Extracting entropy from the vibration of multiple machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9329836-B2
Application number	US-201414255125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2014
Priority date	Apr 17, 2014
Publication date	May 3, 2016
Grant date	May 3, 2016

Abstract

Generating a pool of random numbers for use by computer applications. Vibration sensors are placed throughout a machine and collect entropy data from the measurements of the vibration sensors. The data is then filtered and sent via secure connection to a second machine to be added to the second machine's entropy pool. Applications needing a random number may acquire a number from the pool. A method, computer program product and system to generate the pool are provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to utilize the vibration of a machine for random number generation, the method comprising:
acquiring, by at least one sensor on a first machine, analog vibration data;
converting, by a computer processor of the first machine, the analog vibration data to digital data form;
filtering, by the computer processor of the first machine, the digital data;
transmitting the filtered vibration data to a second machine; and
storing the filtered data within a memory unit of the second machine, thereby
forming a random number pool from the filtered data from which random numbers may be selected;
wherein the filtered vibration data is encrypted and signed by the first machine prior to transmission to the second machine; and
wherein filtering comprises removing the non random parts of numbers.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a cooling component of the first machine.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in response to the sensor detecting no vibration, the processor attempts to collect vibration data from a second sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensors comprise tri-axial accelerometers imbedded in motor drives assemblies of rotating components within the machine.

5. A computer program product for random number generation for security relevant features of cryptography applications, the computer program product comprising:
computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code readable by a computer processor to perform a method comprising:
acquiring, by at least one sensor on a first machine, analog vibration data;
converting, by a computer processor of the first machine, the analog vibration data to digital data form;
filtering, by the computer processor of the first machine, the digital data;
transmitting the filtered vibration data to a second machine; and
storing the filtered data within a memory unit of the second machine, thereby forming a random number pool from the filtered data from which random numbers may be selected;
wherein the filtered vibration data is encrypted and signed by the first machine prior to transmission to the second machine; and
wherein filtering comprises removing the non random parts of numbers.

6. The computer program product according to claim 5 , wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a cooling component of the first machine.

7. The computer program product according to claim 5 , wherein in response to the sensor detecting no vibration, the processor attempts to collect vibration data from a second sensor.

8. The computer program product of claim 5 , wherein the sensors comprise tri-axial accelerometers imbedded in motor drives assemblies of rotating components within the machine.

9. A computer system to generate random numbers, the system comprising:
a computer processor on a first machine;
at least one sensor in communication with the processor for acquiring analog vibration data from the first machine;
wherein the computer processor is configured to:
convert analog vibration data to digital data form;
filter the digital data;
transmit the filtered vibration data to a second machine for storage by the second machine;
storing the filtered data within a memory unit of the second machine, thereby
forming a random number pool from the filtered data from which random numbers may be selected;
wherein the filtered vibration data is encrypted and signed by the first machine prior to transmission to the second machine; and
wherein filtering comprises removing the non random parts of numbers.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a cooling component of the first machine.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein in response to the sensor detecting no vibration, the processor attempts to collect vibration data from a second sensor.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the sensors comprise tri-axial accelerometers imbedded in motor drives assemblies of rotating components within the machine.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Boenisch Volker
• Buendgen Reinhard
• Geisert Franziska
• Lang Jakob
• Lattermann Mareike
• Notohardjono Budy D
• Nunez-Mencias Angel

Classifications

• H04L2209/24

  Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption · CPC title

• G06F7/588 Primary

  Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes · CPC title

• H04L9/0869

  involving random numbers or seeds · CPC title

• H04L2209/805

  Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor · CPC title

• H04L9/0866

  involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics · CPC title