Cryptographic logic circuit with resistance to differential power analysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9250671-B2
Application number	US-201113028922-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2011
Priority date	Feb 16, 2011
Publication date	Feb 2, 2016
Grant date	Feb 2, 2016

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques that may prevent cryptographic devices, including both encryption devices and decryption devices, from producing a power signature that can be used by attackers to deconstruct a cryptographic algorithm and extract a cryptographic key. The techniques may include an external power supply charging an internal, dedicated power storage element; temporarily gating off the encryption device from the external power supply; configuring a cryptographic logic unit to perform a cryptographic algorithm from power stored in the power storage element while the external power source is gated off; and then recharging the power storage element upon the cryptographic logic unit completing an iteration of the cryptographic algorithm.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cryptographic device comprising:
a cryptographic logic unit;
a power storage element configured to be charged by an external power source;
first switching logic configured to disconnect the power storage element from the cryptographic logic unit;
second switching logic configured to disconnect the power storage element from the external power source during operation of the cryptographic logic unit; and
timing logic configured to synchronize a…

Assignees

• Tucker James L
• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Tucker James L

Classifications

• G06F1/263 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/558

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F21/755

  Physics · mapped topic