in response to the write request signal and the first security data being provided to the memory processor of the security device, wherein the data stored in the non-security region includes a program image and the security data stored in the security region includes an identifier of the program image.

2 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the main processor is configured to output a first control command instructing to store the first security data, in response to the write request signal output from the security processor; the first memory controller is configured to provide a first program command, a first address, and the first security data to the first NVM through the communication channel in response to the first control command; and a state manager configured to output a power flag indicating a power supply state of the SOC corresponding to the normal mode.

3 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the security processor includes:
a state register configured to store the power flag; an internal memory configured to temporarily store the first security data; and a processing core configured to output, to the main processor, based on a result of monitoring the power flag stored in the state register, the write request signal requesting to store the temporarily stored first security data.

4 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein:
the internal memory is configured to temporarily store the first security data before a mode of the electronic device is switched from the low power mode to the normal mode, and the processing core is configured to output the write request signal and the temporarily stored first security data after the mode of the electronic device is switched from the low power mode to the normal mode.

5 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the security processor is configured to perform a security operation in the normal mode to generate second security data, and provide the second security data and the write request signal to the main processor, the main processor is configured to provide a second control command instructing to store the second security data to the first memory controller, in response to the write request signal, and the first memory controller is configured to provide a second program command, a second address, and the second security data to the first NVM, in response to the second control command.

6 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , wherein:
the security processor is configured to provide a read request signal to the main processor in the normal mode, the main processor is configured to provide a second control command instructing to read the first security data to the first memory controller, in response to the read request signal, and the first memory controller is configured to provide a read command and the first address to the first NVM, in response to the second control command.

7 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
a power controller configured to supply power to the first NVM, the security device, the security processor, the main processor, the first memory controller, and the state manager in the normal mode, and supply power to the security device and the security processor in the low power mode.

8 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 7 , wherein:
the first NVM, the main processor, and the first memory controller are configured to be deactivated in the low power mode when an operation of the electronic device is switched from the normal mode to the low power mode, and the security processor is configured to access the second NVM in the low power mode.

9 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the security processor is configured to perform a security operation in the normal mode to generate second security data, and access the second NVM to store the second security data in the second NVM.

10 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a storage capacity of the second NVM is less than a storage capacity of the first NVM.

11 . An electronic device selectively operable in a normal mode and a low power mode, the electronic device comprising:
a first non-volatile memory (NVM) including a security region in which security data is stored and a non-security region in which data different from the security data is stored; a security device including a second NVM, a second memory controller connected to the second NVM, and a memory processor connected to the second memory controller; a security processing module connected to the security device through a security channel, and configured to: generate a first write request signal and first security data, in the normal mode, store the first security data in the security region of the first NVM and store the first security data in the second NVM: and a system on chip (SOC) connected between the first NVM and the security processing module through a communication channel, and the SOC including: a main processor; and a first memory controller connected to the first NVM through the communication channel and the main processor through a bus, and the first memory controller configured to provide the first security data, a first program command, and a first address to the first NVM in response to the first write request signal, wherein, in the normal mode, the security processing module is configured to store the first security data in the security region of the first NVM in response to the main processor of the SOC being activated, and store the first security data in the second NVM in response to the memory processor of the security device being activated, and wherein the data stored in the non-security region includes a program image and the security data stored in the security region includes an identifier of the program image.

12 . The electronic device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the SOC further includes:
a state manager configured to output a power flag indicating a power supply state of the SOC corresponding to the normal mode, wherein the main processor is configured to output a control com

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Sunghyun
• Park Keunyoung
• Kang Bogyeong
• Park Dongjin

Classifications

• G06F21/74 Primary

  operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode · CPC title

• G06F21/72

  in cryptographic circuits · CPC title

• G06F12/1408

  by using cryptography (for digital transmission H04L9/00) · CPC title

• G06F15/7807

  System on chip, i.e. computer system on a single chip; System in package, i.e. computer system on one or more chips in a single package · CPC title

• G06F21/79

  in semiconductor storage media, e.g. directly-addressable memories · CPC title